KOKOKO!


Territory: DE | AT | CH
Mgmt: WW

A wind of change is blowing over the cultural landscape of Kinshasa.

An amazing alternative scene is thriving far for the occidental fantasies of “world music”... It is explosive and vibrant.

These sounds are emanating from the ghetto and downtown clubs of the Congolese capital in between the government-imposed power cuts. The artists actually bring something alive in the chaos of the 3rd biggest african city. They have strong new ideas with DIY constructed instruments and a powerful and unique drive. This movement is more expressive, lively, spontaneous and direct compared to most big cities’ scenes, like London, Berlin etc... It’s raw, free and open creatively more like NYC in the 70s and 80s or Berlin in the 90s if it has to be compared to artistic movements. It’s inventing everything from nothing and it’s happening now and you can experience it through the recordings, the videos and KOKOKO!'s incredible live shows.

The band was born in Kinshasa when Makara Bianko, débruit and a group of musicians from the Ngwaka neighbourhood met. They rehearsed and recorded together in a self made studio made of material gathered around. After one month of playing and creating new sounds they improvised a block party on a building site of the Kato street ghetto, that would be the 1st performance of KOKOKO! And will define the collective that also includes art performers and dancers.