Before there was the legendary Franco and O.K. Jazz, and long before soukous, Antoine "Wendo" Kolosoy was making music in the Congo. Kolosoy became one of the first African recording stars on the strength of his 1949 hit "Marie Louise" (RealAudio excerpt), a song that supposedly had the power to bring the dead back to life. Unfortunately, times changed, and as the rumba and then soukous took over, Kolosoy got lost in the shuffle.

Marie Louise sees the veteran singer, now 70, revisiting his old music in the company of a young band that plays the songs the way he used to. Though the years have crept by, Kolosoy has retained his excellent voice, offering his trademark yelp/croon to material like "Pépé Kalle" (RealAudio excerpt), while the musicians, which include Vula Missy offering some shimmering guitar work, remind everyone what the rumba was in its infancy: subtle and relaxed.

Perhaps the greatest joy, however, is "Tokutani" (RealAudio excerpt), Kolosoy's duet with Cameroon's Annie-Marie N'zié, another musical veteran. Their collaboration is almost like a West African Buena Vista Social Club and every bit as good.