Rocstrong

Rocstrong is Andre J. P. Bangala. Born in the Congo and raised in Ireland, Rocstrong’s cultural background is, like his musical influence, interesting and pluralistic. He is a man taken with rock and funk sounds and looks to a diverse range of artists for his inspiration, from the likes of Elvis to Pharrell Williams. His sound is ultimately his own, though; Rocstrong writes and produces all his music.

“Hold Yah” is upbeat, fun, funky and musically fascinating. Released online just a few weeks ago, this song is only Rocstrong’s third official release, but it sounds like the accomplished track of a musician with three times that amount of output. “Hold Yah” asserts Rocstrong’s individuality, particularly in the Irish musical context. His voice manages to sound both as if from an earlier era and decidedly modern simultaneously. The song both belongs in 1970s New York and the top of the Irish charts today, timely and timeless at the same time. This song not only reinvigorates funk rock with electronic keynotes, it also brings a bit of Dublin’s urban feel into styles that otherwise live elsewhere in the globe. The singer must be commended for avoiding the electro-genre rabbit hole that traps many young artists today. Instead, Rocstrong wisely chooses to resurrect sounds and styles that shouldn’t have gone away in the first place. But Rocstrong is doing far more than great tributes to earlier musical eras–he writes his own musical instinct into the Irish music scene, bringing things back to the lively space of right here, right now.

If you’re feeling like you could do with some cool new tunes, join me by adding “Let Go” and “Hold Yah” to your playlists. They’re both available on SoundCloud. In particular, keep an eye out for Rocstrong. He’s doing something special and completely jovial for the Irish music scene. - Colleen Taylor

Andre J.P Bangala is the brains behind Rocstrong a band so new that there’s only one song online at the moment. But that song has already turned heads with State and Phantom picking it up.

Bangala is a Congo-born Dublin musician who says he’s studied funk and rock music in trying to find his own sound which means listening to the likes of Pharrell, Prince, Elvis and Jesse Johnson.

‘Go’Head’ has a multi-faceted effervescent spark that is simply not present in much of Irish music – the song has some pop swing, some funk, some doomy blues and is a bit of fresh air. Not perfect but an exciting first step.

Rocstrong plays State’s Faces of 2014 gig on Saturday in The Mercantile with The Clameens and Carriages. Free in. Live, he’s joined by a three-piece band with members who have roots in Congo, Poland and Angola. - Nialler 9

Andre J.P Bangala is back with another slice of funky rock music from his Rocstrong music project. This one harks back to the Congo-born Dubliner’s debut ‘Go Head’. ‘Hold Ya’ is further proof of a developing new Irish talent. - Nialler 9

Electric funk artist Rocstrong has released his brand new single ‘Hold Yah’, the songwriter’s third to date.

Rocstrong’s third single is full-blooded funk track tinged with gritty indie-rock guitar and clattering rhythmical beats. Vibrant one more moment and performed with a growl the next ‘Hold Yah’ is simply infectious to listen to.

Indeed, throughout the track Rocstrong absorbs a stunning array of interlinked genres such as reggae, R&B, hip-hop and indie music to create something vivid and inviting.

A fun, uptempo single from a very promising artist, ‘Hold Yah’ is perfect example of intermingling sounds and musical styles all coming together to create something new and refreshing. - Stephen White - The Last Mixed Tape

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