Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Culture

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Tradition Meets Technology on Konono N˚1 Meets Batida

By

Konono Meets Batida_cover_lores The electric likembe is the centerpiece of the legendary Congolese band Konono N˚1’s sound. Migiedei Mawangu, the band’s late founder, electrified the traditional African thumb piano after he moved from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Bakongo region to its capital, Kinshasa. There he founded L’Orchestre Folklorique Tout Puissant Konono N°1 (The Almighty Folk Orchestra Konono N˚1).

Featuring the sound of two electric likembes (one lead and one bass) along with traditional and makeshift percussion, Konono N˚1 saw the first release of the music outside of the DRC in 1980 on a French compilation album. Producer Vincent Kenis heard Konono N˚1’s track on the compilation and began searching for the band during his time in the Congo. His perseverance was rewarded in the early 2000s when he found the band and was able to help them record their first album, Congotronics.

Konono N°1 meets Batida - new album teaser

After Crammed Discs released Congotronics in 2004, the band became a sensation with indie and electronic musicians. They garnered praise from a multitude of artists (including Beck, Wilco, and Thom Yorke), and were invited by Björk to record and perform with her. Now, twelve years and two albums after Congotronics, Konono N˚1 return with a new collaborator and a new record.

Recommended Videos

Their latest album, Konono N˚1 Meets Batida, as its title suggests, is a collaboration with the Portuguese-Angolan musician Batida. Playing danceable electronic music and influenced by a variety of styles of Angolan music, Batida looks on paper to be an ideal collaborator for Konono N˚1, and the results bear that out. Konono N˚1 Meets Batida is a brilliant, heady mixture of its creators’ differing but related styles.

Konono N°1 meets Batida - "Nlele Kalusimbiko"

Beginning with Migiedei Mawangu’s creation of the electric likembe, Konono N˚1 has mixed folk traditions with modern techniques and technology. The band’s collaboration with Batida is the latest step in this journey, and the two artists’ complementary sounds elevate their collaboration to new heights.

Related: 
Upgrade your daily routine with the best smartwatches for men

Konono N˚1 Meets Batida will be released in the US by Crammed Discs on April 29th. The record is available to preorder on Amazon, iTunes, and Crammed Discs’ online shop.

Terence Praet
Terence Praet
Terence Praet contributes to The Manual’s New Music Monday column. He studied Philosophy and History at Skidmore College…
10 cigar myths the internet won’t let die
The cigar 'facts' shared in every lounge that are actually complete BS
two men enjoying cigars

The internet has been such an asset to the cigar world. It allows us to look up obscure brands, communicate with fellow fans across the globe, and access a greater amount of information than ever before. There's a downside, though: rumors catch on like wildfire, and once they're out there, they're nearly impossible to get rid of.Visit any cigar lounge or read online forums, and you'll find the same tired myths that have been making the rounds for decades. While a few are harmless pieces of folklore, others are robbing you of your hard-earned cash, ruining your smoking experience, or just flat-out lying to you about health hazards.Let's burn down those stubborn misconceptions once and for all.

Myth #1: Darker (Maduro) cigars are always more powerful

Read more
Cigar etiquette 101: Dos, don’ts, and modern manners
Please don't be that guy. Here are the cigar etiquette mistakes that scream 'amateur'
well-dressed guy smoking on a couch in the dark

Walking into a cigar lounge for the first time feels like crashing somebody's secret club. They've got this unspoken language, weird rituals, and enough unwritten rules to make your head spin! But here’s the thing—cigar etiquette is not some gatekeeping nonsense to try to make you look dumb. It's about respecting the process, the experience, and not being the person who ruins everyone else's vibe.Whether you're new to this or have been faking for years, this guide will sort you out because there's nothing more likely to ruin a good smoke than someone who clearly has no idea what they're doing.

The basics: Respecting the ritual

Read more
The first movie from Materialists director Celine Song just found a new streaming home
The movie is a brilliant look at the roads not taken.
The cast of Past Lives

Few directors have a debut feature that's as splashy as Celine Song's. The director, who now has Materialists in theaters, had a breakout hit at Sundance called Past Lives that took her all the way to the Oscars. Now that Materialists is in theaters and doing quite well, you might want to catch up with Past Lives, which was one of the best movies of 2023.

The film stars Greta Lee and is told in episodes that span more than 20 years. It starts in South Korea, and follows two Korean children who are clearly close friends and may even have a romantic spark as one of them prepares to move to Canada. Then, we follow their story over decades as they come into and out of each other's lives until they're both in their mid-30s and they reunite for a day in New York City.

Read more