Cécile Doo-Kingué - Anybody Listening Part 2 : Dialogues

2016 – Funky Joint

By Phillip Smith; Mar 13, 2016

Montreal guitarist and singer-songwriter Cécile Doo-Kingué having hooked me with last year’s Anybody Listening Part 1 : Monologues, has totally reeled me in with her latest release, Anybody Listening Part 2 : Dialogues.  Keeping her music on the edge of political and social awareness, Doo-Kingué progresses from the raw and acoustic direction of Monologues by adding more production and electricity, and it sounds terrific.  Joining the six new tracks on this twelve track album, are five re-recorded versions of her most outstanding tracks from Monologues : “Anybody Listening”, “Little Bit”, “Six Letters”, “Animal Kingdom”, and “Bloodstained Vodka”.  These are tracks I was really drawn to in their original acoustic versions, but I love these new recordings even more.

Besides being such a prolific songwriter, Doo-Kingué is quite the guitar master as well. It’s so fun to hear her let loose at the end of “Sunshine Lady”, which by the way features the lovely vocals of Milika Tirolien.  I dig the swampy slide which kick starts the upbeat bluesy gem “Riot & Revolution”. This song gets the blood pumping through the veins and the fists pumping in the air.  “Sweet Talkin’ Devil” is quite a sweet surprise too. Doo-Kingué slays this magnificent southern-style rocker about temptation. For a fearless closer, Doo-Kingué tears it up on her killer cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Manic Depression”. 

I have no idea what direction Doo-Kingué will take us in on Anybody Listening Part 3, but I’m already on-board, and looking forward to it. 

For more info on Cécile Doo-Kingué, visit her website http://www.cdkmusik.com/

Cécile Doo-Kingué - Anybody Listening, Pt 1 : Monologues

2015 – CDK Musik

By Phillip Smith; Mar 21, 2015

Soulful vocals paired with infectious rhythms and thought-provoking lyrics, are the heart of Cécile Doo-Kingué’s latest album, Anybody Listening Pt. 1: Monologues, the first installment in a trilogy of albums. Anybody Listening features nine blues-soaked, cleverly written songs performed on acoustic guitar in a solo setting. 

Doo-Kingué makes a huge powerfully submissive splash with album opener, “Make Me”. I love her sultry vocals on this fusion of funk and blues.  She keeps the mood light in “Little Bit” as well, in this ditty about what it takes to get in the happy place. I can’t help but smile when I hear this one.

As a voice for a new generation of activists, Doo-Kingué picks up where the Seventies left off, when it comes to writing songs promoting civil rights.  “Bloodstained Vodka” is her response to the arrest of feminist punk rockers, Pussy Riot for charges of hooliganism, and Putin’s anti-gay stance.  Stand-out track, “Six Letters” takes a seriously heavy look at racism and the atrocities which go hand in hand with it.  Doo-Kingué plays this one in a traditional blues style, complete with slide.        

Title track, “Anybody Listening” a mellow ode to loneliness closes the album with a sad and slow yet funky rhythm. Although Anybody Listening Pt. 1: Monologues seems to goes by fast, it has a lot of replay-ability.  This poignant album leaves me wanting to hear more, and excited to hear the next two albums in the series.       

For more info on Cécile Doo-Kingué, visit her website http://www.cdkmusik.com/

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