Legendary South Sudanese pop star Gordon Koang releases a new track, “Disco,” off of his forthcoming Coronavirus / Disco 12”, out today via Music in Exile. “Disco” follows the recently released “Coronavirus,” but the new single was actually written by Koang in 1997.
Although it’s been a highlight in his live performances, this is the first time “Disco” has been recorded and made available for his audience to dance to at home. Written as a love song, “Disco” shares his trademark messages of peace and unity, dance floor style. Beginning with fast and almost rap-like vocal delivery in his native tongue, Nuer, the energy is high from the very start. With pulsating bass lines and interweaving instrumental melodies, the band is almost mesmerizing and urging in their accompaniment. When asked what he wants listeners to feel when hearing this song, he says “I need them to be happy, to listen to the song, to know that they will get advice from this song, to feel it in their heart, when they listen to music they will be comfortable, be happy!”
The Coronavirus / Disco 12” is his first offering since 2020’s “idiosyncratically joyous” (Bandcamp) Unity. After two weeks in hotel quarantine (following a visit to his family), Gordon and Paul returned to Melbourne, eager to record music once more. With lockdown lifting, Gordon headed to the studio with a new band featuring Zak Olsen (ORB, Traffik Island) Jack Kong (Baked Beans, Traffik Island), David “Daff” Gravolin (ORB), and Jesse Williams (Leah Senior, Girlatones). This new release is the result of these studio sessions, jamming and recording at Button Pusher in Preston, Melbourne.
The “Coronavirus / Disco 12” will feature a pull-out poster from Gordon, encouraging listeners to stay positive during this difficult time.
Legendary South Sudanese pop star Gordon Koang announces his Coronavirus / Disco 12”, out August 4th via Music in Exile. This double-A-side release shares Gordon’s messages of peace, love and positivity, and is his first offering since 2020’s “idiosyncratically joyous” (Bandcamp) Unity. “Coronavirus” was penned by Koang in July 2020 as a response to his personal experiences of the global pandemic. As his hometown of Melbourne went into lockdown, Gordon resided in the city’s outer suburbs with his cousin, Paul Biel, and his four-stringed, guitar-like instrument, the thom. Throughout this single, Gordon offers his condolences to those affected by the pandemic, alongside messages of his faith in frontline workers and the hope that circumstances will improve soon. “People suffer a lot. I ask that God gives the doctors the big wisdom to defeat the coronavirus. When people hear my song, I hope that this music counsels them. The song has a lot of meaning, it is telling them to be hopeful.”
With the cancellation of a national tour and numerous festival appearances, Covid-19 had not only impacted Gordon’s career here in Australia, but also his opportunity to visit family he hadn’t seen in five years. After receiving Australian permanent residency, Gordon and Paul were now able to visit family in Uganda, however this was made incredibly difficult due to border closures and the potential health risks. Taking a last minute opportunity, Gordon and Paul travelled to Africa and whilst excited to visit their families, they also experienced the impact of the pandemic on their home communities. “In Africa, it is not like us here, there is no medicine and in Africa there is also no Centrelink if you are in lockdown. It is difficult getting services. Even getting food is difficult.”
After two weeks in hotel quarantine, Gordon and Paul returned to Melbourne, eager to record music once more. With lockdown lifting, Gordon headed to the studio with a new band featuring Zak Olsen (ORB, Traffik Island) Jack Kong (Baked Beans, Traffik Island), David “Daff” Gravolin (ORB), and Jesse Williams (Leah Senior, Girlatones). This new release is the result of these studio sessions, jamming and recording at Button Pusher in Preston, Melbourne.
The Coronavirus / Disco 12” will feature a pull-out poster from Gordon, encouraging listeners to stay positive during this difficult time:
“My condolences to you, my audience in lockdown. We are all suffering from coronavirus. Let us stand firm and be strong. Let us look after each other, until the time comes when God brings us together. I give my condolences to people who have died of coronavirus, in aged care and disability. We are heartbroken for everyone. Let us take it easy, and pray in our houses, all around the world. If you believe in God, pray to the God you believe in, and they will help you. God will give us the chance to go back to normal and open all events. Even if it is a bad time now, there will be a change and it will be a good time for us. Thank you to everyone.” – Gordon Koang
#25: Death Valley Girls – Levitation Sessions: Live from the Astral Plane
Your live psychedelic rock album can’t miss when the first track is a guide to astral projection. You also can’t miss when it’s full of wild rock, passionate vocals, and, for all I know, tantric magic.
#24: Deeper – Auto-Pain
Wow. I mean…Wow. This post-punk record covers some serious subjects (suicide, existential angst, boredom, ennui, technological creep) and does it with serious chops and resolve.
#23: All Them Witches – Nothing As the Ideal
All Them Witches returned with possibly their heaviest album to date. Nothing As the Idealis almost a Black Sabbath record in its tone and sheer sonic weight. It sounds like they were getting out all their frustration of not being able to tour on the record. It’s a cathartic gem.
#22: Protomartyr – Unlimited Success Today
Protomartyr put out one of the mots intriguing records of 2020. Unlimited Success Today is layered with stunning guitar chords, powerhouse drumming, and mysterious lyrics that sometimes read and sound like a madman yelling atop a milk crate in the middle of a busy intersection in your town.
#21: Gordon Koang – Unity
Possibly the most uplifting album of 2020, Unityis the tale of refugee Gordon Koang finally becoming an Australian citizen. Koang is a musical superstar in Africa, but fled the continent due to civil war and threats on his life. Despite all his tribulations, Unity is a record full of hope (not to mention fun Afrobeat tracks) that we needed last year.
Gordon Koang might be the biggest musical legend you’ve never heard. Born in South Sudan, Koang and his cousin, Paul Biel, began playing gospel music and historical tales and were soon selling self-produced indie CDs and tapes. Koang’s reputation grew and grew until he was in high demand everywhere in his homeland and became known as “The Michael Jackson of South Sudan.” While touring in Australia in 2013, violence erupted in South Sudan and both men applied for asylum in Australia – leaving families behind in hope of bringing them to Australia soon. Koang and Biel weren’t granted Australian citizenship for another six years after they hit it big with a couple sharp singles and their shows became rallying points for refugee charity efforts.
Koang’s newest album (his eleventh, mind you), Unity, is an uplifting tribute to both of Koang and Biel’s home countries and to hope, love, and faith.
Koang opens the album with “Aslyum Seeker” – a straight-up story of him finally receiving his Australian citizenship (“My dear asylum seeker, we know you’re waiting for your permanent protection visa. We know you’ve been waiting a long time.). He seems to be reciting one of many letters he received over the course of six years while dancehall beats thump behind him and he sings without holding a grudge.
“Stand Up (Clap Your Hands)” was the song that got the attention of Australian music aficionados everywhere and helped them realized Gordon’s music could be a new national treasure. It’s wonderfully catchy (and his first song with English lyrics) and will make you do exactly what the title suggests. The thumping beats of “Kone Ke Ran” provided by Biel and Gordon’s traditional thom (sort of a Sudanese lute) mix to provide a hypnotizing rhythm that’s impossible to ignore.
“South Sudan” is, of course, a song about his much-missed homeland and the wife and children (one of whom he has yet to meet) who await the day they can travel Down Under and meet up with him. The mix of handclap beats, hand percussion, and Koang’s intricate chords is delightful. The bright organ chords on “Mal Mi Goa” are a beautiful addition to Koang’s thom strumming.
The bouncy organ of “Tiel E Nywal Ke Ran (We Don’t Have a Problem with Anyone)” produces instant hip-shaking and grooving. It, like the entire album, is full of bright energy that cannot be ignored. Gordon’s thom is right out in front on the closer, “Te Ke Me Thile Ji Kuoth Nhial.” His Nuer language vocals skip along with his strumming and Biel’s hand drum beats.
I read a quote from Gordon about people listening to his music who might not understand Nuer. He said, more or less, “Don’t worry, God will translate it for you.” The themes of hope, love, longing, and unity are universal, and this record is a beautiful message from Gordon, Biel, and the Creator.
Legendary South Sudanese pop star Gordon Koang will release his eleventh album, Unity, out August 14th on Music in Exile / Light in the Attic. Today, he releases a new single/video, “South Sudan,” which follows lead single/video “Tiel e Nei Nywal Ke Ran (We Don’t Have a Problem With Anyone).” In “South Sudan,” Gordon sings in Nuer, his native language, and speaks of a leader and aid worker he knew whilst in South Sudan. He shares a story of this man’s wisdom and his efforts to keep Gordon and his community from falling into poverty. The catchy and percussive melodies transcend language barriers and are sure to have listeners across the world dancing! Gordon adds: “I’m so happy to share this song with you, my audience! Even if this song is not in English, God will translate it for you!”
Directed by frequent collaborator Nick McKk (Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Julia Jacklin, Stella Donnelly), the music video for “South Sudan” follows Gordon and his cousin and lifelong friend, Paul Biel, around some of their favorite local spots; highlights include Edithvale Beach, Dandenong Plaza, Dandenong Markets and their favorite kebab shop. The clip beautifully captures the warmth of their friendship and the joy that Gordon and Paul feel when they are able to share music with their community. Director Nick McKk elaborates: “Dandenong is a favorite spot of Gordon and Paul’s. Was a wonderful meander through the streets, the town stuck in a 80s wonderland. They both like extra chilli on their kebab.”
Gordon Koang is a Nuer musician, hailing from the banks of the River Nile in what is now South Sudan. Born blind, he began playing music on the streets of Juba as a young man though has now become a grassroots hero, the voice of the Nuer people, a prominent figure in the fight for cultural independence in South Sudan, affectionately known as the “King of Music.”
Unity is Gordon’s first album since coming to Australia. It is his only recorded output in the painstakingly long six years of living as an asylum seeker, and the album was completed just weeks before Gordon was awarded his permanent residency. In late 2019, Gordon began a series of collaborations with musicians from around Australia, in search of a new sound that would be suited to his adopted home. He now proudly calls himself an “Australian,” a term which so many from around the world have come to know as their own. Through his recordings, Gordon hopes to reach as many new listeners as he can around the world. He wants everyone to hear his message – on the radio, in clubs, at festivals, on the street.
And what is this message? Unity. Peace between all people of the world, regardless of religion or cultural differences. A painfully first-hand experience of what these rifts can create between people has led Gordon to devote his life, and his music, to a simple message of peace, love and unity. Love each other, and love yourself. It’s not so hard!
Legendary South Sudanese pop star and 2019’s BIGSOUND Levi’s Prize winner Gordon Koang announces his eleventh album, Unity, out August 14th on Music in Exile / Light in the Attic, and presents its lead single/video, “Tiel e Nei Nywal Ke Ran (We Don’t Have a Problem With Anyone).” Unity is Gordon’s first album since coming to Australia in 2013. It is his only recorded output in the painstakingly long six years of living as an asylum seeker, and the album was completed just weeks before Gordon was awarded his permanent residency. He could have had no way of knowing the immanence of this reward, and yet there is no frustration in the songs, no impatience or anger – only Gordon’s unending positivity, his love of all people and of the world he has never seen. With a beaming smile that is unfettered by his blindness, a condition he has lived with since birth, Gordon is a fountain of warmth and joy, immediately accepting of any stranger who finds themself in his presence.
Following previously released “Mal Mi Goa (Ginoli Remix)” “Tiel e Nei Nywal Ke Ran (We Don’t Have a Problem With Anyone)” is a jubilant blend of Gordon’s signature thom (an East African stringed instrument that he has modified to suit his unique style of playing), light percussion, and Gordon’s jubilant vocals. “We don’t have a problem with anyone! Music is the friend of everyone in the world,” says Koang. “We are doing it with happiness, we love people, we love our audience and we know our audience loves us.”
Directed by Nick McKinlay (Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Julia Jacklin, Stella Donnelly), the video features footage from the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens and from Gordon’s home in Frankston. Warm and joyful, the clip visually captures the sentiments that are so clearly heard in Gordon’s music. “I had never met Gordon, but was familiar with his colourful live shows and friendly, matter-of-fact demeanour,” says McKinlay. “Joe and I met both Gordon and Paul at their place, an old motel turned apartments in Frankston, where we started to play in the shared garden. Before too long, there were several people watching and clapping as they finished performing. Watching these two play in public, two instruments that not many people had seen before was a pretty gleeful watch.”
Unity was recorded by Stefan Blair and James Mannix in various parts of Melbourne over the course of 2019. With Unity, Gordon hopes to reach as many new listeners as he can in his adopted country, and around the world. He wants everyone, and he means everyone, to hear his message of peace and unity, regardless of religion or cultural differences. After a painfully first-hand experience of what these rifts between people can create, Gordon has devoted his life, and his music, to a simple message of peace, love and unity.
Gordon began playing music from an early age, busking on the streets of Juba. Crowds would gather to hear his music, predominantly gospel hymns or extended, historical pieces charting the history of the Nuer people and their heroes. Accompanied by his cousin and lifelong companion Paul Biel, Gordon began self-producing tapes and CD’s, which were sold on the street and changed hands between communities. His music went viral, spreading throughout the country, and his reputation quickly grew as the poet and homegrown hero of the Nuer people, sometimes called the “Michael Jackson of South Sudan.”
In 2013, while Koang was performing to expatriate Nuer communities in Australia, renewed conflict broke out at home. He made a difficult and heartbreaking decision to not return to Sudan, applying to the Australian government for humanitarian protection. After six long years of waiting, living in a foreign country far away from his family, he now proudly calls himself an “Australian,” and eagerly awaits the day he will rejoin his wife and children in safety.
There have been changes at home over those six years. Gordon’s wife and children no longer live in a refugee camp, but have moved to a slightly safer, roofed building in a nearby city, aided by Gordon’s income from performing in Australia. Income from every gig, every club show or festival appearance, has been mailed home. He has a daughter now, five years old, whom he has never met. And the application process has begun for both families to come to Australia; hope has not been lost. As Gordon sings on the closing track of the album, “I am in a very far place, in Australia, and you are there. You are there and we are here. There will be a time when we are together. Even though we are here in a very far place, you are there together with our children, we are alone without you. We will not lose you and you will not lose us. We will meet again in a future time!”
Unity Tracklist 1.Asylum Seeker 2. Stand Up (Clap Your Hands) 3. Kone Ke Ran 4. South Sudan 5. Mal Mi Goa 6. Y Dah 7. Tiel E Nei Nywaki Ke Ran 8. Te Ke Mi Thile Ji Kuoth Nhial
Keep your mind open.
[I don’t have a problem if you don’t subscribe, really, but it would be nice of you.]
Legendary South Sudanese pop star and 2019’s BIGSOUND Levi’s Prize winner Gordon Koang releases a new track/ video, “Mal Mi Goa (Ginoli Remix).” As remixed by Ginoli (moniker of James Ireland, Perth-based producer and drummer of Pond), is an eclectic mix of Koang’s joyful voice, thom (an East African stringed instrument that Gordon has modified to suit his unique style of playing), and danceable, swelling synth. It marks the first release from Music In Exile REMIXED EP, out June 5th, part of a series of collaborations between producers from Australia’s burgeoning electronic scene and artists from a refugee and migrant background.
Gordon Koang was born blind and began playing music from an early age, busking on the streets of Juba and producing his own self-released CD-R’s and cassettes. He became a crowd favourite and began recording a series of singles and music videos celebrating South Sudan’s cultural wealth. His music went viral, spreading throughout the country, and his reputation quickly grew as the poet and homegrown hero of the Nuer people, sometimes called the “Michael Jackson of South Sudan.”
In 2013, while Koang was performing to expatriate Nuer communities in Australia, renewed conflict broke out at home. He made a difficult and heartbreaking decision to not return to Sudan, applying to the Australian government for humanitarian protection. After six long years of waiting, living in a foreign country far away from his family, he now proudly calls himself an “Australian,” and eagerly awaits the day he will rejoin his wife and children in safety.
With “Mal Mia Goa (Ginoli Remix),” Gordon hopes to reach as many new listeners as he can in his adopted country, and around the world. He wants everyone, and he means everyone, to hear his message of peace and unity, regardless of religion or cultural differences. After a painfully first-hand experience of what these rifts between people can create, Gordon has devoted his life, and his music, to a simple message of peace, love and unity.
