The Bongo Hop

From the bustling streets of Cali & the hilly jungles of southwest Colombia where it was born, to the stages of Europe and North America, via the waves of the Atlantic, The Bongo Hop means: "Move to that Afro-Latin, soulful groove!" The name itself, inspired by Jano’s iconic comic book—depicting the joyful tribulations of a West African sailor in postcolonial turmoil—is an invitation to travel at the pace of your dreams. It’s about dancing those troubled times away, in search of light and good vibes. Inspired by the hard salsa, chirimía, and currulao grooves of its Cali years, The Bongo Hop also bears the mark of a lifelong passion for rumba, jazz, soukous, afro-funk, and more. Perhaps the personal journey of its mastermind, Étienne Sevet—who went from music journalist and DJ to a self-taught, late-blooming trumpeter, composer, and producer—is the secret behind this unique blend. Always packed with carefully chosen vocal guests, his albums—from the breakthrough Satingarona Pt. 1 (2016) and Satingarona Pt. 2 (2019), to La Ñapa (2022) and now La Pata coja (The Gimpy Leg – 2024)—are widely acclaimed by radio stations and media worldwide. They’re hailed as the perfect soundtrack for Afro-funk, soukous, semba, biguine, and Latin soul aficionados in search of that curious, multilingual, happy-go-lucky musical friend to travel with. On stage, his eight-piece band, featuring musicians hailing from Benin, Cuba, Cameroun, Senegal, and France, is a guaranteed tropical storm !