Congo's Konono No. 1 Won't Play With Anyone -- Except Bjork

Posted on May 1st 2007 11:00AM by Steve Hochman
Comments

Konono are saying no-no.

The Congolese trance band Konono No. 1 have been on the receiving end of many suitors seeking collaboration. That's no surprise: The band's sound -- a world-music sensation since the release of its 2005 album 'Congotronics' on the Belgian-based Crammed Discs label -- is irresistible, with its metallic rattle of likembés (thumb pianos) distorted to otherworldliness through homemade amplification. And the literal and figurative buzz has grown considerably among the cognoscenti and musical elite, something that's only bound to increase during the course of a current U.S. tour that included a performance at the ultra-hip Coachella Music and Arts Festival. Yet the Kinshasa-based ensemble has resisted the urge to link up with the numerous bands clamoring to work with the group and its jerry-built electronics.

But Konono No. 1 did accept one offer last year -- from no less than Icelandic imp Bjork, who brought the veteran ensemble in to contribute to the song 'Earth Intruder' on her upcoming 'Volta' album. It's pretty much what you would expect from world-music sensations in the modern era, from the Chieftains to countless Cubans, taking up offers from assorted international stars looking for alliances aimed at adding both cred and creativity.

But it's Bjork, and no more. That experience was great, says producer Vincent Kenis, who is responsible for bringing the band's music out of Congo and to the world. But as of now, the Konono consensus is that it should be a one-time experiment. "The music is changing," Kenis tells Spinner of the group's exposure to other musical elements it has come across in its travels. "They're integrating a lot of new things. For example, when they played in the studio with Bjork, they started doing things completely differently." They just want to keep those changes organic and fitting to their purposes alone.

"Others have approached, but we turned them all down," he says, refusing to name names. "Konono don't want to be just a flavor you put on top of something that has nothing to do with what they're doing. Not what we want to do. It's too easy. They won't do that. The rhythm is paramount. They want togetherness, and you can't get togetherness with people you just run into. Bjork was different. She said from the start that they would play on top of an existing song and they could be creative on top of that."