Jupiter Bokondji
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Jupiter Bokondji | |
|---|---|
 Jupiter & Okwess at Rudolstadt-Festival 2017 | |
| Born | 16 December 1963 |
| Website | jupiterandokwess |
Jupiter Bokondji (born 16 December 1963) is a Congolese musician. Alongside his band, Okwess International, he released their debut album Hotel Univers in the UK in May 2013. The band was created in 1990, and they toured Africa. However, at the same time that their popularity grew, First Congo War broke out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some band members fled to Europe to escape violence, but Bokondji stayed in Kinshasa. As the war died down, his popularity grew again, and in 2006 he was featured in the documentary Jupiter's Dance. This brought him to the attention of UK producers and musicians, which led to him joining the African Express tour, the production of Hotel Univers, and performing at the 2013 Glastonbury Festival.[1][2]
Bokondji's sound is a combination of Afropop, traditional Congolese rhythms, funk, and rock music. He calls this distinct sound "Bofenia Rock". His lyrics often carry political or social messages, including criticisms of the Congolese government as well as positive encouragement for Africans to better realize their individual talent and potential.[3]
Bokondji was born in Kinshasa. His father was a Congolese diplomat, and his grandmother was a traditional healer. His grandmother got him started in music as he attended ceremonies and funerals with her to play percussion instruments like drums. Later, his father was posted to the embassy in East Berlin, and the family moved to Germany.
It was in Germany that Bokondji started his band, Der Neger, which combined his native Mongo music style with the European rock style of his German bandmates. His father's posting eventually ended, and the family moved back to Kinshasa in the 1980s. Bokondji traveled around the country listening to music from different tribes and solidifying his own style. He formed an orchestra called Bongofolk in 1984 and Okwess International in 1990.[4]
