One of the great global success stories in recent history, Staff Benda Bilili have become an unstoppable force in world
music. A group of street musicians who used to live & play around the grounds of the zoo in Kinshasa, Congo, they make music
of astonishing power and beauty. The band's mesmerizing rumba-rooted grooves, overlaid with vibrant vocals and extraordinary
tin-can guitar solos, have been dazzling audiences and media the world over. Purchase Staff Benda Bilili concert tickets today to hear what so many all over the world
have already discovered.
Besides being a cadre of street musicians from the Congo, Staff Benda Bilili is not your typical ensemble. Four paraplegic
singer/guitarists form the core of the band, assisted by a "hype man" on crutches who whips crowds into a frenzy and backed
by an all-acoustic rhythm section pounding out tight grooves. Then, to add to the onstage frenzy are those inimitable and
infectious solos performed by a teenage prodigy on a one-string electric lute he designed and built himself out of a tin can.
Performances are practically a musical circus.
With one of the most talked-about tours of 2009, Staff Benda Bilili ripped through Europe touting their debut album, "Tres
Tres Fort." They were received by a chorus of praise, critics and audiences hailing them as one of the most unique and breathtaking
performers and musicians ever to take the stage. As word of these unrivaled musicians spreads, their fame is sure to soar
exponentially.
Benda Bilili means "look beyond appearances," and their music and lyrics encourage listeners to do just that. Staff Benda
Bilili consider themselves the real journalists of Kinshasa as their songs document and comment on events of everyday life.
One of their key messages is the only real handicaps are not in the body but in the mind. Visit StubHub to get your world music tickets to hear the next phenomenon in musical
evolution.