This week President Barack Obama will be sworn in as our leader, and many of us will be glued to our sets, while pinching ourselves that this is all really happening. One of the surest harbingers of change is a musical one: Samba Mapangala and his stateside band Virunga will be playing not on some peripheral stage but for the invitation-only black-tie gala "Africa on the Potomac: The Pan-African Inaugural Celebration of President Barack Obama." The President's paternal grandmother will be attendance. While it is true that such familiar faces and voices as Youssou N'Dour and Angelique Kidjo will also be performing at other inaugural festivities in DC, it is heartwarming to know that Mapangala who is not nearly as well known will be bringing his singular blend of Nairobi rumba n' soukous to such a high profile setting. Maybe it will help to spread the word about this fabulous, light-hearted party music.