With »Antologia Vol. 2«, Les Disques Bongo Joe will release another compilation of songs by África Negra, a band highly revered in their home country of São Tomé and Principe, on August 2, 2024. The 13 tracks have been compiled by DJ Tom B with the support of Alfonso Simoes, the band’s Lisbon-based tour manager, and cover the period from 1979 to 1990. While »Antologia Vol. 1« focused on the band’s well-known songs, the »hits«, the new collection presents the band’s lesser-known songs.
Big in São Tomé & Principe
The band was formed in 1974 under the name Conjunto África Negra. After São Tomé and Príncipe gained independence from Portugal, they added more African elements to their sound. In 1976, singer João Seria joined the band and their most successful years began with lively rhythms and graceful harmonies. After several line-up changes, África Negra disbanded in 1996. They have been playing together again since 2008. Since then, three new albums have been released, including »Alia Cu Omali« on Mar & Soul in 2019. Singer João Seria died in 2023 and was honored with a state funeral in São Tomé and Príncipe. The rest of the band is still touring, now under the direction of guitarist Leonildo Barros.
Antologia Vol. 2
