Artist:Konono No 1
Song:Lufuala Ndonga
Album:Congotronics
Konono No 1 started out as an attempt to play traditional Congolese music using what we call thumb pianos. It is called Iikembe in the Congo. Attempts to amplify the music turned them into a mix of Congolese music, electronics and junkyard percussion. The 2005 album Congotronics made them an underground sensation in Europe. Right now the band's future is uncertain. Iikembe player Mingiedi Mawangu formed Konono No 1 in 1966 as a tribute to legendary Congolese musician Franco. Mawangu was a truck driver so the music was in his spare time. A track on the 1989 various artists album Zaire: Musiques Urbaines A Kinsasha was produced by Belgian producer Vincent Kenis. He owns Crammed Discs and works with Zap Mama among others. To amplify their music, Konono No 1 raided junkyards for car radios and also things they could use for percussion. This led to the 2005 album Comgotronics which was enthusiastically received by the international music press. Konono No 1 toured internationally. They won the Newcomer award on the 2006 BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music. They appeared on Bjork's 2007 album Volta. Konono No 1's 2008 album Live at Couleur Cafe was nominated for a Grammy. And they appeared on Herbie Hancock's 2010 album The Imagine Project which also got a Grammy nomination. Mawangu retired from touring in 2009 though he continued to appear on recordings. His son Augustin Mawangu Mingiedi became the new leader of Konono No 1. After a couple more albums, Mingiedi Mawangu died on Apr. 15, 2015 at age 85. Then Augustin died on Oct. 16, 2017 at age 56. It was announced at the time that his son Makonda would lead Konono No 1. It doesn't look like that is happening. They have a Facebook page that has been inactive since Dec. 2019. And their website is kaput. Maybe something will emerge from the ashes. It doesn't look good. Here's the video for Lufuala Ndonga by Konono No 1.
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