Jean Bosco Safari

Jean Bosco Safari came together in Kinshasa in the early 2000s, led by vocalist Jean Bosco Nkanga. They started playing music that mixed traditional Congolese rhythms with reggae and hip-hop, which you can hear on their debut album 'Libala Ya Moyo' from 2003.

Their song '99 Days' became particularly well-known in 2005. It was written about the 99-day siege of Kinshasa during the Congolese Civil War, and its straightforward lyrics about civilian experiences connected with listeners both locally and abroad. They followed it with albums like 'Tout est Possible' in 2007 and 'Safari' in 2012.

The band has included members like Joseph Kabasele on guitar, Michel Lumaliza on bass, and Freddy Elias on drums alongside Nkanga. Their music often touches on social issues, which has sometimes drawn attention from authorities, they were briefly detained in 2008 after a performance critical of the government.