Siama Matuzungidi – Traditional Concert

Join us as we celebrate the beginning of the Mois de la Francophonie with a concert by Siama Matuzungidi! Don’t miss this event for the whole family!

$5 – Children under 12
$10 – Members
$20 – Non-members

Siama Matuzungidi, Congolese soukous legend and Minneapolis transplant, will be performing at the Alliance Française to celebrate his beloved Congo with us. Soukous is a genre of dance music known as “the sound of happiness”. While growing up, Siama’s parents had danced to Congolese Rumba music on their old Victrola and every evening the extended family would sit under the stars, telling stories and singing traditional Bas Congo music. Siama is from the the western region of DR Congo. His people are called Bas Congo and the region is known as Bascongo.

As a teenager Siama dismissed Congolese Rumba and traditional music as, “old people’s music” and he dove into Soukous music. But by 2015, as Siama was launching his solo career, he’d discovered how significant an impact Congolese music has had on all of American music. Congolese polyrhythms and vocal harmonies seeded the origins of jazz music in New Orleans and Blues in the South both of which have influenced all of the music that’s emerged since. With a newfound respect, passionately embraced his roots and began composing songs in the style of traditional music from back home.

Join us for this unique and joyous evening of traditional music!