KOKOKO! originated in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This musical force of nature includes instrument inventors from the Ngwaka neighborhood, electronic producer débruit, and dancer/choreographer Makara Bianko, whose dancers come from Kinshasa’s Lingwala neighborhood. The collective creates a unique contemporary aesthetic by rewiring and up-cycling what many of us consider junk – bits of metal, cans, engine parts, plastic containers, etc. – into sculptural, resonant instruments. From those instruments, we get amazing dance music with distorted, rebellious rhythms and spontaneous lo-fi electric sounds.
Presented in partnership with the IU African Studies Program and IU Auditorium.