Zêdess manages to sum up the situation perfectly on his second album, Accroche-Toi (Hold On Tight), where the majority of his songs lampoon the political scene in Africa with sharp wit and piquancy. On the album's opening track, Le Hic, Zêdess declares his intention of becoming a card-carrying militant - the only problem is he can't decide which party card to carry! According to Seydou, "We've got the hang of democracy so well in Africa that now everyone's jumping up and forming their own political party - that way they can all make a bit of extra cash. These days even 'friends' clubs' are known as political parties!" In his song, Le Hic, Zêdess is faced with a bewildering choice - should he join the NPPMF (National Party for the Progress of My Family)? The NPEP (National Party for Ethnic Purification)? Or the AENF (Association for the Expatriation of the Nation's Funds)? After running through the list of possibilities, Zêdess comes up with the idea of forming his own party - RSF (the Refuse-the-System Front)! Beneath the sparkling wit and surface humour, Zongo Seydou sounds a serious note of warning!

Seydou's catchy reggae style calls to mind the music of another African star, Alpha Blondy (if you factor in a major dose of irony, that is!) And curiously enough, Zongo Seydou also has a touch of Franky Vincent/Francis Bebey about him, his female backing vocalists trilling in with biting asides such as "Quand l’état s’emmerde, chacun se démerde!" (When the state doesn't give a damn, it's every man for himself!).
Zêdess's main talent appears to lie in mixing genres and jumbling ideas. In fact, the singer creates a deliberately ambiguous atmosphere in most of his songs. His barbed humour causes listeners to laugh, but then feel guilty for doing so and a strong vein of anger courses beneath the surface of most tracks. Take the lyrics of Démissionne, for instance, where Zêdess declares: "Politicians in Africa are like bats - the wetter (i.e. more corrupt) they are, the harder they hang on!" (Listeners may like to pause at this point and contemplate how far certain African countries have come in terms of freedom of speech. A few years back, remarks like this would have led to death in a mysterious car crash or 'suicide' with half-a-dozen bullets!)

The barbed comments on Zêdess's second album are not reserved for Africa alone. The singer also takes a few well-aimed shots at France - c.f. the song Vrai-faux Coopérant: "Monsieur Paul Lecoq is a genuine-fake aid worker. He chose to come to Africa. It's an interesting place for neo-colonists 'cos they get to make a bit of cash from the natives … ". Vrai-faux Coopérant paints a rather cruel portrait, you'll agree, but at the same time presents an eye-opening take on local customs: "From time to time, when the wife's off on holiday, (Paul Lecoq) goes to bed with a young Negress delivered straight to his door … " Other tracks such as La France comme une Mobylette reveal a tender spot for France, however, Zêdess delighting in the new multi-racial mix evident in French music and the national football team!

While Zêdess still has some way to go in terms of perfecting his vocal style - his second album proves he is much more of a natural songwriter/composer than a natural singer! - we have no hesitation in hailing Accroche-toi as the most enjoyable surprise of la rentrée!