A visit to Bongo Joe Records

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Sandwiched between banks and luxury hotels on an island in the Rhône, the Bongo Joe record store is run by an association. But we don't do this place justice with this description. That's why our first question to Cyril is: what exactly is Bongo Joe?

Cyril explains that with his label Bongo Joe, he wanted to create a place for people to come together, a place centered around music. A place where everything revolves around a love of music. So Bongo Joe is a record store, café, meeting place and cultural center all in one.

Bongo Joe was opened almost 10 years ago by Cyril together with a larger collective of DJs, producers and musicians in a former ladies' hairdresser's on Place des Augustins. The new location here at Place de l'Île 1, where they have been based since 2020, is spectacular. On a sunny day, you can sit under the old shady trees on the square and look out over the river. In hot weather, people jump into the Rhône right here. In summer, concerts take place on the cobblestone square. Sitting inside at the turntables, you can see the river flowing by.

It took the efforts of countless people in politics, culture and the music scene to make it possible to create a place like this in the heart of Geneva, as Cyril explains.

The shop is designed to accommodate a range of formats. During the day, the space is a cozy café, where almost all the tables are occupied during our visit. In the evening, the tables are moved aside to make way for the regular concerts and cultural events.

A huge record shelf extends to the ceiling of the room. Bongo Joe is a mecca for music lovers who like to listen to their music on vinyl; there is so much to discover here. There aren't many record stores with such a diverse range of music from around the world as can be found here.

When asked how they put together their record collection, Cyril tells us that it is very important to them to present a wide range of music. In addition to an impressive collection of music from around the world, the shelves are also stocked with electronic music, hip-hop, jazz and much more. Within the various music genres, you can then find the team's personal favorite records.

For Cyril and the Bongo Joe team, there are no limits in music. Their insatiable curiosity leads them to constantly discover new things that they want to share with the world.

Cyril himself is a record collector. Since Bongo Joe opened, however, his own collection has become rather smaller. His main concern is that the music be heard and shared, and not forgotten and left to gather dust in some collection or other. And so, time and again, records from his own collection find their way into new hands via Bongo Joe.

In addition to the meeting place here at Place de l'Île, there is the music label of the same name, Bongo Joe Records, which is under the artistic direction of Cyril. In its almost ten years of existence, the label has made a name for itself as one of the most versatile in Switzerland. Its catalog ranges from Anatolian psychedelic rock to Sega music compilations from the Indian Ocean, experimental post-disco from Geneva, new editions of long-forgotten calypso cassettes from Costa Rica, and much more. The label releases a new record almost every month and has built up an impressive catalog over the years.

We were interested to know how a label goes about finding new projects and how they decide what music to release on Bongo Joe.

Cyril is a musician, and together with the musician of the same name, Cyril Bondi, he is part of the duo Cyril Cyril (who, incidentally, also played at the 50th anniversary of Kitchener). With this project, they regularly tour extensively across the stages of this world. “When you're on the road as much as we are, you keep meeting new musicians and discovering new bands,” Cyril tells us. But they also keep getting approached by people with exciting new projects, he explains. Whether it's through musician friends, customers in the shop or the Bongo Joe mailbox.

When asked how he selects the music that will ultimately be released on the label, he says that it is generally the music that touches him, music in which he feels that the musicians are fully engaged.

The wonderful thing about music is that you can always discover something new. Once you open one door, many more open. There is so much to listen to. And that's exactly what Bongo Joe is: a place to discover new music and share it with each other.

Have we sparked your curiosity? The following links will take you on a journey of discovery through the world of Bongo Joe.

5 Jahr Bongo Joe Compilation Anhören

5 Jahr Bongo Joe Originals Anhören

Carhartt Radio Label Mix Anhören

(EE) Radio) Anhören

Pictures by Raffael Waldner