Headfirst Editor's Pick
"Effervescent Malawian folk meets Swiss globetrotting gonzo pop! Who else but Bongo Joe (or Jam Jar) could tie together such diverse delights under one roof? Madalisto Band bring their street-tested thump and joyous jangle - Cryil Cyril top it off with banjo-led surrealism and pan-earth psychedelia. Only true ear-venturers need apply!"
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A gig held at The Jam Jar on Sunday 3rd November. The event starts at 20:00.
Madalitso Band + Cyril Cyril: a Bongo Joe Records Showcase
Acclaimed Geneva-based record store and label, Bongo Joe, explores contemporary undergrounds to dig out extraordinary sounds and ploughs the furrows of time to unearth rare nuggets from here, there and everywhere.
Madalitso Band + Cyril Cyril: a Bongo Joe Records Showcase
Sunday 3rd November
7.30pm - 10.30pm
at The Jam Jar, Bristol
MADALITSO BAND
Intuitive, authentic, and full of ruthless rhythms, Malawian duo Madalitso Band has taken Europe by storm. Discovered busking outside a shopping centre in 2009, their vibrant playing, strong harmonious vocals and traditional style caught the world’s attention fast.
Madalitso will make you clap, dance, smile, and rethink everything you thought you knew about African sound and instrumentation. They get a crowd to their feet and smiling wide.
The band plays a home-made version of a babatone—a popular instrument in Malawi—and the four-string guitar, creating the traditional Malawi banjo sound.
Their first album was produced by Bongo Joe records and the band has featured on BBC Africa and performed at Womex 2020, Womad 2019, Roskilde 2018, Sauti Za Busara 2017 and many more.
CYRIL CYRIL
Swiss duo featuring Cyril Yeterian, Bongo Joe Records owner and his fellow Geneva resident Cyril Bondi. With a banjo, a guitar, a melodeon, strange drums, multiple voices and languages as their sole companions, Cyril Cyril laser cuts a groove to the soul.
Famed for their electric live show, they are equally at home on a big festival stage as they are in a small sweaty club. Their music mixes tough plucking, rhythmical patterns, and percussion from Lebanon, the Levant, and North Africa.
Coming together in 2017, both looking for new challenges, Cyril Yeterian took on the banjo, adding a wealth of effect pedals to it, turning the sound into something similar to a bouzouki or a krar. Cyril Bondi meanwhile cobbled together some cannibal drum kit, with massive jingle bells and tropical nut shells embedded into his marching bass drum. The duo released Certaine Ruines LP in 2018 and played numerous, rapturously received shows and festival appearances throughout mainland Europe.
After the success of their second album “Yallah Micky Mouse - named after a hilarious encounter with a camel - Cyril Cyril are back with “Le Futur Ça Marche Pas”, an album that defies genre boundaries and delves deep into the human experience. Through a captivating blend of post-punk, garage funk, and experimental noise, the duo offers a raw commentary on societal disintegration and personal disillusionment.
Collaborating with fellow Bongo Joe artists enriches their distinctive sound, while mixing by Carlos Quebrada adds a unique sonic depth. Recorded live at Geneva's Insub studio, the album captures the duo's dynamic energy with authenticity and immediacy. 'Le Futur Ça Marche Pas' invites listeners on a transformative journey, celebrating the power of creativity and connection.
Entry requirements: 14+, any under 18s accompanied by 21+ adult 1:1 ratio
Acclaimed Geneva-based record store and label, Bongo Joe, explores contemporary undergrounds to dig out extraordinary sounds and ploughs the furrows of time to unearth rare nuggets from here, there and everywhere.
Madalitso Band + Cyril Cyril: a Bongo Joe Records Showcase
Sunday 3rd November
7.30pm - 10.30pm
at The Jam Jar, Bristol
MADALITSO BAND
Intuitive, authentic, and full of ruthless rhythms, Malawian duo Madalitso Band has taken Europe by storm. Discovered busking outside a shopping centre in 2009, their vibrant playing, strong harmonious vocals and traditional style caught the world’s attention fast.
Madalitso will make you clap, dance, smile, and rethink everything you thought you knew about African sound and instrumentation. They get a crowd to their feet and smiling wide.
The band plays a home-made version of a babatone—a popular instrument in Malawi—and the four-string guitar, creating the traditional Malawi banjo sound.
Their first album was produced by Bongo Joe records and the band has featured on BBC Africa and performed at Womex 2020, Womad 2019, Roskilde 2018, Sauti Za Busara 2017 and many more.
CYRIL CYRIL
Swiss duo featuring Cyril Yeterian, Bongo Joe Records owner and his fellow Geneva resident Cyril Bondi. With a banjo, a guitar, a melodeon, strange drums, multiple voices and languages as their sole companions, Cyril Cyril laser cuts a groove to the soul.
Famed for their electric live show, they are equally at home on a big festival stage as they are in a small sweaty club. Their music mixes tough plucking, rhythmical patterns, and percussion from Lebanon, the Levant, and North Africa.
Coming together in 2017, both looking for new challenges, Cyril Yeterian took on the banjo, adding a wealth of effect pedals to it, turning the sound into something similar to a bouzouki or a krar. Cyril Bondi meanwhile cobbled together some cannibal drum kit, with massive jingle bells and tropical nut shells embedded into his marching bass drum. The duo released Certaine Ruines LP in 2018 and played numerous, rapturously received shows and festival appearances throughout mainland Europe.
After the success of their second album “Yallah Micky Mouse - named after a hilarious encounter with a camel - Cyril Cyril are back with “Le Futur Ça Marche Pas”, an album that defies genre boundaries and delves deep into the human experience. Through a captivating blend of post-punk, garage funk, and experimental noise, the duo offers a raw commentary on societal disintegration and personal disillusionment.
Collaborating with fellow Bongo Joe artists enriches their distinctive sound, while mixing by Carlos Quebrada adds a unique sonic depth. Recorded live at Geneva's Insub studio, the album captures the duo's dynamic energy with authenticity and immediacy. 'Le Futur Ça Marche Pas' invites listeners on a transformative journey, celebrating the power of creativity and connection.
Entry requirements: 14+, any under 18s accompanied by 21+ adult 1:1 ratio
Other experimental gigs
— The Trinity Centre
jazz
world
dub
samba
disco
— The Trinity Centre
experimental
psych
psychedelic rock
progressive rock
experimental rock
