Konono No 1

still psyched!

everyone go if you can

theres something i dont like about how the congotronics albums sound. maybe its cos theyre recorded straight onto a G4 or something but they sound a bit thin, slightly lacking in body.

They absolutely smashed it when I saw them in the summer

new cd out soon (or now?)

There is a "new" live album, but I'm not sure if it is a new live album or just a new reissue of the last live album.

Live at Coleur Cafe came out on Crammed Discs this year. According to the Allmusic Guide it's a live in Belgium cd. It appears to be different than previous releases. Afropop.org says Konono will have a new studio cd in 2008.

^sweet^

Interesting and occasionally sad cover story on them in the Wire. The author went to the Congo and spent time with them there as well with their producer. The article ambitiously covers life in wartime Congo, musical issues regarding purism/exoticism/ what the kids want/producers imposing their vision, and more. He also saw rumba star Koffi Olimide there and contrast the 2. As someone who has seen Koffi on tour here and follows Congolese rumba performers (he calls him soukous but I do not think the Congolese use that term anymore)I found that portion a bit simplistic but it may not be that way for others.

Plus new cd coming as well as a box set.

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs009/1102271303916/img/15.jpg

Konono No 1 Vinyl LP: Congotronics
- Congotronics 2 /"Buzz'n'Rumble From The Urb'n'Jungle" Vinyl LP (feat. five different Kinshasa bands)
- Kasai Allstars Vinyl LP: In The 7th Moon, The Chief Turned Into A Swimming Fish And Ate The Head Of His Enemy By Magic
- Staff Benda Bilili Vinyl LP: Très Très Fort
- the brand-new Konono No 1 double vinyl LP: Assume Crash Position
- a Congotronics book with exclusive photos from Kinshasa, Congo.
- a customized, re-usable 2Gb USB pen drive containing 9 videos, and mp3s (in 320 kbps) of all 5 albums.
- 7" vinyl with two exclusive tracks by Kasai Allstars, one of them featuring a collaboration with Akron/Family!

Looks like $$$ but I am interested.

one of the illest live show i've ever seen. unbelievable escalating energy. blissful and transcendent.

"missing link between world music and the Velvets/Can"

no. the relationship of this music to the Velvets/Can is that of Parent and Child. Hulger Czukay was immensely influenced by African music, and the Velvets took cues from the likes of Steve Reich, whose work was also largely derivative of African rhythms.

http://www.africanhiphop.com/africanhiphopnews/baloji-konono-no-1/

nice collaboration from 2010 I somehow missed.

I just watched Félicité (2017) a few nights ago. Excellent film which features a lot of Kasai Allstars music
to great effect.

JUst listening to this stuff on Nyege Nyege tapes when I saw this thread and thought the sound pretty much crossed over
https://nyegenyegetapes.bandcamp.com/album/kadodi
relentlessly p[ercussive tribal African meets electronica stuff I just discovered cos of an article on a festival the record label held in September.

^^ purchased

Cool, just been listening through various of the acts on the label thanks to the feature here
https://daily.bandcamp.com/2017/04/06/nyege-nyege-tapes-feature/
and the initial article which was in the latest Wire.

Saw this great documentary about the making of the first Staff Benda Bilili album.
Most of the band members are paraplegic due to childhood polio. The shelter for the disabled
burned down during the first attempt at recording them and that delayed things for over
a year. God bless the French dudes who kept on until it was done.

One amazing thing to see is the transformation of a little street kid, playing a one string homemade
instrument, that the band took under it's wing.

Watch them go from practicing on the grounds at the Kinshasa zoo, to touring Europe and Japan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJX2GdYr054

Worth watching