The most tropical weekend of the year is upon us! So, if you haven’t already, pack your tent, sunscreen and fun appetite, and head for Mount Pleasant Ecological Park. From Friday 13th to Sunday 15th July, Tropical Pressure festival will drop its cargo of Latin, Caribbean, West, East and Central African...
Tag Archives: Congo
From the first jazz-solo drum rhythms of David Lessie that opened the show, to the cyclical afro-lead from John Kelly’s guitar, every beat of each song resonated throughout the grooving crowd, and certainly through band leader Mulele Matondo, who I’m sure jived to every single note of the show, constantly...
Kinshasa’s calling! On Thursday, Haile Music and Rich Mix will host a quintessential Congolese music night, presenting Kongo Dia Ntotila on the Shoreditch venue’s stage. The London-based band, formed by Kinshasa-born Mulele Matondo (vocals and bass) and David Lessie (drums), plus British John Kelly (guitar), Will Scott and Mike Soper (trumpets),...
They said there will be two “intimate” shows, but when it comes to KOKOKO!’s vibe, there’s nothing intimate or cushy about it. You’ll jump up, dance and move relentlessly to their vibrant Afro-electro groove! Hailing from Kinshasa, the five-piece collective is one of the biggest up-and-coming names in today’s world...
It’s not every day that there is an opportunity to be involved in such exciting gigs, with artists who are not simply referential names for long-established music styles but have gone even further by creating their own ones. That’s why we feel delighted to co-promote an event happening on the...
There are musicians who follow the traditional styles of their country and those who create brand new ones, assembling together and evolving what their country has to offer. One of the best examples of the latter (not too densely populated) category is Jupiter Bokondji, founder and band leader of Jupiter...
If your music is strong enough to overcome religious fundamentalism and exile, how can a narrow-minded visa denial possibly harm it? That’s why Songhoy Blues, without their original bass player (who was stuck in Bamako because of an issue with his documents) performed a show to remember at Omeara. Introduced expertly,...
In three weeks’ time, Aurelio will bring his soothing Garifuna sound to London. Yet, that won’t be the only treat that we will offer you throughout the evening. Just one hour before Aurelio’s performance, another intriguing artist will make her appearance on stage and delight Rich Mix’s audience. Many of...
Deriving from the French term, ‘secousse’ literally meaning ‘to shake’, Soukous music has a simple aim, to make the people dance. Originating in Congo, Soukous spread its rhythms throughout Africa, eventually capturing the hearts and dancefloors of London and Paris in the 80’s, with Paris based musicians such as the...
![Album Review: Konono No.1 meets Batida [Crammed Discs, March 2016]](http://www.rhythmpassport.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/cram261_cover_lores-335x335.jpg)
The group Konono No.1 and Angola-born, Lisbon-raised, artist Batida, have teamed up and released Konono No.1 meets Batida, an album that is both thought-provoking and also an enjoyable listen. The songs are engaging medleys of electronic instrumentation, along with sounds such as the thumb piano, that we assume that the Congolese listeners would already...