Zongo Junction

Exploding from the center of Brooklyn's vibrant afrobeat scene, Zongo Junction electrifies dance floors wherever they perform. Packed with four horns, and a five-piece rhythm section, audiences can’t help but move no matter where the band is playing. If the Talking Heads produced a Fela Kuti record of Sun Ra’s music, the product would probably sound something like this psychedelic afrobeat outfit. In an industry where it has become commonplace to watch bands perform with laptops & backing tracks instead of live musicians, Zongo Junction takes the stage 9 strong. The Village Voice describes their live show as “Sheer energy with the force of a tractor-trailer that roars with power and noise” while the SF Chronicle says that "Zongo Junction plays its own fractured version of Afro-beat and generates an unstoppable groove when it takes the stage." The band formed in 2009, when drummer and California native, Charles Ferguson, returned from a six-month stay in Ghana, West Africa. “Growing up in the Bay Area, I was exposed to a lot of amazing music from many different cultures, a lot of which had roots in West Africa. My love of African music brought me to Ghana in 2008 and when I returned home, I knew I wanted to start this band.” Soon after Charles' return, Zongo Junction started rehearsing and developing a following in Brooklyn. The group has proven to be a favorite booking at venues like Brooklyn Bowl, The Great American Music Hall, and colleges, festivals and performing arts centers around the country. Zongo Junction recorded their first album, Thieves! in 2010, which included a collaboration with longtime Fela Kuti band member, Leon Kaleta Ligan-Majek. More recently the band has collaborated with FELA! cast member Abena Koomson. Members of the band have toured and recorded with TV On The Radio, Man Man, Antibalas, Vampire Weekend, Easy Star All-Stars, Tune-Yards, The Walkmen, and many more. On July 15, 2014, the band will release their sophomore album, No Discount, on Electric Cowbell Records (Debo Band, Slavic Soul Party, Superhuman Happiness). The music on the No Discount, which was produced by Mikey Freedom Hart (Albert Hammond Jr, Bleachers), embraces the individual members' interests, from Dirty Projectors to Albert Ayler, Wu Tang to Meshugguh. At its core, you will find the addictive West African grooves that are the foundation of Zongo Junction's music. No Discount was recorded to 24 track two inch tape at the bunker studio in Brooklyn NY, then disassembled and polished, piece by piece, by producer Mikey Hart, over a year-long mixing process. It was mastered by all-star engineer Brian Lucey (The Black Keys, Dr. Dog). Featuring swaths of analog electronics, hairpin rhythmic turns, and elaborate statements from a powerhouse 4-piece horn section, the band has become impressively adept at nestling entire sound worlds on top of authentic afrobeat grooves. The result is one of the most sonically intricate, and infectiously danceable recordings imaginable. Zongo Junction is: David Lizmi – Bass Charles Ferguson – Drums Morgan Greenstreet – Percussion Jordan Hyde – Guitar Ross Edwards – Keys Matt Nelson – Tenor Saxophone Jonah Parzen-Johnson – Baritone Saxophone Aaron Rockers – Trumpet Kevin Moehringer – Trombone A 9 piece psychedelic afrobeat dance band from Brooklyn, NY. If the Talking Heads produced a Fela Kuti record of Sun Ra's music... www.zongojunction.net