Jupiter & Okwess Jupiter & Okwess

Discovered in 2006 thanks to Jupiter’s Dance, a documentary about the new music scene in Kinshasa, charismatic band leader Jupiter Bokondji represents the innovative scene of street musicians in Kinshasa. Blending Afropop, traditional Congolese rhythms, funk, and rock with often topical, socially conscious lyrics, Bokondji is advancing a rich, multicultural style. Born in Kinshasa, he began drumming as a boy, helping his grandmother, a traditional healer, at ceremonies and funerals. In 1974, his diplomat father was posted to East Berlin, where Jupiter discovered Rock music and became inspired by the apparent complicity between Congolese traditions and Western music.

He returned to Kinshasa, convinced that music could be a unifying force and determined to create his own mode of musical expression.

Gathered around Jupiter are the Okwess faithful: Montana (of Staff Benda Bilili) on drums and Yendé on bass, guitarists Eric and Richard and the singer Blaise. Their new album, Kin Sonic (produced by Marc-Antoine Moreau, whose credits include Amadou & Mariam and Songhoy Blues), unveils a largely hidden heritage even as it metaphorically addresses issues confronting societies all across the globe.

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