“KOKOKO! is an explosive new musical collective that thrives on ingenuity and induces a frenetic trance.” —TIME
Using instruments constructed from typewriters, glass bottles, engine parts, and various containers, this Congolese music collective makes irresistibly danceable music that they call “tekno kintueni”. Inspired by electronica, hip-hop, and African musical styles, KOKOKO!‘s organic, exuberant sound, created in collaboration with French producer Débruit, merges political messaging with hypnotic dance rhythms. At the forefront of artistic originality, the band recycles yesterday’s junk into tomorrow’s propulsive sounds, straight from the heart of Kinshasa.
Copresented by the Cedar.
The concert takes place at The Cedar Cultural Center on Friday, September 20 at 8pm. Doors open at 7pm. The Cedar is located at 416 Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis.
Tickets in advance are $20 ($16 Walker members) and tickets at the door are $25 ($20 Walker members). Presented as standing room with limited seating.
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ABOUT KOKOKO!
KOKOKO! is a collective born in Kinshasa—the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo—a creative collision of different artists which fused at a block party. It consists of musical instrument inventors from the Ngwaka neighborhood, electronic producer débruit, Makara Bianko (aka the Lingwala devil) and his dancers bursting forth from the Lingwala neighborhood.
They’re best known for creating a contemporary aesthetic all their own by re-wiring and up-cycling materials such as metal, cans, engine parts and plastic containers found in Kinshasa’s streets into vital sculptural resonant dance music. Their distorted fast rhythms and spontaneous lo-fi electric sounds provide the chaotic soundtrack for the city’s harsh yet abundantly creative realities.
Radical, dangerous and thriving in a country whose political instability is felt first and most urgently on the streets of Kinshasa, an urban patchwork stretching further than the eye can see in Africa’s 3rd largest capital city, KOKOKO! is the spectacular sonic backdrop, the new, no holds barred aesthetic emanating from the downtown clubs (in between the government-imposed power cuts).
Listen
Artist website
Read I-D interview with KOKOKO!
Read Pitchfork track review
ABOUT DOUALA SOUL COLLECTIVE
Douala Soul Collective are DJ’s, influenced by the lifestyles of people in the city of Douala, Cameroon. They are travelers who share their ethnic roots and international vibes around street food and music. Their eclectic vinyl collection is a great fit for any funky, loose, good time.
ABOUT CURANDERO
Curandero is a Twin-Cities based project whose music presents a fusion of pre-Columbian Indigenous instruments, house, and dance hall. Curandero’s music brings together traditional indigenous instrumentation and rhythms of Mesoamerica (Mexico) with electronic DJ elements and production.
ABOUT THE CEDAR
The Cedar Cultural Center is an eclectic nonprofit music venue located in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood in Minneapolis with a mission to promote intercultural understanding and appreciation through the presentation of global music and dance. Over its 30-year history, The Cedar has established itself as a premiere US venue, presenting 200+ shows a year that highlight international artists, local emerging talent, and nationally renowned voices. thecedar.org