Jupiter's Dance

Jupiter's Dance is not easily recommendable as a documentary—it's unfocused and overlong—but it's a powerful example of musicology, inviting the viewer into the ghettoes of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to experience incredible musical diversity amidst crushing poverty and disadvantage. Loosely structured as a casual cinéma vérité tour through the streets of this vibrant yet struggling African city, the film takes its title from the charismatic figure at its center: Jupiter Bokondji, a tall, wiry, fascinating man with a knack for poetic expression. As the leader of the band Okwess International, Jupiter is a passionate artist who is convinced that Kinshasa, and all of Africa, is on the verge of a cultural revitalization. Although Kinshasa suffers from poverty (globalization and free trade are singled out as additional sources of economic distress), political upheaval (especially following the overthrow of dictator Mobutu in 1997), government corruption, and guerilla warfare, the city itself is bursting with a wide range of musical expression from—as the DVD jacket accurately describes—“teenage rappers, handicapped bluesmen, street children, griots, and guitar craftsmen.” DVD extras include eight bonus videos that further explore the diversity of Kinshasa's musical culture, and a separate CD of Okwess International's 2006 release Man Don't Cry. While not as well-organized or compelling as it might have been, Jupiter's Dance is still a solid film that will appeal to anyone interested in world music (and specifically African music). Recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Shannon)