“Kanda Bongo Man was the highlight of the evening” - John Peel (Glastonbury, UK 2003) Kanda Bongo Man is a giant of African music and the artist credited with introducing John Peel to African music. His fans number Vampire Weekend (“Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”), Paul Simon and John Peel. All the tracks were recorded for Joe Boyd’s Hannibal records between 1984-91, an era we can look back on today as the high watermark of Parisian soukous, and showcase a band at the height of their powers. Behind his soaring voice Kanda employed Diblo Dibala and Rigo Star, two lead guitarists who are widely considered as the best soukous guitarists who ever lived. Diblo was recruited from the band led by the legendary Franco whilst Rigo’s scorching licks graced albums by Paul Simon and it was their twinning that gave Kanda’s music a wonderfully joyous, ringing quality. They both feature extensively on the “King of Kwassa Kwassa”. This 2CD set features tracks from the three studio albums Kanda recorded for Joe Boyd’s Hannibal Record label plus earlier recordings making “King of Kwassa Kwassa” the ultimate Kanda Bongo Man compilation.