Zongo Junction
Afrobeat band Zongo Junction caught Jeannie Hopper's attention when opening for Tortured Soul, Soul Jazz Orchestra, and Bernie Worrell. In this recording, she has them in the studio for a chat in prep for the drop of their 2014 album. Listen to tracks from their 7" vinyl The Van That Got Away, with remixes by Body Language's Seafloor and DJ Captain Planet, and the group's first EP, Thieves.
Zongo Junction is comprised of five horns and a six-piece rhythm section. Although they have grown out of the Afrobeat tip out of Brooklyn, think Afrobeat merged with The Talking Heads, the psychedelia jamming of the Sun Ra Arkestra, and the poignant Fela Kuti. Drummer Charles Ferguson began Zongo Junction in 2009 after a six-month stay in West Africa, which spurred his interest in the Afrobeat scene.
Special Thanks to Red Bull Studios New York for hosting the session.
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From homegrown grassroots movements, tradition, and musical experimentation comes a wide and international array of musicians who put their own spin on national and indigenous music. Sometimes rupturing the traditions of the past and sometimes affirming them, the songs of these shows spring from the porches of the world.
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