Biography
The artful dance music of Congolese collective Kokoko! emerges through an eclectic blend of unusual rhythms, gritty electronic layers, and driving grooves performed on an array of self-built instruments fashioned from discarded urban debris and salvaged parts. The ensemble first assembled during a neighborhood gathering in Kinshasa, after which they partnered with French electronic producer Débruit to refine their sonic approach and issued several singles across 2017 and 2018 ahead of their widely praised debut album Fongola, which appeared in 2019. Subsequent international touring and a 2022 EP paved the way for the group’s return with their second full-length release, BUTU, in 2024.
Although Kokoko! encompasses dancers and performance artists as well, its central lineup features enigmatic vocalist Makara Bianko alongside instrumentalists Dido Oweke, Boms Bomolo, and Love Lokombe, three resourceful musicians who came of age together in the Ngwaka district. Unable to purchase conventional gear, the trio constructed distinctive sound-making devices from readily available materials: single-string guitars assembled from leftover wood and tin cans, a vocal talk-box rigged from a discarded cassette player, and an assortment of bottles, typewriters, and metal fragments transformed into percussion. Their collaboration with Bianko and other local creators at a street event yielded a distinctive style shaped by the raw, politically charged atmosphere of one of Africa’s largest urban centers. Débruit’s subsequent involvement brought studio polish and electronic elements, establishing him as the collective’s fifth member. The first single, “Tongos’a,” surfaced in 2017, followed the next year by “Azo Toke” and “Liboso.” Fongola reached a worldwide audience via the Transgressive label in June 2019.
In the year that followed, Kokoko! supplied the track “Bim Bam Bam” to the online video game Grand Theft Auto: The Cayo Perico Heist, and in 2021 the group issued a fully instrumental version of Fongola that highlighted their handmade instrumentation. The two-song EP Elongi na Elongi, issued in mid-2022, signaled a stronger electronic emphasis that carried into the energetic 2024 singles “Mokili” and “Motema Mabe.” Both tracks appeared on the band’s sophomore album, BUTU, which arrived in July of that year. Drawing from the intense nocturnal pulse of Kinshasa, the record maintained a more consistently brisk and energetic character than its predecessor.
Although Kokoko! encompasses dancers and performance artists as well, its central lineup features enigmatic vocalist Makara Bianko alongside instrumentalists Dido Oweke, Boms Bomolo, and Love Lokombe, three resourceful musicians who came of age together in the Ngwaka district. Unable to purchase conventional gear, the trio constructed distinctive sound-making devices from readily available materials: single-string guitars assembled from leftover wood and tin cans, a vocal talk-box rigged from a discarded cassette player, and an assortment of bottles, typewriters, and metal fragments transformed into percussion. Their collaboration with Bianko and other local creators at a street event yielded a distinctive style shaped by the raw, politically charged atmosphere of one of Africa’s largest urban centers. Débruit’s subsequent involvement brought studio polish and electronic elements, establishing him as the collective’s fifth member. The first single, “Tongos’a,” surfaced in 2017, followed the next year by “Azo Toke” and “Liboso.” Fongola reached a worldwide audience via the Transgressive label in June 2019.
In the year that followed, Kokoko! supplied the track “Bim Bam Bam” to the online video game Grand Theft Auto: The Cayo Perico Heist, and in 2021 the group issued a fully instrumental version of Fongola that highlighted their handmade instrumentation. The two-song EP Elongi na Elongi, issued in mid-2022, signaled a stronger electronic emphasis that carried into the energetic 2024 singles “Mokili” and “Motema Mabe.” Both tracks appeared on the band’s sophomore album, BUTU, which arrived in July of that year. Drawing from the intense nocturnal pulse of Kinshasa, the record maintained a more consistently brisk and energetic character than its predecessor.
Albums
Singles
