Rocstrong is the stage name of Congo-born Dublin musician André Bangala, who put himself at the forefront of the Irish music scene with his particular blend of hip-hop, electro pop, and funk. Encouraged by his father, Bangala started making music from a very young age, drawing inspiration from the likes of James Brown, Madonna, and Prince. In 2014, he got his first taste of success with the infectious single “Go Head,” which earned him a Big Break Award from Hot Press and would later be featured as the theme song for the Coen Brothers’ Hail Caesar (2016). He followed up with SOWYG (2016), his critically-acclaimed debut EP, garnering rave reviews from renowned media outlets and tastemaker blogs such as NME, Nialler9, and BBC Radio Ulster. Preceded by the hit single “Ching Ching Ching,” the socially-conscious All on Black (2018) delivered on the promise of its predecessor, further expanding Bangala’s eclectic sound palette and offering an incisive comment on wealth inequality. Featuring production by Marcin Ciszczon and Keith O’Reilly, the EP put Rocstrong one step closer to the mainstream and cemented his reputation as one of the most innovative artists in the Irish music panorama.
