From Kinshasa (Vinyl LP)

Mbongwana Star are a 7-piece band from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Coco Ngambali and Theo Nzonza formed the band, Staff Benda Bilili which was inspired by their love of Congolese rumba. The band hit the big time: two major albums and a world tour. However, with time, the band collapsed under the weight of its own success. But in the shanty-villages of Kinshasa - Africa's third largest city - bands are recycled along with everything else. Coco and Theo gathered up the necessary parts of a band from the younger generation, crammed them together and started belting out a shambles under the name Mbongwana Star - 'mbongwana' meaning 'change'. That's when they met Liam Farrell, aka Doctor L, a musician and producer on the Parisian hip-hop and electro scene.

The music that Coco and Theo played to Doctor L was vigorous - a heedless mass assault of percussion, guitars and voices on the edge of tearing itself apart with its own momentum. Doctor L set out simply to record as much as he could. And the result? A fusion of traditional Congolese rhythms with a big fistful of European post-punk bass and busted electronics. It's made from bits of the past and points toward a strange but exciting kind of future, but more importantly you can tell that it's just loving the present.

Condition
Media: Mint (M)
Sleeve: Mint (M)

Our Grading Standards
We grade all vinyl using the Goldmine standard:
Mint (M): Perfect, unplayed condition.
Near Mint (NM): Nearly perfect with minimal signs of handling.
Very Good Plus (VG+): Shows light signs of play but plays with minimal surface noise. The most common grade for collectable vinyl.
Very Good (VG): Noticeable marks and some surface noise, but still an enjoyable listen.
Good (G): Heavy wear — for collectors only.

All records are graded visually and by play. Media and sleeve are graded separately.

About Peckham Soul

Visit our physical store at Linnégatan 2, 413 04 Göteborg.
Mon–Tue 11:00–18:00 · Wed–Thu 11:00–18:30 · Fri 11:00–20:30 · Sat 11:00–17:00 · Sun Closed.

We're a specialist vintage vinyl shop with roots in Peckham, London. From our Swedish store we ship across Europe and the EU. Every record in our collection is individually sourced, inspected, and graded. We stock soul, funk, jazz, reggae, punk, indie, psych and beyond — always original pressings, always honestly described.

Shipping & Returns
We ship carefully packed in rigid mailers to protect your record in transit. If a record arrives not as described, we'll sort it — no hassle.