Ready for that NuRumba sensation? Soukous is a musical genre that originated in the 1930’s and 40’s from neighboring countries Belgian Congo and French Congo. Soukous was derived from the French word Secouer that means to “Shake”, and that’s exactly what Bantunani have in store for you!

Bantunani is an 11-piece Afro-Rock band embracing a subtle tempo of Blues, Funk, Hip Hop and accents that make you groove unmistakably, inviting every spectator or listener on the dance floor.

Michael Nzau and Umberto Luambo who introduced Nu-Rumba to the music scene, where Nu would be Michael and Umberto would embody Rumba, creating Bantunani. Johnny and Niwa Koshi also added their sensational rumba flair to the mix, there is so much meaningful content and depth behind these incredible tracks whether you like relaxing on a Sunday with a glass of wine or want to head out to the club for a some funky grooves and good company, Bantunani is the answer to your prayers.

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 Umberto and the others guys Johnny and Niwa KOSHI.

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in the dynamics of the meeting and the interbreeding, the artistic inspiration marries bravely new tones in the unpublished rhythms embracing furious airs where mix subtly tempo of Funk, HipHop and it with accents Groove unmistakable inviting every spectator or listener in the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

The nu-rumba senzation

Soukous (also known as Lingala or Congo, and previously as African rumba) is a musical genre that originated in the two neighbouring countries of Belgian Congo and French Congo during the 1930s and early 1940s, and which has gained popularity throughout Africa. "Soukous" (said to be a derivative of the French word secouer, to shake[1]) was originally the name of a dance popular in the Congos in the late 1960s, and danced to an African version of rumba. Although the genre was initially known as rumba (sometimes termed specifically as African rumba), the term "soukous" has come to refer to African rumba and its subsequent developments.

Soukous is called Congo music in West Africa, and Lingala in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania - referring to the Lingala language of the region from where it originated. In the 1980s and early 1990s, a fast-paced style of soukous known as kwassa kwassa – named after a popular dance, was popular. A style called ndombolo, also named after a dance, is currently popular.