- artist:Kin'Gongolo Kiniata (DR Congo)
- event type:WOMEX 23 Showcase - Official Selection
- date:26 Oct 2023
- time:22:30 - 23:15
- city/area:A Coruña
- venue:Pelícano Stage
- country:Spain
- event posted by:Piranha Arts
Links
Master upcyclers from Kinshasa, Kin'Gongolo Kiniata draw on the frenetic energy of the city's urban streets to produce their own experimental Afro-punk rumba, laying down seriously funky grooves invoked from an impressive arsenal of self-made percussion and stringed instruments ingeniously assembled from discarded plastic bottles, metal objects and household items. The name comes from the sound heard when itinerant oil sellers walk the streets during power cuts, carrying the clanging metal containers which provide an alternative source of light. Kin'Gongolo Kiniata's texts, sung in Lingala, cross different themes focused on hope and perseverance, aiming to spread the light of positive encouragement to Kinshasa's younger generation. Since their European debut at Trans Musicales 2022, they have been illuminating stages further afield, positively encouraging audiences in France, Brussels, Switzerland and Portugal onto the dancefloor throughout 2023.