National Geographic Music (National Geographic)

Congolese bandleader Ricardo Lemvo-one of Nat Geo Music's favorite artists-recently announced the upcoming release of a new album and dates for a supporting summer tour. The album, titled Retrospectiva, will be released July 21st on MOP Records, and will feature new recordings of 11 classic tracks from Lemvo's diverse repertoire.

Since forming his Los Angeles-based band Makina Loca in 1990, Lemvo has pioneered a new blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms with pan-African styles (Congolese soukous, Angolan semba and kizomba). As a Congo-born artist of Angolan ancestry Lemvo mines the music of the Afro-Latin diaspora, reconnecting the sounds of Cuban rumba back to their ancestral home in the Congo.

Lemvo's newest release is his most ambitious work yet. Taking a look back at his career, Ricardo and his crew have updated and improved on some of their greatest hits while remaining faithful to their sound and vision Favorites that have been updated include "Yiri Yiri Bon" (now a Colombian cumbia with African guitar licks), "Mambo Yo Yo," "Tala Masamba," "Ay Valeria," "Mama Kiyelele" and "Sao Salvador."

Also, in homage to his Angloan ancestory, Lemvo has recorded four classic songs-"Brin Brin," "HumbiUmbi/Muxima" and "N'Vunda Ku Muceque" by legendary Angolan artists Carlos "Liceu" Vieira Dias and Carlos Lamartine.

Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca Tour:

07.09.09 Culver City Music Festival Culver City, CA
07.11.09 San Juan Capistrano Library San Juan Capistrano, CA
07.16.09 Twilight Dance Series--Santa Monica Pier Santa Monica, CA
07.17.09 TGIF Jazz In The Park Carlsbad, CA
07.18.09 Big Bands and BBQ Festival Campbell, CA
07.20.09 Urban Village Music Series Lake Tahoe, Nevada
07.25.09 Festival Tempo Latino Vic Fezensac, France
07.27.09 Polé Polé Festival Gent, Belgium
07.30.09 Helden In Het Park Eeklo, Belgium
08.06.09 River Rhythm 2009 Albany, OR
08.08.09 Sweet Pea Festival Bozeman, MT
08.16.09 Lincoln Center New York City, NY
08.19.09 Summer Concerts at Oregon Zoo Portland, OR
08.20.09 Century Ballroom Seattle, WA
08.22.09 Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA
09.05.09 Juneau Dance Fest Juneau, AK
09.12.09 Mama Juana's Studio City, CA