Tshegue Soundsystem

Erupting from the fertile nightlife of Paris, Tshegue’s unique melding of Congolese rhythms and Lingala vocals with punky garage rock and Latin American electronics has captured ears wherever they’ve performed. Formed by Kinshasa-born singer Faty Sy Savanet and French-Cuban drummer and producer Nicolas Dacunha, lyrics are shaped with Lingala to maintain a connection to Savanet’s home while drawing on the many cultures that have shaped her life. Racism and discrimination, hunger and political corruption are all subjected to mischievous movements and lyrics. A Lingala term associated with street children in Kinshasa and a nickname from her own childhood, ‘Tshegue’ as a name carries that same history of displacement and hardship inside it, along with the resourcefulness needed to survive.