Mbongwana Star

The origins of Mbongwana Star lie in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and more specifically in its capital Kinshasa. Made up of former members of Staff Benda Bilili, a Congolese orchestra mainly made up of disabled musicians, and Franco-British Doctor L (seen alongside Tony Allen, Assassin and Taxi Girl), they released an explosive debut opus, From Kinshasa, in 2015, with a firm determination to shake things up. Somewhere between electro-rock, punk and world music, it is served by a politically conscious discourse and a fierce desire to make international opinion aware of Africa's difficulties in subsisting when war, misery and poverty have taken up residence. In fact, most of Mbongwana Star's musicians still live on the streets, but that hasn't stopped Nick Gold, head of the World Circuit label - already at work on the Buena Vista Social Club revival - from banking on this atypical group to try and bring their music to as many people as possible.

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