STAFF BENDA BILILI album
STAFF BENDA BILILI album
KINSHASA, Dem. Rep. of Congo (DRC) June 25, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ --
One of the great global success stories of the past year, Staff Benda Bilili have become an unstoppable force in international music. A group of street musicians who live in and around the grounds of the zoo in Kinshasa, Congo, they make music of astonishing power and beauty. The band's mesmerising rumba-rooted grooves, overlaid with vibrant vocals and extraordinary tin-can guitar solos, have been dazzling audiences and media the world over, both on record and on stage.
Led by Ricky Likabu, four paraplegic singer/guitarists form the core of the band, assisted by a 'hype man' on crutches who whips the crowd into a frenzy, and backed by an all-acoustic rhythm section pounding out tight grooves. Then, on top of everything, are those inimitable and infectious solos performed by teenage prodigy Roger Landu on a one-string electric lute he designed and built himself out of a tin can.
After working with Staff Benda Bilili for a couple of years, filmmakers Florent de la Tullaye and Renaud Barret presented the band to Brussels-based independent label Crammed Discs and their music producer Vincent Kenis (who had already introduced remarkable Congolese bands such as Konono N°1 and others). Crammed decided to sign the group, and Kenis proceeded to record the Staff's debut album out in the open, mainly in the zoological garden near centre ville, using a dozen microphones, a MacBook laptop and a 100m mains cable connected to a deserted refreshment bar nearby.
Crammed Discs released the 'Très Très Fort' album in April 2009, to unanimous media and audience acclaim. The band earned the prestigious 2009 Womex Award (the main award in the field of world music) as well a several awards in the UK, and ripped through Europe for the first time in late 2009 for what turned out to be one of the most spectacular debut tours of the year. The continent's media responded in a chorus of praise, with top TV shows (including BBC Newsnight), broadsheet newspapers and world-renowned radios lavishing the band and their album with attention and end-of-year plaudits.
International festivals are now queuing up to book them, and the band are scheduled to play over 50 concerts across Europe during summer 2010, followed by more tours in Japan, Europe and the USA ( see the dates below).
Meanwhile, Staff Benda Bilili are also taking part in the ?Kick Polio Out Of Africa' campaign, which Rotary International organized around the World Cup.
The latest development in the amazing Staff Benda Bilili story is that the full-length film devoted to their life so far was welcomed with a standing ovation on the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival. Entitled "Benda Bilili" and directed by Barret/de la Tullaye, the film shows the band's journey from the sidewalks of Kinshasa to the stages of large European concert halls and festivals.
Press quotes about the album « Très Très Fort »:
The most exciting band to emerge from Africa in years (Financial Times, UK)
In world music circles, this eight-piece from the Congo are the most talked about band of the year (Daily Telegraph, UK)
The most anticipated African tour of the year (The Independent, UK)
We are all going to buy this wonderful record, we are going to share it with our friends, and - hey presto - we will have the Buena Vista Social Club of the brave new Obama age? Album Of The Year : signed, sealed and delivered
(Songlines, UK)
Press quotes about the film « Benda Bilili »
"An extraordinary film ... it will do what Ry Cooder & Wim Wenders did for the Buena Vista Club and make them (Staff Benda Bilili) world famous..."(BBC)
"A remarkable documentary and an amazing music film" (The Telegraph)
"Jarringly powerful documentary on a rags-to-riches Congolese street band... disturbing and inspirational" (The Hollywood Reporter)
The "Très Très Fort" album by Staff Benda Bilili is out worldwide on Crammed Discs
Promo contact: promo@crammed.be
More info:
www.myspace.com/staffbendabilili
STAFF BENDA BILILI ON TOUR:
24/06/2010
FR
Bourg-en-Bresse
Festival Les Temps Chauds
25/06/2010
FR
Paris
Festival Solidays
26/06/2010
BE
Brussels
Couleur Cafe
27/06/2010
GB
GLASTONBURY
GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL
29/06/2010
ES
Girona
Festival de musicas Religiosas y des Mundo
02/07/2010
DK
Roskilde
Roskilde Festival
03/07/2010
LU
Luxembourg
Fest Me You Zik
05/07/2010
CA
MONTREAL
MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
08/07/2010
CA
Quebec
Festival d'Ete de Quebec
09/07/2010
CA
Quebec
Festival d'Ete de Quebec
10/07/2010
CA
Ottawa
Ottawa Festival
14/07/2010
ES
Barcelona
Caixaforum
15/07/2010
ES
Madrid
Caixaforum
16/07/2010
ES
Cartagena
La Mar de Musicas
17/07/2010
ES
Jaen
Etnosur
18/07/2010
ES
Villanova
FIMPT
20/07/2010
GB
London
Hackney Empire
23/07/2010
GB
Charlton Park
Womad
24/07/2010
FR
Plage du Portel
Festival Cote d'Opale
25/07/2010
CH
Nyon
Paleo Festival
26/07/2010
FR
Lyon
Nuits de Fourviere
27/07/2010
DE
Frankfurt
Palmengarten
28/07/2010
DE
Loerrach
Stimmen Festival
29/07/2010
AT
Krems
Glatt und Verkehrt Festival
30/07/2010
DE
Nuernberg
Bardentreffen
31/07/2010
PT
Sines
Festival Musicas do Mundo
03/08/2010
FR
Grimaud
Festival Les Grimaldines
04/08/2010
FR
Sete
Festival Fiest's Sete
05/08/2010
FR
La Roche-sur-Yon
Festival Cafe l'Ete
06/08/2010
FR
Aulnoye-Aymeries
Les Nuits Secretes
07/08/2010
BE
Floreffe
Festival Esperanzah
08/08/2010
BE
Dranouter
Dranouter Festival
13/08/2010
DE
Wuerselen (Aachen)
Burg Wilhelmstein
14/08/2010
DE
Jena
Kulturarena
15/08/2010
DE
Berlin
Haus der Kulturen der Welt
18/08/2010
DE
Hagen
Konzertmuschel im Volkpark
19/08/2010
DE
Kassel
Kulturzelt
20/08/2010
DE
Muelheim
Ringlokschuppen
21/08/2010
DE
Bochum
Freilichtbuehne Wattenscheid
22/08/2010
NL
Biddinghuizen
Lowlands Festival
25/08/2010
FI
HELSINKI
Helsinki Festival
26/08/2010
DK
Aarhus
Aarhus Festival
28/08/2010
NL
Venlo
Zomerpark Feest
29/08/2010
FR
Charleville Mezieres
Festival Le Cabaret Vert
25/09/2010
JP
OGAWARA
EZUKO HALL - SENNAN ARTS CENTRE
26/09/2010
JP
YAIZU
CITY CULTURAL CENTRE
29/09/2010
JP
OSAKA
Dojima River Forum
30/09/2010
JP
OSAKA
Dojima River Forum
02/10/2010
JP
Tsukuba
Kapiohoru
03/10/2010
JP
Iwaki
ALIOS - iwaki performing arts centre
09/10/2010
JP
NAGAKUTE
NAGAKUTE CULTURE HOUSE
10/10/2010
JP
Kanagawa
Yokosuka Art Theatre
11/10/2010
JP
TOKYO
WORLD BEAT FESTIVAL
13/10/2010
JP
Fukuoka
Acros - Fukuoka Symphony Hall
16/10/2010
JP
MATSUMOTO
MATSUMOTO performing arts centre
17/10/2010
JP
TOKYO
Mikata performing arts centre
Crammed Discs sprl
43, Rue Général Patton, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
? phone: +322640 79 14 ? fax: +322 648 83 69 ? crammed@crammed.be ? www.crammed.be
Source: Crammed Discs sprl
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