Kongas are notable for launching the career of French disco producer extraordinaire Jean-Marc Cerrone, who served as a percussionist in their early years. Playing a fusion of guitar-oriented, progressive-minded rock and polyrhythmic, Fela Kuti-style Afro-funk, Kongas took up residency at the ~Papagayo club in the French Riviera town of St. Tropez in the early '70s. French producer Eddie Barclay signed the group to his Barclay label, where they scored a minor hit single with "Boom," and toured Europe, Japan, and Africa. They released a debut album, Afro Rock, in 1974; however, musical differences led to Cerrone's departure for a highly successful solo career as a disco performer and producer, leaving writer/producer Alec Costandinos as Kongas' guiding influence. Cerrone returned in 1977 to produce the group's second album, Africanism, which featured a side-long medley of the title track and the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'." 1978 brought the release of a 12" single on the New York-based disco label Salsoul, which featured "Anikana-O" and "Kongas Fun," their two best-known and most-compiled tracks.
