Viva La Musica

Viva La Musica are playing Revolución de Cuba in Milton Keynes on Thursday 29 October, with the music starting at 18:00. It's a free entry night, so you can just turn up without worrying about tickets.

If the name doesn't ring a bell, the band has a fair bit of history behind it. They were founded by Papa Wemba back in 1977, and they've spent the years since then moving well beyond their starting point. They began as a soukous group — that high-energy, danceable Congolese rumba that's all about the guitar work — but they've since evolved into a world music act, pulling in sounds from across the globe rather than sticking to one specific style. That shift is a good way to think about what they do: they started in one particular tradition and gradually opened things up.

It's a long run from 1977 to now, and that's a good part of the story here. They've been playing for nearly five decades, so they've had plenty of time to move from that early soukous sound into the broader world music they're known for today. If you're into African music or just fancy hearing something a bit different on a Thursday evening, this is a good place to start.

The gig is at Revolución de Cuba, 21 Savoy Crescent, MK9 3PU, on Thursday 29 October from 18:00. Entry is free.