Konono No.1- Konono No.1 Meets Batida

Konono No.1- Konono No.1 Meets Batida

By: Ghost Writer

The experimental zone is the perfect place for Konono No.1 brand of adventurous African music,  the band has never shown to be afraid to play with their sound, even appearing on record with the iconoclastic Bjork, a perfect match for daring sound exploration, and a collaboration with keyboards great Herbie Hancock, a big fan of the band, so, it's not exactly a surprise been able to listen to Konono No.1, this time interchanging sounds with Angolan/Portuguese musician DJ Batida, on Konono No.1 meets Batida.

What Mingiedi Mawangu created in the 60s in the now Democratic Republic of the Congo is a monster with a life of its own, it has transcended from its own humble origins as a folk band, into one of the most daring and adventurous cosmopolitan ensemble in the field if electronic music in Africa, now with Mingiedi death last year, is encouraging that Konono No.1 is still going on strong and with their experimental will intact, led now by Mingiedi's son Agustin Makuntima Mawangu, Konono No.1 new adventure bring us this new set of songs with amusing musical changes.

Recorded precisely on Batida's studio in Lisbon Portugal, Meets Batida is a record to listen in detail, opener Nlele Kalusimbiko wastes no time in immersing the listener in the world of dissonant highly electrified likembes resounding all over the mix, the beats are relentless and the vocals intense, is here where Batida is able to deliver his brand of dancing beats to mix with Konono's continuous celebratory attack, a prodigious mix of rapping poetry, call and response vocal lines and infectious African grooves.

Percussion takes the lead on Yambadi Mama, while Batida's beats are quickly inserted on the mix, creating a trance like intro that helps the musicians create a sense of tension, quickly torn apart by singer Pauline Mbuka Nsiala whose enormous input at the front of the ensemble is thrilling, almost incendiary, with Batida here giving the band deep breaks for likembes to shine and resound almost magically, Tokolanda lets Agustin lends some vocals on the near folks tune, featuring the resounding likembes creating something equal to a wall of pure sound in loops that sound endless.

Bom Dia is an almost vocal and percussion tune, if it wasn't for Batida powerful entrance with bass and drums giving the song a surprising spin, returning again to the spotlight on Nzonzig Familia, Konono No.1 following here Batida rhythmic lead, before getting really aggressive on the dazzling Kuna America, a definite change of gears for both musicians, with Batida's beats going really heavy, almost brutal, bringing forward the Kuduro influence, mixing it in a brilliant way with Konono's resounding attack.

Konono No.1 Meets Batida is a definite step for this ensemble of restless musicians, bringing the best of them in a totally different setting from their last Assume Crash Position recording, doing a wonderful job by getting together with a truly sympathetic musician, perfect complement for their music, benefiting totally from their new environment and delivering and enormously enjoyable recording.