SUPERGOMBO is an exciting new offshoot of the cultural blend made in France. Their Afrofunk sound is probably coming from the Tout Puissant Orchestre Poly-Rythmo and the Headhunters, blended with influences such as Senegalese Mbalax, Congolese Soukous, Funk and Jazz.

But you would never really think of their sound as “World music”, although they do retain its frenzied, uncontrollable rhythm. SUPERGOMBO’s seven musicians also know how to slow down and take their time. They borrow other influences from Bamako to Ouagadougou, with a stopover in la Guillotière, a lively Lyon neighborhood known for its own cultural mix. SUPERGOMBO really wants to take us all on a trip and get us on the dance floor . From his father’s years in Africa, Etienne Kermarc inherited the West African sounds – which he blended with his own jazz idiom. His fellow travelers are Aurélien Joly and Nacim Brahimi with their horns, Romain Nassini and Riad Klaï for the harmony, David Doris from Reunion Island and Wendlavim Zabsonré from Burkina Faso on percussions and drums – all of them involved in the writing and arrangements.

Finally, the indie label Z Production joined in, with Vincent Taurelle, Etienne Meunier and Benoît Bel working on the recording. With references such as Tony Allen and Daft Punk, their message is clear – they’re gonna make you dance.

With Bikutsi (Faraphonium) rhythms on top of Mandingo (Nâ Kuima) scales, somewhere between scorching grooves and rainbow colors, SUPERGOMBO offers an African suite that glides and shimmies its way from East to West, and from the West Indies to the Far East! And to extend the trip, they also love to slip in the odd movie music quote – from Blaxploitation flicks to Bruce Lee and blockbuster soundtracks in the style of Lalo Schiffrin… not to mention flamboyant melting pots à la Tarantino like the iconic “Marquis Warren,” where the arid images of the Western rub up against the syrupy notes of the coupé-décalé.

This music will surprise its listeners. Mostly, though, it’s going to get in their heads, and make itself comfortable, mainly so it can get down to their bodies. It should come as no surprise that SUPERGOMBO enjoys using rhythmic repetition and sometimes flirts with electronic trance. Their music never forgets its roots, though, nor the stories they tell.