Unique two-day event around the equally unique Swiss (but mostly worldly) Bongo Joe label
With the support of Liveurope and Pro Helvetia.
BONGO JOE RECORDS x 10th ANNIVERSARY
“After seeing many of our artists perform at Ancienne Belgique (***) over the past decade, we’re truly honored to host two nights in this iconic venue as part of our 10 Year Anniversary Tour. The connection between Les Disques Bongo Joe and Brussels is a special one, as we’ve collaborated with some of the key players in the local scene – including Chouk Bwa & The Ångströmers, DJ soFa, Cheb Runner, Funky Bompa, as well as local collectives, radios, venues and record stores. Coming to Belgium to celebrate this anniversary together means a lot to us!”
— Cyril Yeterian, musician and Bongo Joe head honcho
(***) Altın Gün – Baby Berserk – Chouk Bwa – Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek – Lalalar – Meridian Brothers – Meril Wubslin – Nyati Mayi & Astral Synth Transmitters – Pixvae – Société Étrangé – Nunsantara Beat – …
20:00 – CITRON CITRON (CH)
Swiss duo with an actual sister/brother band. Citron Citron describes itself as “analog poetry laying on finely crafted rhythms & melodies” and also a “home-made organic sound machinery”. This can be heard on their latest album Maréeternelle. We read somewhere: “Think about Brigitte Fontaine singing with Woo.” But: ‘Who’s Woo?”
21:00 – THE SPACE LADY (US)
Behind The Space Lady – also known as Suzy Soundz – lies Susan Dietrich Schneider, a regular sight on the streets of San Francisco in the late ‘70s and ‘80s. The Space Lady played an accordion that she had found in a junk shop and on a cheap Casiotone keyboard. She was the embodiment of outsider art.
Her repertoire: songs written by her husband combined with a mix of downbeat covers like Ghost Rider (Suicide), Born To Be Wild (Steppenwolf) and Ballroom Blitz (Sweet). NME put her album The Space Lady’s Greatest Hits in the charts of 101 Albums to Hear Before You Die and The Guardian nominated the album as one of The 101 Strangest Records on Spotify. A perfect match for Bongo Joe, if you ask us.
22:00 – THE MAUSKOVIC DANCE BAND (NL)
The Mauskovic Dance Band is the brainchild of Amsterdam-based producer, musician and drummer Nicola Mauskovic. Just as with Citron Citron, the family bond is strong here: family members Donnie, Em Nix and Mano Mauskovic make up the bulk of the band, together with Nicola.
Rough Trade managed to describe the band perfectly: “They make madcap music intent on expanding musical universes. Powered by elastic rhythms and some potent dub wizardry, the five-piece are synonymous with flipping global music traditions and creating new, sound-system stylised, synth powered, dance-floor experiments.” Party guaranteed!
Fun fact
"We decided to name our store and label in tribute to the very unique American street musician George 'Bongo Joe' Coleman (1923 – 1999) who was very popular in Texas and despite lucrative offers from established venues, for 30 years, preferred playing on the streets of different US cities and recorded his only album in San Antonio: George Coleman: Bongo Joe, in 1968 with producer Chris Strachwitz of Arhoolie Records.His self titled record is one that we have always cherished and was reissued years ago by our friends from Mississippi Records. His music was created with a pure DIY attitude and his message and the way he sung was in our opinion very ahead of its time. George 'Bongo Joe' Coleman's family were over the moon after seeing photos of our record store in Geneva, named and were very excited that European music lovers, so far away, decided to honor the name of their loved and long-lost relative."
Mobility
Questions & Answers
Drink tokens