I was driving to work this week, and in a particularly bad mood (for no reason). My iPod battery was flat, which left me even more disgruntled, and forcing me to listen to the radio.

In hindsight, I now see that Destiny must have sucked the life from my iPod, to ensure that I heard this one song. Fate was steering my path, and little did I know that being forced to listen to the radio was in fact a gift from the heavens. For on this miserable morning I heard, for the first time, a destined-to-be-legendary band called Kongos, and their song “I’m Only Joking“.

I rushed home that evening, and googled them in an obsessive frenzy. After a few spelling variations and some misguiding links to an old reggae band (Yah man!), I found them. And boy, have I found them!

Kongos is a band of four brothers, the sons of John Kongos – they grew up in London and South Africa, and now live and write music in Phoenix, Arizona. The remarkable thing is, they debuted their first album in 2007… where the hell have I been??! Since then, they have also written some music that was selected for the 2010 World Cup Soccer, which is even more disgusting, as I am a South African, and the World Cup was hosted right here, on my very own soil.

I feel as though I am emerging from a time warp, and discovering all the things I missed.

When listening to the Kongos music, there is a distinct South African flavour, which I’m not sure the rest of the world would be able to pick up. But it’s there, in the accordian and drums, and it makes me proud. The almost-excessive percussion in “I’m Only Joking” is also reminiscent of Africa’s tribal music, except that it’s been injected with a lethal dose of rock. I would love to compare them to other musicians to give you an idea of what to expect, but right now, there is nobody that comes close.

I am utterly enchanted by the Kongos. You can listen to their music directly from their website: click here! to have your heart drummed out of your chest!

SA Music Zone interviews renowned rock band KONGOS! What? Yes, we’re That cool.

If you still don’t know who KONGOS are then I’m afraid you’ve been living under some sort of sadistic rock that’s been depriving you of some of the sweetest honey the music industry has to offer! But don’t fret, SA Music Zone is here to enlighten you!

KONGOS is a band consisting of four brothers currently based in Arizona, USA. They have recently exploded with major success in South Africa and the US, breaking boundaries with their pioneering beats.

These four very unique characters granted SA Music Zone the privilege of conducting an interview with them.

Get yourself familiar with the KONGOS boys by having a look at the image above; from left to right we have Johnny, Dylan, Danny and Jesse. But enough from us now, on we go with zee interview!

First we had to ask the obvious yet necessary questions;

1.      Who are your influences, musically and non-musically?

Right now our favourite band is Tinariwen, a band from Mali. We actually got a chance to see them in small club in LA recently, which was amazing. Also on the list: The Beatles (of course), Pink Floyd, John Kongos, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Dr Dre, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Paul Simon, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Salif Keita, Mahmoud Ahmed, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Arvo Part, Eric Satie and many more. Non-musically we’re influenced by The Kenny G.

2.      As a band, what has been your biggest obstacle?

Trying to make it as an independent band along with the 5 million other bands here in the US. Some aspects of the business-side tend to be a distraction from actually making music.

3.      What is your view on the current South African rock culture?

We’re actually just now getting to know the scene a little bit. We’re really impressed! It’s been funny to have our friends here in the US saying “Hey, have you heard of that band from South Africa called Dye Ant-wurd?” It’s very cool to see South Africa getting on the map internationally in so many ways.

4.      How would you describe your live performance (visually and musically)? What can we expect when you come to SA later this year?

Imagine if Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp were a band… we’re like the good-looking version of that. When Johnny breaks out the accordion we always get a huge response. We extend a lot of the songs with improvisation/solos. In Phoenix, at one of our regular gigs we do four 45 minute sets so we play a huge variety of music including some really different covers and instrumentals. Hopefully we’ll set up a show or two like that in addition to more conventional rock sets in SA later this year.

Now here are some fun questions for, well you know…shits and giggles;

1.      Most interesting encounter with a KONGOS groupie?

This 45 year old incredibly drunk “cougar” (more of a hyena really) was up front at show recently and asked “Do you guys need a roadie? I’m really good at that… if you know what I mean  ” So I said, “Yeah, I do know what you mean… here take my amp to the van”.

2.      If each of you could choose to be a superhero, who/what would you be and what would your super power be?

Johnny: I’d be The Incredible Hunk – when I get angry, I get really good-looking.

Jesse: I’d be Humble Man – my super power would be not realizing how awesome I am.

Dylan: I’d be Captain Viagra – I’d stand up for the little guy.

Danny: I’m Batman!

We asked the South African KONGOS fans to contact us via SA Music Zone and Twitterand present us with what THEY wanted to ask the band;

1.      Why did you decide to move from London to USA Arizona? (by @Miss_EvaL)

Our mom is originally from Phoenix and we have a lot of family here so it was a natural move for us.

2.      Your father, John Kongos, is a South African music icon. 

Part 1 – Does this in any way intimidate you in regards to your tour to SA?

No, but we’ve got a lot to live up to!

Part 2 –  Does he help write/compose your music? (by @NCJackal)

We write our own stuff, but he often comes into the studio to lend a fresh pair of ears, and always has great suggestions and ideas.

Check out the latest KONGOS music video for “I’m only Joking”. You can also download some of the latest tracks from their website, www.kongos.com by subscribing to their newsletter. (I did it and I promise you, they have NO spammy tendencies)

Now that you know a little more about these talented, cheeky and don’t forget sexy boys from Arizona and their soulful rhythms you are welcome to start getting butterflies for their upcoming SA tour.  And to KONGOS, thank you so much for your time with our interview and you can rest assured, we will be standing at the gates with open arms welcoming you back to your beloved South Africa.

We are al waiting in suspense for the tour dates to be finalised and released, so until then keep your eyes and ears open for KONGOS by joining their Facebook Page and following them on Twitter, @KONGOSMUSIC

Peace.

“I’m only joking
I don’t believe a thing I’ve said
What are you smoking
I’m just fucking with your head
Only a crazy
Little thing I read”

Recognise this infectious chorus? If you don’t, you’ve been living under a sizable rock as the song, “I’m
only joking” by the band, Kongos is spun on just about every 5fm DJ’s show on a daily basis.

Having focused most of my attention on local music for the last two years or so, I have been neglecting
the international music scene quite a bit. My attention was recaptured by the brilliant opening
drumming sounds of “I’m only joking” – and not your conventional drumming either – it sounds like a
herd of elephants stomping around on wooden floorboards.

Just last week , in my review of Laurie Levine’s gig at The Waiting Room, I had this to say about
Kongos: “While we are on the topic of the accordian – I love how recently there has been a renaissance
of sorts when it comes to the revival of typically genre-specific instruments. Instruments such as the
accordian and the harmonica are being incorporated into music genres where you wouldn’t typically
expect to hear their sounds. Super-cool band Kongos also use an accordian and can best be heard in
their latest smash hit, “I’m only joking”. It adds a new dimension to contemporary offerings in an age
where we’ve just about heard it all. “

Of course the possibility existed that we had a ‘one-hit-wonder’ situation on our hands. I was relieved
to discover that “I’m only joking” was not the only great song in their repertoire. My second favourite
is “Come with me now” – it is impossible to sit still while listening to any of the aforementioned songs.

The band consists of four brothers and their surname is Kongos. Please note, as per their website, there
is no “the” in Kongos. I had a cyber-chat with Johnny Kongos and he had the following to say:

Introduce the band and which instruments does each member play?
“Live Line-up:
Johnny – Accordion, Keyboards, Vocals
Jesse – Drums, Lead Vocals
Dylan – Lead Vocals, Bass
Danny – Guitar, Vocals
In the studio everyone plays a bit of everything.”

What are your ages?
“Johnny – 30
Jesse – 28
Dylan – 25
Danny – 22″

What is your geographical history? Where were you born, raised etc. until present?
“The three oldest were born in London. Danny was born in Johannesburg. We moved with the family
to South Africa in 1988 and then to Phoenix, Arizona in 1996. We’ve been here since.”

Apparently you come from a musical family? Could you please elaborate?
“Our dad John Kongos was a huge recording star in South Africa in the 1960′s. He moved to London
in the late 60′s and went on to score numerous hits in England and Europe including “He’s Gonna Step
On You Again” and “Tokoloshe Man”. As a song-writer, he’s sold 25 million records and the likes of
Mutt Lange, Def Leppard, Cat Stevens, Gus Dudgeon etc worked/recorded in his studio in London -
Tapestry Studios.”

Are you all full-time band members or do you have other jobs/interests?
“We’re all full-time musicians as KONGOS, but we do everything in-house – photography
(www.danielkongos.com), recording, mastering, video-production etc, so it’s a full time job.”

How long has the band been going and what is the history of the band i.e. how did the band start
and evolve? “Our first gig together was in 2003 at a high-school talent show – we played 2 songs.
One original, that will never be heard again (thank goodness there weren’t iPhones back then) and a
cover of Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles. We spent a few years practicing, writing, recording and doing
occasional gigs – it wasn’t until 2007, when we released our first album, that we all really decided to get
serious. Soon after that we started playing more shows, including Los Angeles – we have a good friend,
Dean Raissen (also from SA, and manager of Rebelution), who was working at The Viper Room in
Hollywood at the time and he booked us on some shows with Just Jinjer as well a short West-coast tour
with Stealing Love Jones. We were happy to be voted “Best Rock Band in Phoenix” by The Phoenix
New Times that year. Since then we’ve been playing lots of shows and writing and recording material
towards our second album.”

How many albums do you have out? Are you guys busy with an album at the moment and if so,
when can we expect it?
“Our first album was released in 2007. There are 5 tracks from the upcoming album available for free
on our website exclusively for fans who sign up for our newsletter (http://www.kongos.com). The
second album will be completed by the end of the year. “

Kongos are coming to South Africa at the end of the year. Are any dates and venues confirmed
yet? Which towns do you plan on visiting with a show?
“We’re still working on all the details but we hope to hit all the major cities and perhaps more.”

Who does the song-writing?
“We all do. Everyone writes individually and we get together to flesh out the song for recording and
performance. This method allows our music to be quite diverse but all within the KONGOS sound.”

Your video for “I’m only joking” has just hit our screens in SA. What is the concept behind it
and what was the process in creating it? “We’ll leave it up to viewers to speculate on the concept
and meaning – we’ve heard some pretty interesting/funny theories so far. The process was really great
– we threw a big party/videoshoot with all of our friends and 12 hours later a bunch of drunk people
ended up in the swimming pool. There was a lot of preparation, though, that we did in the weeks
leading up (set decoration, storyboards, test shoots etc), as well as a week or so of editing.”

“I’m Only Joking” has one of the catchiest chorus lines ever. Did you ever think a song with the
word f**king would make it onto commercial radio and ultimately be your “break-through”
song? Wasn’t it a bit of a gamble – apart from the ‘f**king’ it is a pretty commercial song that
would easily make it onto radio – weren’t you hesitant to use such a word in the song? Seems like
a very gutsy move on your part.
“There was some discussion about it, but there was no other word that even remotely worked in its
place, so we said fuck it and went with it. Also, because so many people are getting their music these
days on the interwebs (as Ninja would say), it’s much less of a problem. Luckily the web has remained
largely uncensored… so far.”

Seeing that you’ve spent some time in South Africa while growing up, what are your feelings
towards the country? What are your fondest memories of SA?
“The years we spent in SA really were some of the best times we had. Even though we haven’t seen
many of our friends in more than a decade, we’ve remained close. Too many memories to mention
but… Kruger Park of course, seeing The Rolling Stones at Ellis Park, thinking I (Johnny) was “too
cool” at the Italian Club in Bedfordview, running outside and pretending to be Francois Pienaar
and Chester Williams after the Bokke won the Rugby World Cup, Mandela speaking at our school
(and especially meeting him!)… the list goes on. The community has also been so enthusiastic for
our “return” – we can’t wait to get out there to play some shows and catch up with friends.”

Why is the world only now realising who KONGOS are?
“They are?”

What are your plans ahead?
“We are finishing the second record and we’re shooting a video for ‘Come With Me Now’ soon. We
will be touring SA at the end of the year and we’re also planning a US tour early next year.”

Well there you have it folks, the Kongos brothers called South Africa their home for eight years! I have
a suspicion that I was lucky enough to catch this band before they gain massive amounts of fans all
over the world. Truly a band to watch out for and to watch – make sure you don’t miss them when they
tour South Africa at the end of the year. I can just about feel the vibration of those drums tingling in the
soles of my feet at one (or more) of their live performances.

Check out more Kongos on their website and Facebook page!

Interview by Liezel Thompson