KokuGonza is one of the artists ushering in the “Neo Soul-World Music” movement with the release of her highly anticipated third CD, Radiozophrenic. Radiozophrenic encompass her schizophrenic passion for genre blending and musical variety. Audiences can expect to hear elements of American Neo-Soul/R&B, Pop and the global vibes of East Africa from KokuGonza. The eclectic style of KokuGonza’s music stems from her parents.
Her father Longfellow Mugarula from Bukoba,Tanzania was a folk singer/songwriter and guitar player. Her mother a Jazz and Gospel artist from South Carolina played the flute, keyboard and saxophone. Her parents recognized her interest in music and enrolled her in piano lessons at an early age. After studying piano, she learned guitar her last year in college at Indiana University. Within a few months of lessons, guitar became her first love.
She and her first love relocated to Chicago after college and began recording her EP Confessions of A Songwriter released in 2009. In the spring of 2010 she released her second self produced EP Play Ground. Since the release of her first EP, KokuGonza has shared the stage with soulful heavy weight artist such as the “Jazz-Funk Fusion” legend Roy Ayers, the “Millennium Bluesman” Anthony David and the elegant “Soulful-Siren” Yahzarah.
KokuGonza’s music is parallel to the translation of her Kihaya name, which means lovely. She applies love, soul and passion into the ingredients of her genre defiant pallet on her first full- length album, Radiozophrenic. “Radiozophrenic” is her current release.