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Bongos are great. Their only problem is that every fool thinks they can play them. Far too often I’ve been guilty of showing off my supposed mastery of them at a party in a futile attempt to impress the ladies there. After seeing Mdungu’s percussionist in action it won’t be a trick I’ll be repeating again. Not only does he not play ‘bongos’, but djembe, sabar and talking drum, he plays them with such passion, flair and skill that it’s impossible to drag your eyes off him when he performs. When you manage to drag your eyes and ears away to focus on what the rest of the band are up to, it’s pretty good stuff too.
Mdungu are an Afrobeat inspired band who also fuse jazz, funk and rock into their sound. Most of these influences are evident in their opening number, a sort of Funkadelic meets Fela Kuti jam, which swirls around a hypnotic guitar groove. Although it’s more reflective than the majority of tracks Mdungu go on to play, it introduces us to the way the instruments (2 guitars, 2 saxophones, 2 percussionists, and er, 1 bassist) play off each other. They work well in harmony, but the best moments come when they play off each other to take the music to another level.
Most of the tunes played were instrumental until they were joined by their special Gambian guest, Sheikh Tijan Samba, a captivating singer with an arresting voice and a way of draping himself over the mic-stand that puts Liam Gallagher to shame. He added some gravity and soul to the evening, which was slightly undone when he introduced a song about two men in love with the same woman, which unfurled into a riotous upbeat reel instead of the melancholy drama I expected. Clearly I’ve been listening to too much deep soul.
The evening climaxed with a sprawling Afrobeat epic, which began with an impressive drum solo, before the horns took over and the bespectacled and bearded sax player gave an emotionally charged solo. But there was more. As the rest of the band shuffled off stage the two percussionists were left to go head to head in a drum-off where the sparks flew as thick and fast as the sweat and sticks. It was awesome. What makes Mdungu special is their ability to improvise and show off their skills without disappearing up their own backsides. The groove is king, and that’s the way it should be. They’re currently in the middle of a monthly residence at Club Meander in Amsterdam, so you’ve got no excuse not to catch them.
www.ilovedonuts.nl
- William Georgi
Bongos are great. Their only problem is that every fool thinks they can play them. Far too often I’ve been guilty of showing off my supposed mastery of them at a party in a futile attempt to impress the ladies there. After seeing Mdungu’s percussionist in action it won’t be a trick I’ll be repeating again. Not only does he not play ‘bongos’, but djembe, sabar and talking drum, he plays them with such passion, flair and skill that it’s impossible to drag your eyes off him when he performs. When you manage to drag your eyes and ears away to focus on what the rest of the band are up to, it’s pretty good stuff too.
Mdungu are an Afrobeat inspired band who also fuse jazz, funk and rock into their sound. Most of these influences are evident in their opening number, a sort of Funkadelic meets Fela Kuti jam, which swirls around a hypnotic guitar groove. Although it’s more reflective than the majority of tracks Mdungu go on to play, it introduces us to the way the instruments (2 guitars, 2 saxophones, 2 percussionists, and er, 1 bassist) play off each other. They work well in harmony, but the best moments come when they play off each other to take the music to another level.
Most of the tunes played were instrumental until they were joined by their special Gambian guest, Sheikh Tijan Samba, a captivating singer with an arresting voice and a way of draping himself over the mic-stand that puts Liam Gallagher to shame. He added some gravity and soul to the evening, which was slightly undone when he introduced a song about two men in love with the same woman, which unfurled into a riotous upbeat reel instead of the melancholy drama I expected. Clearly I’ve been listening to too much deep soul.
The evening climaxed with a sprawling Afrobeat epic, which began with an impressive drum solo, before the horns took over and the bespectacled and bearded sax player gave an emotionally charged solo. But there was more. As the rest of the band shuffled off stage the two percussionists were left to go head to head in a drum-off where the sparks flew as thick and fast as the sweat and sticks. It was awesome. What makes Mdungu special is their ability to improvise and show off their skills without disappearing up their own backsides. The groove is king, and that’s the way it should be. They’re currently in the middle of a monthly residence at Club Meander in Amsterdam, so you’ve got no excuse not to catch them.
www.ilovedonuts.nl
- William Georgi
Discography
EP: Mdungu, 2006
Photos
Bio
Mdungu is a formation of eight international musicians. Their music travels between the music of the Griots of Mali, the Afrobeat of Nigeria and the Mbalax of Senegal. The music that Mdungu makes is not purely African, as their roots also lay in jazz, rock, funk and surf. Their style is unique and makes you want to dance.
Mdungu was founded in 2003 by alto saxophonist Thijs van Milligen. From the start Mdungu was a most welcome guest on (inter)national stages and festivals. They toured Italy and played on the Fête de la Cité in Paris. In the Netherlands they played a.o. in the Paradiso, Bitterzoet and the Music Meeting in Nijmegen. In 2006 Mdungu joined the stage for six months with the original guitar player from Fela Kuti's Africa 70, Oghene Kologbo.
Since 2008 Mdungu hosts a monthly club night at Club Meander in Amsterdam in collaboration with Beyond Magazine: every second Thursday of the month they play with guest appearances of special musicians like Benjamin Herman, Sheikh Tijan Samba and Anton Goudsmit.
Mdungu was founded in 2003 by alto sax player Thijs van Milligen.
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