Kasaï Masaï

Based in London and led by Voodoo King Nickens Nkoso, Kasaï Masaï brings us the traditional sound of the most remote equatorial African villages with a unique, urban and contemporary twist.

Kasaï Masaï are a truly special quintet that combine d'jembe, guitar, saxophone, bass and drum. As well as the many original compositions, they play ancestral music that has been passed on from generation to generation.

Kasai is a region of Congo that is named after a river in the heart of the rainforest where many tribes maintain their traditional lifestyles. The Masai are a dignified tribe whose lives still centre around a nomadic existence.

The band’s sound is rooted in the healing power of the driving percussion and singing combined with the majestic Congolese guitar and jazz saxophone. Written in Swahili, Lingala and Kimongo, the lyrics reflect the cultural diversity of a region where more than four hundred languages are still spoken. Kasaï Masaï give an incredible live show, and even the most rigid of audiences have difficulty standing still in the presence of such absorbing African rhythms!