Kanda Bongo – they love him in the Congo… and so will you. Tim Hughes meets the ‘King of Kinshasa’, star of Oxford's Fiesta in the Park.

IF you’re hoping for a peaceful sit down in the fresh air, you might want to stay clear of the city’s South Park on Saturday evening.

For an hour at least, relaxing is strictly banned – by order of Kanda Bongo Man.

“I want everyone in the park to get up and dance,” says Congolese superstar Kanda, one of Africa’s best-loved musicians, and the man charged with headlining the warm-up show for this weekend’s Cowley Road Carnival.

The Fiesta in the Park is not just the perfect way to loosen up your limbs for the exertions of the following day’s revels, it’s also an important fundraiser for the event, key to its survival, and very deserving of your support.

And, says Kanda, he’s the best man to get the party started. “I play soukous,” he explains, “Which in our Congolese broken French means ‘to shake’. “The rhythm is very hot; it’s real carnival music and it makes people dance… it’s certainly not quiet. You have to get up and dance – you can’t sit down.”

Sweet-voiced, fleet-footed Kanda, 55, started off as a songwriter at the age of 16 in what was then known as Belgian Congo, and then Zaire.

“As a schoolboy I was always in the studio in Kinshasa, learning how to sing and play music, and I loved playing there.

“But I left the country in 1979 because the political situation was very bad, and professionally nothing was going on. Musically, everything was down. Things are still bad. It’s very dangerous there and you could die at any time.

“There’s no democracy and you can’t say anything about anyone. It’s very beautiful and rich, with diamonds and gold, but none of it goes to the people.”

Moving first to Paris, dad-of-two Kanda is now living in Manchester (“Because I wanted my kids to speak good English,” he says by way of explanation).

But his music is unapologetically African – steeped in the steamy rhythms of Kinshasa’s raucous club scene. And its driving beats and upbeat lyrics are a reaction against the city’s harsh realities.

“It talks about peace and love,” he says. “It’s music for happiness – about having a beautiful girlfriend, and good things like that.

“You can’t describe it, though. You have to hear it – and see it. Everybody loves this music… white, black, everyone!”

One of the biggest stars of Central African music, Zing Zong star Kanda was championed by such radio heavyweights as John Peel and Andy Kershaw, and played the world, gracing the bills of our biggest world music festivals – including Glastonbury and the first ever WOMAD – where he returns this month.

He says his proudest moment though was being asked by WOMAD founder and former Genesis star Peter Gabriel, to play the Live 8 Africa Calling show at the Eden Project in Cornwall – joining the likes of Youssou N’Dour, Tinariwen and Daara J. But there have also been less illustrious moments – such as his ill-fated trip to Scandinavia in 1986.

“I went al lthe way from Paris to Stockholm in Sweden for a show, but the promoter hadn’t done his job properly and only 10 people turned up. It was a disaster and we cancelled it. But we did play a couple of songs to those who still managed to turn up. In fact, it was quite a nice night because we talked, had a drink and took photos with each other.”

There’s no chance of a paltry turn out in Oxford, however.

“Watch our show and be happy!” he laughs. “You WILL have a great time and leave with good memories… and that is a promise!”

The first Fiesta in The Park world music extravaganza takes place in South Park on Saturday. Other artists include the Grand Union Carnival Band, Oxford reggae favourites Makating and DJ Count Skylarkin, and Brickwork Lizards. Gates open at 5pm and tickets are £8 (£6 concs) fromwegottickets.com Cowley Road Carnival takes place on Sunday from 10am-6pm in Cowley Road and from noon-8pm back in the park. Artists will be playing on Music, Big Dance and Acoustic stages, as well as a World Tea Tent, individual soundsystems, and the carnival procession itself at 3pm.

Also see Kanda Bongo Man at WOMAD, from July 23-25, at Charlton Park, Malmesbury, Wiltshire. See womad.org