The Bongo Hop/Kephny Eliacin

Biography

Étienne Sevet, the founder and driving force behind The Bongo Hop, was born in Bordeaux, France, and grew up in a music-loving family. Initially pursuing a degree in political science, he self-taught trumpet without formal training and spent eight years in Cali, Colombia, working as a music journalist, DJ, promoter, and organizer of parties after discovering Pacific coast music while making a documentary on salsa. This period profoundly shaped his sound, blending Colombian folkloric traditions with West African rhythms he encountered through digging records like those of Johnny Bokelo and Amadou Balaké.[1][2][4][5]

Returning to France around 2011, Sevet settled in Lyon, where he formed The Bongo Hop as an Afro-Caribbean band, collaborating with producer Bruno Hovart (Patchworks) to realize his genre-defying vision. Inspired by British producer Quantic (Will Holland) to create his own music, he incorporated influences from travels to Tanzania, Cape Verde, and elsewhere, naming the project after the 'bongo hop' metaphor of hopping between cultures like an octopus on an accidental adventure. His style fuses trumpet-led compositions with Afro-Colombian, Caribbean biguine, semba, and global dance rhythms, resulting in albums like Satingarona Pt 1 (2019) and Pt 2, La Pata Coja, and others featuring multinational vocalists.[1][2][3][4]

The Bongo Hop's legacy lies in its perpetual dance music that bridges diasporic experiences, environmental themes, and immigrant stories, performed by an 8-piece multinational band from Cuba, Cameroon, France, Colombia, Senegal, and Benin. Sevet's journey from journalist to trumpeter-composer exemplifies cultural synthesis, with over 80 shows across Europe and ongoing explorations beyond frontiers.[4][6]

Fun Facts

• Sevet named The Bongo Hop after a metaphor of hopping between places like an octopus on a weed hunt that leads to unexpected discoveries, reflecting his wandering life.
• His laptop was stolen in Cali upon return from a trip, prompting Quantic to lend him one where he first experimented with sampling and beats, birthing his first song.
• Sevet once mixed West African afro beat and cavacha records for surprised salsero friends in Cali, fueling his desire to blend distant musical flavors.
• The band draws from an 8-piece multinational lineup hailing from Cuba, Cameroon, France, Colombia, Senegal, and Benin, based in Lyon.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Will Holland (Quantic) - Inspired Sevet to start composing his own music after suggesting he pursue his ideas independently (Early compositions started in Cali using Quantic's loaned laptop) [Early 2010s]
• Bruno Hovart (Patchworks) - Multi-instrumentalist and producer who helped realize Sevet's band vision (Satingarona albums and general production) [2011 onward]

Key Collaborators

• Nidia Gongora - Frequent vocalist from Colombian folkloric ensemble Canalón de Timbiquí, met in Cali (Ventana, La Carga, Satingarona Pt 1 & 2) [2010s-2020s]
• Kephny Eliacin - Haitian singer featured on tracks about immigrant life (Dekonekte (Satingarona Pt 1), Grenn Pwonmennen (Satingarona Pt 2)) [2019 onward]
• Cindy Pooch - French-Cameroonian chanteuse (Satingarona Pt 2) [2019]

External Links

• Spotify