BBC - Radio 3 - Womad 2004 - Soukous Koumboule

SOUKOUS KOUMBOULE (Congo/UK )

Koko Kanyinda is an outstanding drummer and vocalist from the Congo. He is the last surviving conga player from the first generation of Congolese musicians like Tabu Ley le Rochereau and Franco whose rhumba style took Africa by storm in the 1960s.

Kanyinda was a pupil of the great master drummer Kadima and early in his career he performed with a number of Congolese greats including Dr Nico Mbarga, Papa Noel and Sam Magwana. In 1977 he formed his own band Mangelepa who make a big splash in East and Southern Africa , releasing 17 singles and two albums in the process. He then went on to tour Europe with the Real Sounds of Africa.

Kanyinda moved to the UK in 1990 and settled in Bristol to teach drumming. Four years later he moved to London and formed Soukous Koumbele. Since then he has given drumming workshops throughout Europe , USA and Australia with the WOMAD organisation and toured with Mose Fan Fan and the Master Drummers of Africa. Soukous Koumbele deal in hi-quality soukous , the energetic Congolese dance style that has become Africa's No. 1 sound. This is your opportunity to dance yourself to heaven.

Courtesy of Andy Morgan, July 2004

Read other people's comments then

Tell us what you think:

I love this. It's a softer sort of soukous. relaxing.
mike lindsey Augusta, GA

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Fabian

THIS CONCERT IS FANTASTIC. A REALLY GREAT PERFORMANCE FOR THE BODY. REALLY FUN.
SPAIN. SALAMANCA

Bembeya Jazz was my favourite last year. This year it's SOUKOUS KOUMBOULE ! My 67 year old feet are tapping.
Dave Burtle Virginia USA.

This show absolutely rocks!! I listen to these live performances whilst whilst working on my photographs on my PC. It is getting quite problematic as the music is soooo good it distracts me from my work because i just have to stand up and dance! There is so much depth and emotion in this music, I only wish more people were into it. I think the world would be a much better and happier place for it.
Nick Ayliffe - Guildford

Soukous is definitley the ultimate dance music....next year lets have soukous on one of the big stages please WOMAD ! and more of it, not just one time !
KB Manchester

I really can't understand why we don't see more soukous at Womad. It's the best music in the world to dance to, and Soukous Koumboule certainly got everyone on their feet.
Claire Johnson, Cambridge

Koko was a revelation. This was one of the most full-on Soukous sets you could imagine and would easily have rocked the main stage (although it was even better that it was at the more enjoyable Radio 3 tent). Absolutely relentless and wonderful.
damian rafferty, london

Over an hour of solid dancing, dancing dancing. Even those of us with 2 left feet and frozen hips were gyrating along. What a wonderful change to have two sexy men on stage, they were gorgeous. I swooned at their hip thrusting "Kwasa Kwasa" style and fell in love at Womad...(again).
Neil Carr, Widnes

ROCKING!
Gerard, Dublin