Kasai Allstars are a 25-piece musical collective based in Kinshasa , Democratic Republic of the Congo . The musicians originally come from the Kasai region, but originating from five different ethnic groups: the Songye , Lulua , Tetela , Luba , and Luntu. Some of these groups have endured conflicting relationships over the centuries, and they each have their own culture, their own language, and their own musical traditions. These were always thought to be incompatible until the musicians decided to pool their resources and form a collective at the instigation of Belgian producer Vincent Kenis .
16-560: In 2008, Kasai Allstars released an album on Crammed Discs entitled In the 7th Moon, the Chief Turned Into a Swimming Fish and Ate the Head of His Enemy by Magic . It was the third release in the label's Congotronics series. The album was well received by Western music critics. In 2010, Crammed Discs released Tradi-Mods vs. Rockers: Alternative Takes on Congotronics , a multi-artist album containing interpretations, covers and tributes to
32-573: A common repertoire and performed at 15 major festivals and venues in ten countries. Kasai Allstars' second full-length album, Beware the Fetish , was released in 2014. The album was well welcomed by the press. In 2017, Kasai Allstars appeared in Alain Gomis ' film Félicité , for which they wrote and recorded most of the soundtrack music. The soundtrack album was entitled Around Félicité . The album Black Ants Always Fly Together, One Bangle Makes No Sound
48-557: Is a Belgian musician and record producer. He was a member of the avant-garde group Aksak Maboul ( Onze Danses Pour Combattre la Migraine , 1977) and of The Honeymoon Killers , an experimental rock band (Les Tueurs de la Lune de Miel, 1982). As a musician, he also collaborated with Congolese artists such as OK Jazz 's Franco Luambo Makiadi (La Réponse de Mario, 1988) and Papa Wemba (La Vie est belle, 1989). Closely associated with Belgian label Crammed Discs since its inception, both as an in-house producer and an A&R, he co-produced
64-1009: Is not a sub-label per se, but a collection of releases by Congolese bands who play their own respective styles of electrified traditional music (such as Konono No1 and Kasai Allstars ). The series is curated and produced by Vincent Kenis . As for the Made To Measure composers' series, it is being discreetly revived since 2013 (after having remained inactive for 18 years), as 6 new volumes have recently come out. 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Vincent Kenis Vincent Kenis
80-477: The Congotronics vs Rockers project, a "superband" including ten Congolese and ten indie rock musicians (including members of Konono No1 , Deerhoof , Wildbirds & Peacedrums , Kasai Allstars , Skeletons , Juana Molina and Vincent Kenis ), who collaborated to create a common repertoire and performed at 15 major festivals and venues in ten countries. From 2008 to 2014, the following artists have joined
96-540: The WOMEX award in 2004 at the World Music Expo international music trade fair, for being "one of the seminal players on the world music field". However, the label has always systematically worked with electronic music, indie pop and rock artists, and "doesn't see itself as a world music label : it just happens to enjoy working with artists from around the world, some of whom sing in languages other than English" (as stated in
112-897: The Crammed Discs roster: Chicago band Allá , indie pop act Lonely Drifter Karen (from Vienna and Barcelona ), London-based Moroccan electronic artist U-cef, Congolese band Staff Benda Bilili , musician/composer/producer Mocky , Belgian band Hoquets , Belgo-Congolese rapper Baloji , Belgian-Colombian band La Chiva Gantiva , French-American artist Maïa Vidal , US bands Skeletons & Megafaun , South African/Dutch band SKIP&DIE , Belgian band Amatorski , Lebanese singer Yasmine Hamdan , Argentinian artist Juana Molina and Ghanaian/Swiss band OY . The label's latest signings (2016-2023) are Parisian electronic music collective Acid Arab , Portuguese singer & musician Lula Pena , young French-Welsh band Fauna Twin , French experimental pop band Aquaserge , Matias Aguayo & The Desdemonas ,
128-415: The band worldwide recognition, as well as a BBC World Music Award (2006) and a nomination for a Grammy Award (2008). Vincent Kenis' recent productions include an album by Malian Tuareg band Tartit ( Abacabok , 2006), the multi-artist Congotronics 2 CD/DVD, featuring other Congotronics -style bands such as Kisanzi Kongo, Masanka Sankayi, Basokin, Konono N°1 and Kasai Allstars ( Congotronics 2 , 2006),
144-428: The diversity of the label's output since its early days in the 1980s, its founders chose to create several sub-labels. This policy was discarded during the latter part of the 1990s, because Crammed felt that genre-blending had finally become acceptable. Crammed also had several specialized and one-artist sub-labels: Currently the only subsiding Crammed Discs imprints are Congotronics and Made To Measure. Congotronoics
160-423: The label's manifesto). Crammed has been described as "one of the most boldly eclectic independent labels around" (Pitchfork), as "innovative and groundbreaking" and "visionary", a.o. for steadily avoiding to confine its roster "to one, potentially homogeneous category" and encouraging artists with plural identities to create new forms of music. In 2011, Crammed Discs celebrated its 30th anniversary by setting up
176-645: The label's purely electronic output during the 1990s (such as the Freezone compilations). He has compiled an anthology of early Congolese rumba ( Roots of Rumba-Rock , 1991, re-issued in 2006). Since 2004, Vincent Kenis has developed the Congotronics series (on Crammed Discs ), which popularized electro-traditional music from the suburbs of Kinshasa ( Democratic Republic of Congo ). He "re-discovered" Konono N°1 , whom he encouraged to reform and record again. The resulting albums ( Congotronics , 2005, Live at Couleur Café , 2007 and Assume Crash Position , 2010) have earned
SECTION 10
#1733114891876192-580: The music of Kasai Allstars, Konono Nº1 and other Congotronics bands, recorded by 26 indie rock and electronic musicians, including Deerhoof , Animal Collective , Andrew Bird , Juana Molina , Shackleton , Megafaun , and Aksak Maboul . The following year, Kasai Allstars took part in the Congotronics vs. Rockers project, a "superband" of ten Congolese and ten indie rock musicians (including members of Deerhoof, Wildbirds & Peacedrums , Konono No.1 , Skeletons , and Juana Molina ), who collaborated to create
208-457: The new rock band founded by the German-Chilean electronic music producer, Berlin-based Spanish experimental musician Don The Tiger , French-Chilean band Nova Materia , Lagos/London project Ekiti Sound , Ugandan/British band Nihiloxica , Californian musician Scott Gilmore , renowned producer Pascal Gabriel and his new Stubbleman project, and Palestinian techno duet Zenobia . Because of
224-451: The seminal Noir et Blanc album by Zazou Bikaye (with Hector Zazou and Bony Bikaye , 1983), one of the first albums which blended electronic and African music. He produced the first album by a cappella band Zap Mama , and several albums by Balkan Gypsy bands Taraf de Haïdouks and Kocani Orkestar , while also being involved in the sonic design of many Crammed releases, including albums by Tuxedomoon , Cibelle , Zuco 103 , as well as
240-609: The world (from Western Europe and the US to the Balkans and North & Central Africa, from South America to the Middle East and Japan). Crammed Discs is run by Marc Hollander (A&R) with Hanna Gorjaczkowska (artist development, marketing, distribution & art direction) and Vincent Kenis (producer, director of the Congotronics Series ). Marc Hollander and Crammed Discs received
256-509: Was released in May 2021. (as it appears on the album In The 7th Moon... ): Crammed Discs Crammed Discs is an independent record label whose output blends world music , rock , pop , and electronica . Based in Brussels, Belgium , Crammed was founded in 1980 by Marc Hollander of Aksak Maboul and has since released around 400 albums and 300 singles, working with artists from all over
#875124