congotronics

[Krasner]

I went to this.

Kasai were great. It always annoys me that bands like this always get put on at 'serious' art venues like the Barbican - it makes it very difficult to dance and, you know, have fun. But that was kinda overcome last night, lots of people got on stage to dance with the band and the atmosphere was really great.

Their dancers are really something else too.

 

[polystyle]

Kasai were great. ...
Their dancers are really something else too.

I bet.
Far as I can tell , they haven't come to the States yet.
Waiting !

 

[michael]

Heard some of that Hypnotic Brass Ensemble stuff and it's not very similar to other stuff discussed here. Definitely no thumb piano action or anything like that, whatever the guys' dad played. Upbeat, horn-led, jazz-funk. At least the tracks I heard.

 

[zhao]

Heard some of that Hypnotic Brass Ensemble stuff and it's not very similar to other stuff discussed here. Definitely no thumb piano action or anything like that, whatever the guys' dad played. Upbeat, horn-led, jazz-funk. At least the tracks I heard.

yeah i imagine a lot is lost with that band during the recording process... it's about all them reeds blaring and echoing around you in some tunnel or just inner city concrete maze. and no they're not exactly going where no jazz ensemble has gone before...

 

[wise]

Yeah Kasai Allstars were great the music was really hypnotic but the songs seemed quite short, would have been better as Zhao described Konono, just going on and on.
Also would have been much more fun in a dark sweaty room with everyone going mental rather than sitting or dancing politely in aisles.
Oh well, some fine dancing on stage and not just from Kasai........

 

[Krasner]

Yeah Kasai Allstars were great the music was really hypnotic but the songs seemed quite short, would have been better as Zhao described Konono, just going on and on.
Also would have been much more fun in a dark sweaty room with everyone going mental rather than sitting or dancing politely in aisles.
Oh well, some fine dancing on stage and not just from Kasai........

Yeah. I think the shortness of the songs comes from the fact that they're actually made up of several different bands with people from different ethnic groups so they play in songs from different cultures and in different musical styles, rather than the singularly focused endless jamming of Konono...

 

[wise]

Yeah. I think the shortness of the songs comes from the fact that they're actually made up of several different bands with people from different ethnic groups so they play in songs from different cultures and in different musical styles, rather than the singularly focused endless jamming of Konono...

Well if anyone hears about Konono playing in London i'm well up for it now!