Pure Joy: Seli-Ja

“Soul Power” is the documentary about the music festival that accompanied the “Rumble in the Jungle” (which the documentary “When We Were Kings” is about). I hadn’t heard of the great Tabu Ley Rochereau before seeing the movie, but I instantly fell in love with the following song, “Seli-Ja.” There’s a certain joy in all the music we love, but here it’s unadulterated. It’s a joy that doesn’t turn away from sex or death, but doesn’t sentimentalize them either. I don’t know how you can listen to it without feeling what God felt after making the world: life is good.