KONGO DIA NTOTILA

Formed in 2010 as the result of a musical partnership with Congolese guitarist/bassist Mulele Matondo, John's teacher and mentor in African guitar playing, KDN plays its own brand of Jazz-influenced modern African music. With a strong basis in Congolese Rumba, the music which the band originally set out to play, the band has incorporated many influences from the African continent as well as jazz and contemporary music, and has been on a journey of stylistic self realisation, before arriving at its own sound with a line up of: 

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Mulele Matondo - Bass/vox

John Kelly - Guitar/vox

Diala Sakuba - Guitar

Kissangwa Mbouta - Drums/vox

Will Scott - Saxes/vox

Mike Soper - Trumpet/vox

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"Incredible musicianship.”
Cerys Matthews

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“a great combination of sophistication, energy, musicianship and pure life-affirming spiritual uplift!”

Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music

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"a euphoric joy" -  MOJO Magazine

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"An all around excellent album" - Songlines Magazine