Strut present an inspired new Afro-electronic project for 2016, Kondi Band, a collaboration between Sierra Leonean kondi (thumb piano) player Sorie Kondi and US producer / DJ Chief Boima, who himself has Sierra Leonean roots.The first EP from the project is built around Sorie’s personal and uncompromising lyrics on ‘Belle Wahalah’, a song that uses belly pain as a metaphor for poverty, hunger and lack of financial opportunity. Mixes come from South London-based producer Hagan and the “father of Ancestral Soul”, Boddhi Satva. The release also features another simmering Kondi band original, ‘Yeanoh (Powe Handa Blingabe)’ which translates as ‘what’s up / what’s occurring’? The project is the culmination of several years’ work by Boima producing and promoting original new music for groups such as Afro-Panamanian rap duo Los Rakas and his partnership with DJ Oro11 Banana Clipz, alongside official remixes for Afrikan Boy, Sinkane, and El Guincho among others. As a DJ, he has played worldwide, performing at events including The Red Bull Music Academy New York, The Lincoln Center Outdoors and SXSW. He has also delivered lectures on youth culture and politics at Harvard, the EMP and Yale, started his own culture platform INTL BLK, he runs the Brooklyn-based label and DJ collective Dutty Artz and edits the blog ‘Africa Is A Country’.