Konono Nº1

Konono Nº1 is a musical group from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. They are known for their DIY aesthetic, combining electric likembé (a traditional instrument similar to the mbira) with vocals, dancers, and percussion instruments that are made out of items salvaged from a junkyard. The group's amplification equipment is equally rudimentary, including a microphone carved out of wood fitted with a magnet from an automobile alternator and a gigantic horn-shaped amplifier. The genre of the band's music has been characterized as difficult to classify; the group themselves have classified their music under the labels of "tradi-modern" and "Congotronics".

Konono Nº1
Konono Nº1 performing in May 2007
Background information
OriginKinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Years active1966–present
LabelsCrammed Discs, Ache Records
MembersMakonda Mbuta
Menga Waku
Pauline Mbuka Nsiala
Vincent Visi
Ndofusu Mbiyavanga
Past membersMingiedi Mawangu
Augustin Mawangu Mingiedi
Websitekonono.net

Konono Nº1 achieved international recognition around 2004, with the release of their album Congotronics through the Crammed Discs record label. Appealing to fans of rock and electronic music, they played at the Eurockéennes festival in France the following year. They collaborated with Björk for a song on her 2007 album Volta, and with Herbie Hancock for a song on his 2010 album The Imagine Project. Konono Nº1 released the album Assume Crash Position in 2010, followed by Konono Nº1 Meets Batida (2016), a collaboration between Konono Nº1 and the musician Batida, also known as Pedro Coquenão.

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