Staff Benda Bilili. Photo (c) Klaus Riemer.

MUSIC: BOSTON DEBUT

STAFF BENDA BILILI

FROM DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO   
 

"Staff Benda Bilili would be a remarkable band regardless of their background. Not only do they sound incredible, they exude an inscrutable cool.”—The Guardian
 

With the irresistible pulse of Congolese rumba, Cuban swing and James Brown–inspired funk, Staff Benda Bilili’s inspirational concerts and extraordinary story have caused a sensation across the globe. A group of paraplegic street musicians who used to live in and around the Kinshasa Zoo, the band consists of four seasoned singer/guitarists perched on spectacular customized tricycles, backed by a young acoustic rhythm section and a teenage prodigy who plays infectious guitar-like solos on a one-string electric lute he designed and built out of a tin can.

David Henry, ICA Director of Programs, describes the remarkable group in this short video.  

Co-produced with World Music / CRASHarts.