Curated and hosted by iconic DC impresario and musician Jim Thomson
Congolese guitar-based dance music has a special place in the history of popular African music on the African continent: almost anywhere you go south of the Sahara, from Senegal to Nigeria to Kenya to South Africa you can hear the influence of Congolese music, from music of legends like Franco, Tabu Ley and Docteur Nico to their current counterparts Fally Ipupa, Koffi Olomide and Ferre Gola. Soukous –the ’80s and ’90s sound of the Congolese diaspora in Europe–made such an impact on the Caribbean coast of Colombia that DJ parties continue to play Congolese music today and it deeply influenced the local popular music genre “champeta criolla.”
Here in the USA, apart from occasional performances by veteran Congolese musicians, it is rare to hear the current sound of Congolese guitar-dance music, still known as “rumba” but increasingly called “seben” or “sebene” after the hard-driving dance sections. That’s what Loboko is bringing to the Hill Center on Oct 25! Loboko, based in New York City, is a small but mighty outfit led by the young singer and virtuoso guitarist Yohni Djungu Sungu. Yohni has performed with legends of Congolese music Fally Ipupa, Soukous Stars and Zaiko Langa Langa. In 2019 he founded Loboko alongside drummer, DJ and journalist Morgan Greenstreet and supported by multi-instrumentalist and producer Nikhil Yerawadeckar, with frequent special guest Ngouma Lokito, veteran bassist and studio musician on hundreds of Congolese records and long-time member of Soukous Stars. Loboko’s unique style draws on classic Congolese soukous, rumba, and contemporary seben delivered in a punchy small band format. In 2023, Loboko released a vinyl ’45: Kanyunyi / Ekenge with the acclaimed Brooklyn label Names You Can Trust. With Loboko you’ll experience the interlocking guitar parts that are one of Congolese music’s defining features, backed by cracking snare and thumping. The band is electrifying live, taking us to the streets of Kinshasa and beyond.
About Jim Thomson: Jim Thomson owns and operates the Washington, DC-based boutique record label Electric Cowbell Records. He currently runs Multiflora Productions out of Washington, DC, an independent live music production agency that specializes in expanding the reach of eclectic traditional and non-traditional artists by creating a time and space where their work is presented in an environment where audiences and artists alike have a meaningful and significant experience together. In 2014 he became the music coordinator for the Capital Fringe Festival and also programmed the “Fringe Music in the Library ” series, which offered free live music in the DC Public Libraries through a sponsorship from the DC Public Library Foundation. He has booked several US tours for acclaimed artists such as Sahel Sounds recording artists Mdou Moctar and Les Filles de Illighadad, along with Zedashe from the Republic of Georgia, BCUC from South Africa, and several others. He is a founding member and played drums in: GWAR, Alter-Natives (SST Records), Bio Ritmo, and CSC Funk Band. He currently plays drums in the DC-based punk rock band, Time Is Fire.
