French musician/producer Etienne Sevet (aka. The Bongo Hop), traveller, sound selector, trumpeter has his finger on so many pulses. Funk, soul, jazz, afro-grooves all pumped up with that racy Latin heartbeat from his one time home Colombia. It’s a blend that makes for a distinct Bongo Hop sound, rhythmically slick, smartly arranged songs for head, hands and feet.
Two LPs in for the decidedly hip Underdog Records, ‘Satingarona Part 1’ and ‘Part 2’, The Bongo Hop radar is near ready to beam its next instalment, the mini-album ‘La Napa’ (due 6th May). Once again we are promised some electric collaborations from old friends, step forward Quantic vocaliser Nidia Gongora, and new connections including Algerian chanteuse Souad Asla to add yet another dimension to the soundscape.
The fanfare to the album’s release comes in the shape of ‘The Red Hill‘, another first time partnership with Copenhagen hip hop cruisers Dafuniks and a rework of ‘El Terron’, a previous piece of bumping Bongo Hop skank. Cannily holding onto the surf guitar chops, stabbing retro keys and tight clipped horns of the original, the Dafuniks add their own crisp breakbeat jive to give the tune refreshed locomotion. Add to that MC Kuku Agami’s bristling rap and something that could have been just another mash up sounds massive. Signs are on ‘La Napa’ The Bongo Hop are about to take another giant leap…
You can pre-order ‘La Napa’ from: https://thebongohop.bandcamp.com/
