Kinshasa has one of Africa's greatest music scenes, and much of it happens in bars. Congolese rumba -- known internationally as soukous -- evolved here from Cuban and Latin influences in the 1940s and 1950s, and the musicians who shaped it (Franco, Tabu Ley Rochereau, Kanda Bongo Man) are cultural heroes on a par with any rock star. Ndombolo, the faster, more dance-oriented style that came after, is everywhere. On Friday and Saturday nights the city's bars come alive.
Gombe has a concentration of bars catering to the expatriate and diplomatic community, with reasonable security and consistent opening hours. Matonge is where the music is most alive and most authentic, but it requires a local guide and more careful judgement after dark. The payoff -- live rumba in a packed Kinshasa bar -- is one of those travel experiences that stays with you for years.