Search - Staff Benda Bilili :: Bouger Le Monde

One of the most inspiring success stories in the global music scene, fearless Congolese band Staff Benda Bilili is back with its long-awaited follow-up album Bouger Le Monde, which bears witness to the spectacular musical evolution of the group, and to its intent to keep making... the world shake! (as stated in the album's title).

Everyone must know their story by now: formed by paraplegic street musicians who, at the time, slept on the streets of Kinshasa and rehearsed in the half-abandoned city zoo, Staff Benda Bilili conquered worldwide audiences and media thanks to their enchanting music, their relentless energy and their uplifting optimism. Upon the 2009 release of their first album, Tres Tres Fort, the band instantaneously became one of the most emblematic African bands around, as well as a symbol of resilience and triumph over adversity.

This new album, recorded once again in Kinshasa, D.R.C., contains a collection of 11 superb songs, and benefits from the musical transformations which gradually took place during Staff Benda Bilili's 350+ shows: the band are louder and rock more, their level of musicianship has further risen, and the addition of three new members brings richer textures and added excitement to the arrangements: drummer Montana had joined the band right after the recording of the 1st album, lead guitarist Amalphi is a new recruit, and young percussionist Randy (who played with the Staff when he was a kid, and later vanished for a couple of years) is back in force.

Another significant innovation is that the lead vocal duties are now shared between no less than seven singers: in addition to Coco, Ricky and Theo (who sang most of the songs until now), bass player Cavalier, drummer Montana, "hype-man" Kabose, and Roger (he of the amazing tin-can-and-string solos) are all featured as lead vocalists on the album, which contains lyrics in no less than four different Congolese languages, plus the customary sections in French.

Bouger Le Monde wonderfully translates the band's new sound: it's more powerful and sophisticated, yet retains and showcases all the idiosyncratic qualities of their makeshift instruments, and is as lyrical and moving as it ever was. The album was produced once again by Crammed's Vincent Kenis (of Congotronics fame) who, this time, didn't set up his mobile studio in the zoo, but in the old Renapec studio, where legendary rumba/soukouss stars such as Franco, Tabu Ley, Papa Wemba, and Pepe Kalle recorded some of their best work.

According to Staff Benda Bilili, Bouger Le Monde "move the world" or "make the world shake" refers to several things at once: 1. their wish to modestly contribute to changing the world (through the message conveyed by their music and their attitude); 2. their will to help change their own, local world (they're involved in helping disabled people and homeless children in their city of Kinshasa); and 3. their firm intention to get their audiences to get up on their feet and dance!