Their single “Incredible Energy Vibes” featuring
Jamaican rapper Franz Von Song from K.O.G & The Zongo Brigade announces this new project.
Balaphonics is a collective of nine musicians specialized in Afro-fusion. Their name comes from the African percussion instrument, the balafon, also known as “bala” or “balani,” a kind of xylophone that has a very important place in Mandingo music. All kinds of balafons exist in different African regions and therefore the choice of this instrument is anything but insignificant, bringing together the whole continent. This brass band from Paris mixes funk, jazz and traditional African music, passing through groove and highlife. Their drums and guitars offer vibrating, frantic rhythms. Since the success of AfroMassivSoundSystem, released in 2016, the musicians have participated in many festivals, from France to Malta, through Cyprus, London and Bamako.
After recording their EP Balamako with the griot Moriba Diabaté, Balaphonics have continued their artistic encounters on the album Spicy Boom Boom. Recorded in the Mastoïd studio in Pantin, this project brings together groove, highlife, makossa, pop and Congolese rumba with harmony. All these musicians were supported by the great Manu Dibango, as well as Tiken Jah Fakoly and Hilaire Penda. It also features Kandy Guira of the Amazones d’Afrique group and Moriba Diabaté.
The single “Incredible Energy Vibes,” which can be experienced exclusively on PAM, pays tribute to the essential power of music, which “heals our lost souls since the dawn of time,” according to Balaphonics. The purpose of the track is perfectly summed up by Franz Von Song, who raps: “Let the music free your mind.”
The album Spicy Boom Boom will be released digitally on April 30, 2021 via Vlad Productions.
Catch Balaphonics in our Songs of the Week playlist on Spotify and Deezer.
