Staff Benda Bilili rehearsing in the commune of Ndjili on Sunday
The inimitable Staff Benda Bilili are back home in Kinshasa after their highly successful European tour. The album Tres Tres Fort (which was rehearsed and recorded in Kinshasa’s otherwise miserable zoo) and the band’s memorable live performances have been getting rave reviews from critics and audiences alike.
Strangely, Staff Benda Bilili have yet to make much of an impression in Kinshasa itself. Some Kinois remember the song they did to help to promote the elections, but it’s safe to say that most have never heard of them. Here’s hoping that will change in 2010.
I’m happy to report that despite receipt of some long-awaited, richly-deserved income, they’re still playing their distinctive ‘made in Kin’ guitars. The only novelty is the addition of a horn section, which is still under review by bandleader Papa Ricky, but sounds fantastic.
Here’s a taster for a promising forthcoming documentary about the band, a labour of love which has been four years in the making:
