Avalon (group)
Encyclopedia
Avalon or Group Avalon was a band consisting of Djo Moupondo (aka as DJ Djo) and his brother Mohombi Moupondo
with Congolese ancestry. A multilingual band, they performed songs in Swedish
, French
, English
and Lingala.
Djo and Mohombi born to a Congolese father and a Swedish mother were raised in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
. In 1999, the family escaped the war-torn country for Stockholm
, Sweden
in 1999. The parents regularly exposed them to varied musical influences. Djo became a well-known DJ in local clubs and Mohombi studied at Rytmus Music High School in Stockholm
and eventually obtaining his bachelor's degree in music and song from Stockholm’s Royal College of Music, the Stockholm conservatory.
They played music together for many years touring African and European countries, including forming the group Avalon, combining the dancehall
and hip hop
of the time with the distinctive African beats on which they were raised. From 2004 to 2008 the group sold over half a million records. It won the Best Diaspora Europe/Caribbean Group award at the All African Kora Awards
, an African equivalent of Grammy awards.
In 2005, the group participated in Melodifestivalen
, the race to the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Linköping
, Sweden
with the bilingual English / French song with a Lingala language intro called "Big Up" coming sixth. 2005 the Group Avalon up in the Show sthlm, an annual music festival held at Lava Kulturhuset.
June 2, 2007, they participated in Hoodsfredsfestivalen in Kista
. In 2009, Avalon Group launched the album Afro-Viking mainly on the African music market on 21 December 2007. Avalon Group has collaborated with artists / songwriters such as Bob Sinclar
, Million Stylez
, Mohamed Lamine in Rai n B Fever, Silver Room, Alexander Papadimas and many others.
In 2009, Mohombi went solo and was RedOne
's first signing to 2101 Records/Universal
and Cherrytree
. He became most famous for his solo dancehall
single "Bumpy Ride".
Mohombi
Mohombi Nzasi Moupondo , known professionally as Mohombi, is a Swedish-Congolese R&B singer-songwriter and dancer. He grew up in one of Stockholm's suburbs called Norsborg, Stockholm. Mohombi is RedOne's first signing to 2101 Records in joint venture with Universal Music Group...
with Congolese ancestry. A multilingual band, they performed songs in Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Lingala.
Djo and Mohombi born to a Congolese father and a Swedish mother were raised in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. In 1999, the family escaped the war-torn country for Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 1999. The parents regularly exposed them to varied musical influences. Djo became a well-known DJ in local clubs and Mohombi studied at Rytmus Music High School in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
and eventually obtaining his bachelor's degree in music and song from Stockholm’s Royal College of Music, the Stockholm conservatory.
They played music together for many years touring African and European countries, including forming the group Avalon, combining the dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
and hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
of the time with the distinctive African beats on which they were raised. From 2004 to 2008 the group sold over half a million records. It won the Best Diaspora Europe/Caribbean Group award at the All African Kora Awards
Kora Awards
The Kora Awards are music awards given annually for musical achievement in sub-Saharan Africa. Founded in 1994 by Ernest Adjovi, they are comparable to the American Grammy Awards in intent...
, an African equivalent of Grammy awards.
In 2005, the group participated in Melodifestivalen
Melodifestivalen
Melodifestivalen is an annual music competition organised by Swedish public broadcasters Sveriges Television and Sveriges Radio . It determines the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, and has been staged almost every year since 1959...
, the race to the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Linköping
Linköping
Linköping is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104 232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 146 736 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
with the bilingual English / French song with a Lingala language intro called "Big Up" coming sixth. 2005 the Group Avalon up in the Show sthlm, an annual music festival held at Lava Kulturhuset.
June 2, 2007, they participated in Hoodsfredsfestivalen in Kista
Kista
Kista is a district of Stockholm Municipality in Sweden. Located northwest of central Stockholm, Kista is divided by the Stockholm Metro blue line into a western part which is primarily a working class and middle class residential area, and an eastern part occupied by commercial ventures, mostly...
. In 2009, Avalon Group launched the album Afro-Viking mainly on the African music market on 21 December 2007. Avalon Group has collaborated with artists / songwriters such as Bob Sinclar
Bob Sinclar
Bob Sinclar, originally spelled "Sinclair" - , is a French record producer, House music DJ, remixer and owner of the label Yellow Productions.- Career history :...
, Million Stylez
Million Stylez
Kenshin Iryo , better known by his stage name Million Stylez, is a Swedish dancehall artist.Kenshin Iryo was born on June 1, 1981 in Stockholm, Sweden. He grew up in the Stockholm suburb of Sollentuna, and has been living there for 26 years...
, Mohamed Lamine in Rai n B Fever, Silver Room, Alexander Papadimas and many others.
In 2009, Mohombi went solo and was RedOne
RedOne
Nadir Khayat , known by the stage name RedOne, is a Moroccan producer and songwriter. Renowned for co-producing hit singles such as "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Bad Romance", "Alejandro" and "Judas", he is attributed by some as the key to Lady Gaga's success...
's first signing to 2101 Records/Universal
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
and Cherrytree
Cherrytree Records
Cherrytree Records is an American record label and is an imprint of Interscope Records.-History:Cherrytree Records was founded in 2005 by Martin Kierszenbaum, being German for cherry tree...
. He became most famous for his solo dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
single "Bumpy Ride".