Les Mamans du Congo

Rap meets the Congo cultural heritage 

Led by charismatic singer and percussionist Gladys Samba, the women’s collective Les Mamans du Congo sings in the Lari language about the history of their people and the daily life of congolese women accompanied by the dreamlike electronic sounds created by the french producer RROBIN. 

The group was born in 2018 in Brazzaville, performing their songs accompanied by forks, plates, pestles and recovery equipment - the stuff of daily life, matching their lyrical content. At the initiative of the French Institute of Congo, the Coopérative de Mai and the Jarring Effects label, they teamed up with RROBIN, who had already shown interest in new African urban voices, having collaborated with artists such as Spoek Mathambo. The collaboration also included bass player Armel Malonga, known for his work with legendary Congolese singer ZAO. 

In 2020, it resulted in the wonderful album Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin. This year, the EP Kikento dropped, further proof of the qualities of the collaboration: Mesmerizing choirs revisit the tradition of the ancient Kongo kingdom, traditional percussion is shrouded in the futuristic electronic production and grime signature of RROBIN. In the middle of it all, Mama Gladys alternates between lush singing, spoken word and rap, addressing the struggles and joys of daily life. Their second album, Ya Mizolé, will be released on October 13th, just in time for their concert at Oslo World. Live, Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin is a thrilling mixture of choreographed performance, deep rhythms and atmosphere - both thought provoking and ridiculously groovy.