Of the trinity in the Nu-rumba: Dancing with spirit
We can make go back up the birth of the group to a very late conversation in one of these small Congolese restaurants where the night always brings an incredible procession of nostalgic musicians with faces printed by blues and the other wandering, retaurant where, on sound capital with audible efforts, it was for a long time question of the legacy of the "big" of the Congolese Rumba and the general fate of the Black music in this 21th century but the report above all concerned to the artistic poverty of the musical scene; from Kinshasa to New York by way of Paris.

It is nevertheless only one year later, by one of the biggest fates that often hides a logical sense of the History that two of the protagonists of this big debate, Michel Nzau and the guitarist Umberto Luambo cross themselves to Ménilmontant, in these old Paris during a jazz concert Gipsy so that they can envisage, in a moose of a big youth, the creation of the group Bantunani and introduce the current of the Nu-rumba where Nu would be Michel and the rumba would be embodied by an Umberto and one magic hands, Johnny.

Registered in the dynamics of the meeting and the interbreeding, the artistic inspiration marries bravely new tones in the unpublished rhythms embracing furious airs where mix subtly tempo of Funk, HipHop and it with accents Groove unmistakable inviting every spectator or listener in the dance.

But which Dances, in the nu-rumba the dance is goes alongside to the reflection to reach the soul of the music; bantunani updates the feather of the artist of street engaged without concession with as base of thought the dance to affect the musical Trinity: dance, Thought, Spirituality such is the shout of the singings bantu which formerly announced the war.

The name of the group would have three meanings assumed well in the philosophy of the group, the first sense comes from the word lingala, bantu which means the bantu ' people ' and which would send back to the question which is these people; the second meaning is more universalist order because it dismisses to the notion of bantu as human being, where from the question which we are? Finally the last sense, the bantu word also means ' people ' thus we would have the following question, who are these people in this particular case which is this group bantunani. This music is a true invitation in the dance, the reflection and in 'Saint Force' as ultimate element of the musical existence.

One good think about nu-rumba, when it hurts..you feel no pain

Successful marriages, which tell the love of the music. The text and the rhythmic of Bantunani let us go in the heart of every song:

Africanslam, calling for a unit Africa or a new a revolution....

this song is conceived as a movie dedicated to the peace where through different slams of all the languages, every citizen of a dictatorship brings his testimony and eventually hums this hymn in the peace ' to koma mutu moko', forming single people, listening to the convergence which rings near the humanity because many threats weigh on our consciousnesses, as so well seems to say it this violin which comes to challenge the fickle guitar of the tyranny. We hear a danger, people on the march in choirs, slammers is transformed in the fur with measure into rappers, the message becomes clearer, the African revolution.

Mister Peacemaker, remember the last colons
We are always in Africa, in Europe, or then in South America ,the dumb power is summoned to answer. The Congolese culture hides a lot of wealth others than ores. He so goes away little investigated musical tones that discovered some colonists without their knowledge.
Having exploited the music of import, we turn to the roots of the rumba. For this song to the message of besides grave, for the current world, it was necessary to sing in English on the background of traditional music: the mutuashi of Kasaï, the makuandungu of Bandundu, the zambele ngingo of Kinshasa (dances and rhythms of the young Inhabitants of Kinshasa) or the zebola of Ecuador to carry a strong message against a sort of moral order of North Peacemaker.There is in this song a subtle game in the singing, we pass in a story rather naive voice even puerile which sends back to us to the colonial mythology of the good autochthon, to the voice of the man evil of freedom; the one who does not support any more this losing game where he is always last we sometimes believe to recognize a lyric reggae but rhythmic exchange constantly of period quite as this oppression denounced here.

RUMBAFEVER,when Bantu meets the disco
RumbaFever, we go into the jungle to challenge the former rhythms to tempt a rumba disco experience with a light groove of the bass that, in the writing has to bring an uncertain and agitated climate. Rumbafever sends back to the rumor or to the chronicle of a death always announced by the Negro music but which never comes. This song is doubtless a perfect illustration of the trinity, in an atmosphere of dance sensual and macabre, the text reminds the political consciousness, which carries the music; the fever remains a necessary plague.

BANTUGROOVE, when a Bantu faces passion love the Bantu lives in the North henceforth, in the world where the meetings sometimes lead in love at first sight strange where get involved desire of possession, shouts of distress and eternal collection of an one in a blues spleen warmer than languishing. the Bantu appreciates the adversity and avoids ceaselessly the melancholy by roads of dances sometimes going to the groove that it discovered in the North and all the strength of which it tries to restore. Bantugroove expresses a terrible duality, a painful shock of culture embodied by a mysterious subversive woman inviting the solitary person in a sex which he cannot name, him who to look above all for a dance.

M .HEARTBREAKER, a Bantu lies to change for being in love
Unpublished journey of the Bantu in the gypsy culture jazz. In this song, we reach the paroxysm of the interbreeding so wished by the author where the place is made for the violin, which, at first in limited guest gets the upper hand little by little over a bass and a guitar guarantors for a structure. On a bottom of jazz reggae with pushes rock with certain places, we go into a strange sentimental quarrel where the doubt glides over the sincerity of each of the protagonists; we feel the shady game of the love in this duet of hunting crusaders where leads becomes confused in instruments. The dominant bass embodies the male while the feminine shout is granted to her in the sound of the violin.
In the tune, we guess the shadow of the people which intervenes then as the third protagonist, the one who distributes the disadvantages, reminds the custom without going without a certain irony, following the example of the choir in the Greek theater. There is in Heartbreaker, a fusion of genre was introduced in 'Peacemaker' and in 'Bantugroove'. We cross gladly a Louis Armstrong humming for Ella Fitzgerald, as we can understand a pop duet in the style of Michael Jackson and Sieddiah Garrett.

LOKUMU,where the ancestral anger of Bantu
In major component of the device of assertion of the one ' Bantu ', the dignity to have been and to be the fruit of this history. Lokumu expresses by an almost cacophonous and hard reproduction of guitars on a beat very Street approaching borders of Hip-Hop and of Jungle, the song) of the oppressed so much it is question to be accountable to a ceaselessly scoffed dignity. We are as taken in the set, play of the lead which cannot contain an ancestral anger leaving the slavery in without papers, and which, not while naming nobody takes himself violently to the falsifiers of the History. There is a new cause for a Bantu, which sings frankly a history of theblack people to the infinite wounds. Such an oracle, he hears the intergenerational despair until make show this American youth or of islands by this bridge of 'jungle' in English associated with the howling of wildcat which sends back to us at the time of the segregation of Black Panther '. Who are we ? Sons of Martin Luther King or of Malcolm X, us who saw dying Lumumba?

MAKAMBO,trouble means dance 4 a Bantu
Bantunani in deserving son of the capital does not forget the popular culture where only the intoxicating guitar solo can amuse the strange everyday life of an inhabitant of Kinshasa where the problems in quite kinds are legions. We state here the psyche of the Bantu from Kinshasa, which will soon be a Parisian in the mass that, in spite of a different geopolitical context, sees itself still pursued by problems. In a pure tradition, the Nu-rumba owed respect this musical structure, which showed its ability without falling in the faults of M ’dombolo Not. We insist on the lead where the voice doubled in grave contrast with the high sound color of the Congolese guitar. All the instruments contribute to this invitation; it is necessary to dance in the infinity to flee sometimes thehardness of the existence.

PONARUMBA, national tribute for Rumba
How could the Congolese child honor this culture, which so much rocked and gave rhythm to its childhood? The first one was written for the album, this song appears as a ballet rumba where every interpreter of the group brings with his stamp and his rhythm, her testimony, his camera of the rumba. We recognize or we believe to cross Latin tempos in this festive rumba which wants to redraw through various glances, what was exactly this birth the singing is punctuated by a guitar which finds place in these moose’s of groove aroused by the young wave but the fall of the guitar redefines the decoration.

BOBBYCLARCK, how a Bantu plays a Gigolo
The amateurs of "Mario" from Franco" would be happy to know that this legendary character was able to be reborn in the clothes of a young person misled Bantu and in search of identity in a west where the being asserted itself as lifestyle. Here is as a matter of fact the slogan of Mister Clarck; happy tramp dreamer, it is really only the image of a schizophrenia bound to a risky assimilation of a luxurious world. On a rhythm very dance floor the song is very modern and propels a rather new tone enter an underground jazz and this guitar rumba that looks for itself in these Pan European influences. The depiction is surprising, we grant ourselves gladly a journey between jazz and club with this felted voice which announces a climate of seduction, flight forward to a character who seems rather mysterious.

ThisTime, even a Bantu shed a tear for a beauty
After so many dances, the course of the nu-rumba needed a ballad just like the musical trinity. Having exceeded the artistic complexes, which often forbids the African music a liberation of melodies, we enter the French and Italian cinema where we discover a strange romance out of breath punctuated by tears and sobs. The music reserves some surprise in its structure, if the violin drains a melancholy; the guitar and the bass emphasize the arrogance past of a sorry man. The journey is linguistic here because we attend a rare meeting between Asia, Congo and Spaniard of a gypsy little worried about the grammar.

BISENGO,the disappointment of the too cold North
The disappointment of an exile. We affect with this classic piece, in its structure rumba, a very realistic painting of the African immigration in search of an El Dorado which is still similar to this so well sold North by certain expatriates. The story of this man is sad, he leaves an eground of war, poverty there where no more God dares to give the hope, for this distant world, which announce so happy. But very fast he realizes that the other fights wait for him, the musical ensemble is purified enough such a folk song in accents rumba and reggae.

Understand the music of bantunani, the bantu spirit is alive

Nu-Rumba: a break and a meeting
A musical break the guitar rumba which formerly evoked the cheerfulness and the freedom from care sank into the naivety, becoming an instrument of power, accompanying a forced enjoyment.

The nu-rumba returns to this guitar its derisive role of small storyteller of trouble, its small comments on the story of the singer.

A political break.
BantuNani exactly takes up with the tradition of the committed artist, the interpreter of the sufferings of the large number, the one who speaks when everybody is reduced to the silence.

A story of a meeting, Nu-Rumba it is the story of a meeting: the meeting of two generations of Congolese musicians: the former, which knew the stars of the Congolese rumba and for whom the mockeries of the guitar Zairean have no secrets and piece of news, tired of the popularization of its music and in search of its true roots.

Meeting of the musics,
NuRumba or the success of the musical interbreeding.
In this first album RumbaLounge, everything is meeting. Musical meeting at first because all the styles cross themselves in this album and it is always a pleasant surprise because it is inside even in every title as the currents get involved and with so much subtlety as only a deep knowledge and a true passion of the music could allow it.

Of the album 'RumbaLounge'
Musicalemnt, the album exceeds by far the frame announced by Afrobeat-Rumba, it is clearly influenced by the current various adults of the Black music and reties often forgotten links. We offer to volontier a journey from Franco, from Bob Marley to Michael Jackson; a journey of Afrobeat in the disco; but confirm here its personal accents which gives its a sincere originality. It really appears as a synthesis of a roaming and insatiable author in a collection of fusion.

In this album without complex, we re-know above all the expression of a Parisian music because the main part of the artists arise from the underground scene and it, with pronounced Latin contributions which find a particular echo in this African base.

.

More than a fight, it is our cause to remember our farfathers, when we were united

BEING BANTU, we are just a present in a ceaselessly eradicated world where every historic source becomes confused in the human mass between lie and forgery.

That stay you of the spirit Bantu in this 21è century; this question arises to us the other children nomads and half-bloods.

The memory and the consciousness to be the fruit of these people makes us a whole dignity in an unknown past of the black man.

Bantunani is then a gift, a project guided by a Strong Spirit called the ‘Sainte Force’ which makes this dream and team come true. Mnv

Location: The Bantu people make up about 2/3 of Africa's population, and inhabit the southern half of the continent

Language: The Bantu are a group of people known more as a language group than as a distinct ethnic group. They speak related languages and have similar social characteristics. The Bantu are split into two major language families, the Eastern Bantu and the Western Bantu. The most widely spoken Bantu-derived language is Swahili, which is used by up to 50 million speakers on the eastern coast of Africa. There are two ways in which Bantu languages are different from English, Spanish, French, German, or other European languages. One is that you can stick markers onto a verb to indicate who's doing and receiving the action, so what would take a whole sentence in English only takes a single word in Swahili. The other is all nouns are marked as belonging to one of fifteen to twenty genders.

Most Bantu languages were unwritten. This changed when Europeans arrived. The first Europeans to have contact with the Bantu were usually priests or missionaries, so they were interested in translating the Bible and would write down the local language using whatever spelling conventions their own language used.

History: The Bantu originated in the north western area that they now occupy. Their migration throughout Africa is one of the largest migrations in human history. This migration began in about 1000 BC and continued until the 3rd or 4th century AD. There is continued speculation about why they moved in the first place. One reason may be that overpopulation encouraged some groups to move away in order to practice agriculture. Another could be that they were in search of fertile land. Or, the move may have been due to internal conflicts within their communities or external attacks by their neighbors.

The Bantu introduced many things into the areas they migrated to. They were an agricultural people and introduced crops such as millet and sorghum. They may also have introduced iron smelting and iron tools.

 

Monsieur Michel N’zau VUANDA, Mister Guide
As singer, author and composer, he puts his feather to restore all the strength of a tradition of the musical writing. He wants to be the apostle of the harmonious melody, the humanist sound touching all the peoples and exceeding all the borders. In deserving Bantu, it is important to illustrate this art by a strong dance without defect …Producer – songwriters-composer – lead voice

Monsieur Umberto LUAMBO, called the wise
Mr Umberto, the boss of the guitar, guarantees the tradition.
His set evokes in a very personal way, the unfinished marriage of the rumba and the salsa. Its recession of old wise person and its attentiveness know how to drive the group on the way of the quality. The boldness and the arrogance, which expresses this guitar, give a particular weight to texts and to committed songs. Guitarist Lead – Arranger - interpret

Monsieur Johnny PULULU, alias Milbaga
Mr Johnny, belongs to him alone a precise rhythm, its plays of drum kit release so much energy as he so opens doors to the meetings of all the styles. Of its nickname " Milbaga " which means " one thousand fingers ", his drums always invites in the dance. Drummer -arranger

Monsieur Niwa KOSHI, alias « el basora »
Mr Niwa, rare is the group endowed with two bass players but the contribution and the genius of this set were inescapable for this Japanese master of the bass who knowsall the subtleties of the Congolese rumba which associates him with the rock culture. Bassist - arranger

Monsieur Papy BOELLE, alias Mister « sébène »
Guarantee of the Congolese institution of the crazy guitar without taking, Grandpa is the man of the structure the one who preservation gives rhythm to him when Umberto flies away in the modern rhythms. Guitarist

Véronique Ablice , Miss Chant de l’Amétys
Amétys, endowed with a sensual voice in the charms poisons, she draws and dresses the music of Bantunani with a vocal style between jazz and nude-soul. By an incredible sens of human, she’s the mother spirit. Chorister, soloist, vocalist

Awa Timbo, the spiritual voice
Awa Timbo, a life, a voice, a dream there is a vivifying grace, a hardly tangible intensity and an energy distilled carefully in the singing of this atypical vocalist which leads its career since around ten years worldwide and the kinds. It is the Fulani touch of the Bantus, which brings a sensual felt-tip in this virile groove. Chorister, soloist, vocalist

Loulee Chounelamany, Miss Loulee
Miss Loulee, her is no doubt the touch cinema of the group so much she makes pass of dramatic sensualise in her performance. Her oriental accents illuminate certain titles of their flavour. Chorister,

Mister Thomas BOYAT, Mister Jungle
In youth would be expressed the ardour and Thomas's creative will which by a melancholic set colours rhythmic Bantu to tempt an unpublished marriage. We recognize gladly in him, the gypsy contribution characterizing this mythology of the Bantu nomad. Violinist, dancer

Miss Faby REINE, from voice to dance
Native of Guadeloupe, Faby is above all a personality multiple, feline and full of charm. Her musical universe is loan of jazz, soul and funck, sprayed with caraïbéens rhythms. His(her,its) vibrating and sensitive voice(vote), lets glimpse a moving fragility. Dancer choreographer, his(her) body movements are atypical and well-trained. Faby looks like his(her) island, crossed, warm and mysterious.

Label and Production:

Vizualizmusic sarl,
7 villa des Buttes Chaumont
75019 - Paris, FRANCE
Tél: 0033.1.53.19.05.25 - Fax : 0033.1.70.71.97.37
mail: contact@vizualizmusic.fr

Global Communication Manager : Christine Du FRESNOY
Tél : +33.1.77.62.70.27 - contact@vizualizmusic.fr

Booking: Vizualizmusic

mail: contact@vizualizmusic.fr

Responsable Video : Jean Marc VICQUERY
Direction Artistique & Design : MNV
All photos by: Joachim FRYDMAN© Designed by MvNzau

All songs are protected under licencing, use by permission - Ujuha et Mnvmusic 2009®©

 

June 10th : Official release of forthcoming 'Inside-nu-rumba, Born2groove' only in download

May 14th : RFI - talk into 'CouleursTropicales' show with Claudy SIAR

May 10th : Bantunani designed as first Congolease official Band from the diaspora and support UPD

13 AVRIL: First Bantugroove viedoclip broadcast at COMEDY CLUB

10 Avril 2009 : First release 'Bantugroove - videoclip ', produit par David Perrin D.L.R / Underground Production / Vizualizmusic

15 Mars 2009 : Vizualizmusic and Batida&co rejoin to work on Bantunani promate

10 MARS 2009 : Bantunani at AMINA Magazine - 'Les filles de la Nu-rumba'

07 FEVRIER 2009 : Participation à la radio VivreFM - découverte Nu-rumba

28 JANVIER 2009 : Lancement du clip 'AfricanSlam' sur TraceTV et sur Youtube

11 NOVEMBRE 2009 :Libération talks about nu-rumba from Bantunani, à lire

13 AVRIL : Live Concert at COMEDY CLUB - Afrogroove and nu-rumba Lounge Party

JUIN - SEPTEMBRE : To confirm for wildworld festivals - booker can directly contact us (france-world)

31 Janvier 2009 : LIVE AT NEW-MORNING

16 DECEMBRE 2008 : LIVE 4 PEACE IN CONGO - POINT EPHEMERE

14 NOVEMBRE 2008 : SHOWCASE AT VIRGIN BARBES - PARIS

11 NOVEMBRE 2008 : LIVE AT SATELLIT CAFE - Festival route de sons

26 OCTOBRE 2008 : BANTU-LIVE AT OLYMPIC CAFE

Tracklist coffret 'Born2groove' : 1: Coltanrush, radioedit 2: Blackninja, radioedit 3: Africanslam 4: Rumbafever 5: Bantugroove - album version 6: Lokumu 7: Mister Peacemaker 8: Bobbyclarck 9: Ponarumba 10: Bisengo 11: Makambo 12: Thistime 13: Mister Heartbreaker 14: BlackNinja, album version 15: Coltanrush, albumversion 16: Bantugroove by Ton & Jon 17: Lokumu, live

Choice your own CD - for downloading go to any digitals plateforms

Mini album Born2groove 3 titres €5,50 coffret album CD/video Born2groove 15 titres €13,00 Coffret Inside Nu-rumba - Born2groove 15 titres + 3 videoclips €16,00

Video bonus: Africanslam, Coltanrush, Bantugroove teaser