Meet the Congo Cowboys
Apple TV+ · My Kind of Country
Watch on YouTube ↗The story behind African Cowboy
HOW THE CONGO
FOUND THE COUNTRY.
And made it dance.
01 · The name
A hat.
A stance.
A sense of possibility.
The band traces its name to the “Bills” of 1950s Léopoldville, now Kinshasa: young men who borrowed the look of cowboys from Western films.
In the story the Cowboys tell, hats and boots became a way to stand tall in a city shaped by colonial rule. The borrowed image took on a local meaning: self-confidence, belonging and the freedom to imagine yourself differently.
That meeting of places is still there in the band’s name. The music carries it forward through country songs, Congolese rhythms and a distinctly Cape Town encounter.
02 · The sound
Americana takes
another road.
Banjo lines, old-time songs, blues and country meet soukous guitar and kwassa kwassa. Lingala vocals give familiar forms another colour; rhythms shift the way a song feels under your feet.
The group grew through musical friendships around Freshlyground. Simon, Julio and Chris brought their shared experience into a band with its own character, joined in the current quartet by drummer Anthon Manuel.
The result is a conversation between traditions, made direct and physical on stage. You can hear the different roots — and dance to the new thing they make together.
Apple TV+ · My Kind of Country
Meet the Congo Cowboys.
A closer introduction to the band,
in their own voices.
The band featured in the country-music series associated with Reese Witherspoon. Video loads from YouTube when you press play.
03 · Meet the band
Four musicians.
One shared groove.
Lead vocals · Guitar
Chris Bakalanga
A Congolese voice at the centre of the band. Chris brings Lingala vocals and soukous guitar into conversation with country and blues, giving familiar songs a different character.
Bass · Vocals
Julio Sigauque
The rolling low end that holds the music together. Julio anchors the band’s interlocking parts with bass and vocals, giving the songs their grounded, danceable pulse.
Drums · Percussion
Anthon Manuel
The rhythmic drive of the current quartet. Anthon’s drums and percussion keep the exchange between country swing and African dance rhythms moving.
Banjo · Flute
Simon Attwell
The banjo is one of the band’s defining voices. Simon’s playing brings a bright, agile thread through the arrangements, with flute adding another colour to the quartet.
04 · On European stages
A connection built
concert by concert.
By 2023, the Cowboys were already reaching European festival audiences — from Zwarte Cross in the Netherlands to the main stage at Nuremberg’s Bardentreffen.
That summer also took them to Folkové prázdniny in Náměšť nad Oslavou and the Jazztage in Lichtensteig. Club and concert appearances have included the Spiegelzelt in Staufen, Munich’s Muffatwerk and Music Hall Worpswede.
The 2026 tour continued through Switzerland, France, Germany, the UK and Belgium. Festivals, clubs and an open-air programme at the Opéra de Lyon brought different audiences into the same spirited musical world.
Follow the 2026 European journey ↗From Cape Town to the next stage
Country at heart.
Congo in the rhythm.
The next record is being developed with JB Arthur. Meanwhile, the live encounter remains at the centre: four musicians, songs with a history and a crowd invited to make a new memory.
Hear the Cowboys ↗European & UK booking
Congo Cowboys · Four musicians
Contact GRIOT for dates, routing and production.