KWANI EXPERIENCE

Kwani Experience, also known as The Most Famous Unknown Band, is a group from Johannesburg, South Africa. Their alias was taken from a 2005 Blink Magazine feaure of the same title. Its members came from different parts and intersections of South Africa but mainly from Soweto and some have been living in Belgium, Canada and Norway. Their music is The Mudaland Funk, an Afro-Funk masala that draws from all their backgrounds and influences such as Indi-genius, Isqathamiya, Rap, Maskandi, Jazz and Other. The sound is no reference to but indirectly related to Prophets Of Da City’s Muthaland Funk

K.E. was formed in 2003 as a Jazz experiment that quickly morphed into a jam band with former students of the Federated Union Of Black Arts (FUBA), National School of The Arts (N.S.A) and the inclusion of new personnel the in late 2003/early 2004. They won the 2004 Standard Bank Totally Jazzed Contest, which led to the release of their debut album ‘The Birth Of The Mudaland Funk in 2005 and ‘Live After Birth’ in 2007. Although bursting onto the scene as an octet, with changes in personnel the band became a septet then finally a sextet, until their sabbatical in 2012.

The members have circled the SA creative industry and music scenes working offstage, recording, collaborating and performing with (m)any and every established and new artists. They’ve worked with icon Sipho Hotstix Mabuse, who has called the band his favourite, with DJ Kenzhero, Blk Jks, Thandi Ntuli, Tumi (Stogie T), Pops Mohammed and DJ Black Coffee amongst others and are probably the only band that has live recordings with the lates H.H.P and ProKid from two back-to-back 2006 live shows. They are your favourite band’s favourite band and their sound inspired some of today’s groups including B.C.U.C, Urban Villabe and The Brother Moves On.

Their 2005 Cape Verde performance, their first outside SA, was the start of a string of Afro-Euro tours that included countries such as Lesotho, Angola, Norway, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Tanzania, Belgium and Bosnia-Herzegovina, to name a few. They’ve shared stages with Baaba Maal, Hugh Masekela, Mahotella Queens, Cheik Lo, Freshlyground, Omar Pene, Johnny Clegg, Thandiswa Mazwai, Fatoumata Diawara, Blick Bassy, DJ Oil and just about every South African great.

Evidently ahead of their time their music is still being discovered by many African Rennaisance devotees and are still active as Kwela, Nkoto Malebye, Bafana Nhlapo, Riba (Sai & Ribatone/DJ Black Coffee), Monde (Wonga Music), Gontse (Shabaka & The Ancestors/SPAZA), Nosisi (SPAZA) and Moruba.