Last year, Ctrl.Alt.Shift sent a group of journalists, including myself, to report from the Democratic Republic of Congo. We found gender inequality, conflict over resources and people having to shovel shit just to stop their houses flooding.

This month a taste of the Congo is coming to Britain, and the good news is that despite coming from adversity, Staff Benda Bilili are bringing a party with them.

You see, the majority of the musicians have lived their lives with polio in a country where health provision, like most other state services, is less than basic. When they were growing up, the rule to live by was “Sort yourselves out to stay alive”. Their lyrics cannot help but be influenced by the circumstances they found themselves in, and one of their songs tackles polio head-on, with lyrics urging “Parents, please go to the vaccination centre/ Get your babies vaccinated against polio.”

Which makes them sound a bit serious, but while they do have a message, this tour is anything but solemn. I caught up with the band before their show at the Brighton Dome, and they were in high spirits following the standing ovation at their first ever UK show at The Barbican in London the night before. The band’s manager Michel Winter explained “They’re here so that people can enjoy it. They realise that the European audience likes the music, and in fact what the lyrics mean is not so important. The music is good, and so is their attitude on stage and the energy they give. They always said ‘We will tour in Europe’, it was obvious for them. It was kind of a dream, but they never doubted it.”

Later that night, Michel’s point is proved when what starts as a sedate concert of ‘world music’ erupts into a frenzy as Staff Benda Bilili’s infectious funk causes the entire audience to rush the front of the stage, dancing wildly. Surprisingly, the band haven’t really taken off in their native country. They put this down to the fact that the music they make is a long way from standard Congolese pop. Instead what they play is a blend of their own culture and what they call ‘international music’. Two of the band were at the James Brown concert in Kinshasa in 1974, but when I ask about other influences they reveal they’ve only really started to discover specific artists since they started touring. They say they hadn’t even heard Jimi Hendrix until recently, but now they “see some similarities”. This seems like a big claim, but watching Roger Landu play his satongé, an instrument he invented himself from a milk powder tin, an electrical wire and a broken basket, you hear what they mean – despite having to carry out repairs on it during the gig, he makes it wail like the most hi-tech of electric guitars.

The way the band move and carry themselves onstage is a big part of what leads the crowd in Brighton to dance in the aisles. How could anyone stay in one place when Djunana Tanga, a vocalist with a massive smile on his face, has forward-rolled out of his wheelchair to dance on his hands? The band’s disabilities, like the trials and tribulations of the Congo, are things that will never prevent them making the music they want. Michel tells me that when he first heard of Staff Benda Bilili, he was told “They are fantastic musicians, but they are disabled. Is that a problem?” He replied, “If the music is good, it will not be a problem.” Catch this show while you can, because it turns out the music is so good you’ll be dancing all the way home.

Words: Kevin E.G. Perry
Photos: Belle Kinoise