Lous and The Yakuza: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music's Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It's the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space.

Bob Boilen | January 27, 2021
There's an elegant vibe as Lous and The Yakuza perform a Tiny Desk from the Book Bar in the Hôtel Grand Amour in Paris. And while the music is smooth, upbeat and warm, what lies beneath in Lous backstory, in her French lyrics, is, at times, deep and disturbing.

Lous — an anagram for "soul" — is Marie-Pierra Kakoma, a 24-year-old artist based in Belgium but born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She came to Belgium because her family escaped war in the Congo. They were refugees. For her Tiny Desk (home) concert, she opens with her 2019 single, "Dilemme." The song conjures up images of growing up in the Congo and Rwanda: "Living haunts me, everything that surrounds me made me mean," she sings in French. Her songs are often set to Congolese rumba rhythms, filled with resilience, beauty and resistance.

These songs come from her 2020 album, Gore, and are steeped in a life that saw her mother imprisoned in the Congo for being Rwandan, then become separated during their escape to Belgium. They were eventually reunited, butLous was a troubled teen and spent a period of time adrift before pulling her life together in pursuit of music and art. There's much to uncover and discover here. This Tiny Desk (home) concert is a deep journey.

SET LIST
"Dilemme"
"Bon Acteur"
"Dans La Hess"
"Solo"
"Amigo"

MUSICIANS
Lous: vocals
Joseph Nelson: keys
Jamiel Blake: drums
Swaeli Mbappe: bass
Ayelya Douniama: vocals
Myriam Sow: vocals

CREDITS
Video: Lenny Grosman, Robin Conrad and Loris de Oliveira
Audio: Charles Darnaud
Directors: Lenny Grosman and Robin Conrad
Camera: Loris de Oliveira
FOH Engineer: Florent Livet
Monitor Engineer: Antoine Lalbat
Production: Jim Schachmes and Brieux Ferot
Stage Manager: Maddly Mendy-Sylva

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bob Boilen
Video Producer: Maia Stern
Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin
Tiny Production Team: Kara Frame, Morgan Noelle Smith
Executive Producer: Lauren Onkey
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

[nprmusic]

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[ohjulistop]

can we take a minute to appreciate how beautiful these people are?!

[akinyikongango]

I was sold at "Hello guys"... Her voice is just...

[ancellareynoso]

2024 and I can’t keep myself from coming back to enjoy this masterpiece. Simply mesmerizing.

[hallucinojennn]

She exudes sultry, feminine energy. Not sure what she's singing about yet, but that's a testament to the music. The vibe & feeling translate despite understanding the language.

[balancingthedeficit]

Note to self, "Self, learn French"
editted...
Merci pour votre
Je souhaite à Lous et aux Yakuza beaucoup de succès dans l'avenir ... à vous aussi

[shawruck]

Tiny Desk is better than the Grammy, American music awards and BET and anything else. They show case real artist ad musicians, not what’s just popular. I get everything here, Jazz, real R&B and more. Thank you Tiny Desk!!!

[niklaslachmann]

Honestly the live recordings sound so much better than the studio versions

[yladoma]

First song : "If I could I would live Alone, away from problems & dilemas, far from my chains and from the people I like."
Second song : you re a good actor but i am looking for your motor, before leaving, just look inside if there is not bits of me remaining -a love song where she share love but would like her beloved not to act but to be.
Third song: she would like to make money to help her brothers and sisters in despair ("dans la hess" in Arabic-French slang) even though the world is not going well
Fourth song : since birth we are promissed everything but in exchange we must remain quite and shut the f*ck up, should I shout to be heard ? Whatever we do or say, we remain "solo" - she analyses our behaviors - Parle allez parle allez dis moi ce qui te gêne : "Talk to me hey talk to me hey tell me what bothers you"
Fifth and final song: Amigo. Life isnt kind, future has eyes, watch yourself, help, there are hidden behind walls

[youtuveunvideo]

Woah the drummer plays soooo smoothly. Every single of the fast beats on the hi hat, the snappy closure, the sharp sidestick, the great timing... Such a pleasure to listen.

[georgibass]

The bassist is relevant and on point . He knows what he is doing . He sounds great with dem pedals .

[hammerdavis]

Don't have a clue what's she saying, but still sounding 🔥🔥🔥

[desireesakal]

This is the perfect example that music is a language of it own. I don’t know French, but this spoke to my heart and soul. Wow! Amazing! Black girl magic 😍😍

[arnauddezit]

Finally a French speaking singer in Tiny Desk Concert... and what an amazing voice ! Merci Lous and the Yakuza, vous êtes magnétique.

[Mboulgour]

This version is SO MUCH BETTER than the album version.

[gjcp]

0:13 - Dilemme
3:22 - Bon acteur
6:51 - Dans la hess
10:08 - Solo
15:15 - Amigo

[_home_]

00:12 "Dilemme"
03:23 "Bon acteur"
06:50 "Dans la hess"
10:10 "Solo"
15:15 "Amigo"

[PentameronSV]

0:00 - *Dilemme*
3:23 - *Bon Acteur* (6:22)
[6:50] - *Dans La Hess*
10:08 - *Solo* (14:50)
15:14 - *Amigo*
[18:04 - Tiny Desk team]

[palecompass]

Her skin is amazing. It's glowing gold.

[CyanPenn]

Been coming here for years. Still coming. Gon’ stay coming.

When it’s good - it’s good.