Kasai Allstars

Kasai Allstars, a Congolese collective comprised of musicians, singers, and dancers from five different bands, were showcased on the Congotronics series released by the label Crammed Discs. Based in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kasai Allstars includes musicians from the bands Luscombe Madimba, Tandjolo, Dibua Dietu, Basokin, and Masanka Sankayi, some of whom appeared on the 2006 collection Congotronics 2: Buzz'n'Rumble in the Urb'n'Jungle. Kasai Allstars made their full-length album debut in 2008 on the epically titled third installment of the Congotronics series, In the 7th Moon, The Chief Turned Into a Swimming Fish and Ate the Head of His Enemy by Magic. In 2010, Crammed released the compilation Tradi-Mods vs. Rockers, which featured rock and indie artists such as Animal Collective, Deerhoof, and Juana Molina reworking, remixing, and reinterpreting tunes by Kasai Allstars, as well as their Congotronics peers Konono No 1. The collection led to a collaborative tour the following year, which found members of the Allstars performing at various festivals in a large group with some of the "rockers" who contributed to the compilation. Some years would pass before the ensemble returned with a proper album of their own, collecting their powers again in 2014 for the expansive collection Beware the Fetish. The sprawling album, produced, recorded, and mixed by Congotronics founder Vincent Kenis jammed more than 100 minutes into just 12 tracks. ~ Jason Birchmeier & Fred Thomas, Rovi