Kékélé
Kinavana
(Stern's Music)

The African supergroup Kékélé are a wise and shrewd bunch—they have over a century of experience in the import/export trade of Congolese music. Kinavana is the group's third release; the previous two were masterful hybrids of Congolese dance music and Cuban rumba that played as precisely balanced trade-offs between the two styles—it was like down-tempo Congolese. Kinavana, on the other hand, is their Havana moment, sounding akin to a session with Buena Vista expats. Kinavana calls on an impressive lineup of Cuban and Congolese musicians to add layers of classic Cubano: sinewy horn arrangements, classical guitar lines, tremulous bass lines, wallowing vocals, and conga drums. The way it's executed, you come off believing there's not a huge difference between Congolese and Cuban roots. That's somewhat true; Havana may as well be a Congo River tributary, but when Kékélé stick more to the Congolese speed, Kinavana excels; when they don't, it sulks, which might be the point. CHRIS COOMEY

Kékélé play the Triple Door, 216 Union St., 206-838-4309, www.tripledoor.net. $22.50 adv./ $26 DOS. 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Thurs., June 6.