Petite Noir

The project of Yannick Ilunga, Petite Noir's blend of bold African musical traditions and moody post-punk is the prime example of Noirwave, the musical and cultural movement created by the Congolese singer/songwriter/producer. Ilunga refined Noirwave's exploration of Africa's past and future with the ambitious mix of electronics, rock, polyrhythms, and brass of 2015's La Vie Est Belle and 2018's vibrant La Maison Noir/The Black House EP, which added elements of rap -- and features by Danny Brown and Saul Williams -- to his music seamlessly. On 2023's reflective MotherFather, Ilunga brought an intimacy to Petite Noir 's music that highlighted its searching, spiritual qualities.