The half-Congolese, half-Angolan, Cape Town-residing Yannick Ilunga, aka “Petite Noir” will release new album La Vie Est Belle / Life Is Beautiful on 9/11 on Domino. The album was recorded at Box Ten Studios in London with Oli Bayston (Boxed In) and Leon Brichard (Ibibio).  A press release advises that the album is “named after a revered Congolese film of the same name…[and r]epresents the first full expression of what Ilunga calls ‘Noirwave’, which is more of a concept than a specific sound. Inspired by innovators like Mos Def and legends Fela Kuti and Tabu Ley, Noirwave encompasses a ‘new African aesthetic’, plain and simple. ‘I think for me, it’s just the story their music tells and the sense of freedom. It’s about seeing the positive in dark times’ said Ilunga.”  As an introduction, check out below the video for vibrant song Down, which was filmed in Lubumbashi, Congo. We love everything about it.

You can pre-order the album HERE.