BCUC

Embodying the spirit of seventies Afrobeat, Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness is a seven-piece band hailing from Soweto, South Africa. Formed in 2003, BCUC extends the familiar melodies of Soweto’s township music – popularized in the west by Paul Simon’s Graceland – to create a unique vision of Afro futurism blended through a prism of psychedelic sounds. 

Deeply embedded in the sounds and spirituality of their ancestors, BCUC’s mission is to awaken their audience to the possibilities of a shared, brighter future where the wounds of the past can heal, if not be totally forgotten. Emerging out of a sonic crossroads where Fela Kuti meets Sun Ra, BCUC’s rhythms may sound exotic and unfamiliar when you first hear them – but give them time, and listen. At their core you’ll find them as reassuring and comforting as the pulse of your own blood.  

Singing in all eleven of South Africa’s native dialects, BCUC’s music is grounded in the resonant power of the human voice. The group’s stirring harmonies blend with extended funk and rock grooves that incorporate hip-hop influences and a punk rock energy while continuing to draw deeply on indigenous spiritual traditions. 

Its music can be enjoyed for the hedonistic trances it conjures, but they hope you’ll get up and dance, too – to rebalance your body and soul. What more can you ask from music than that?