KIN’GONGOLO KINIATA

Nourished by the soundscapes of Kinshasa, the group Kin’Gongolo Kiniata translates the frenetic life of these streets into their music. The band name means: “The sound that crushes”, and that’s a fitting name.

These master upcyclers from Kinshasa produce their own experimental electro-Congolese punkrock, laying down energetic and funky grooves, playing an impressive arsenal of self-made percussion and stringed instruments ingeniously assembled from discarded plastic bottles, metal objects and household items.

The name is derived 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. Their lyrics, sung in Lingala, and their unstoppable compositions advocate hope and perseverance: they pay tribute to itinerant workers, rebel against the war in Congo, and encourage the young people of Kinshasa.

Since their European debut at Trans Musicales 2022, the members of Kin’Gongolo Kiniata set off on the roads of Europe in 2023 and 2024. They already played Clandestino Festival, Couleur Café, Lowlands and Trefpunt Festival and venues like Paradiso.

Here a review of their show at Lowlands: “An old television? A colander? Old pans? It’s more than enough for the men of Kin’Gongolo Kiniata, a Congolese quintet that uses the the trash from their capital Kinshasa to build their own instruments. They play afropunk with a DIY-mentality that westen punk bands can still learn from. […] From the start the Lima stage is completely on fire. The xylofoon made of old detergent bottles, played with half-rotten flip flops, is spectacular. En who knew an old television could work that well as a kickdrum?”

Their full debut album will be released on 7 March 2025.

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