Hailing from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mbongwana Star features a new generation of Kinshasa musicians embodying the concept of change (mbongwana) and led by Coco Ngambali and Theo Nzonza, two founders of Congolese supergroup Staff Benda Bilili. Along with maverick Parisian producer Doctor L (Tony Allen), the band creates a sound that embodies the “smashed-together” nature of the surroundings from which it was born. The group fuses traditional Congolese rhythms with European post-punk bass and busted electronics from recycled and reconstructed instruments, amplified and distorted in unexpected ways. Their celebrated album From Kinshasa (World Circuit) has won numerous awards and the group has toured and performed at major festivals across Europe and America, including Glastonbury, Roskilde, Womad, Coachella and the famed Apollo Theater in New York City. “Listening to it feels like arriving in a bustling, unfamiliar city, a very long way from home: a gripping mix of excitement, apprehension, and sensory overload.” —The Guardian (UK) […]
