By Christa T. for Accordion Americana Sometimes a song begins slowly. It trips, then tumbles, and then gradually begins to spin, climb and pick up speed. Finally, it ascends and roars across the airwaves. Such is the song, “Come With Me Now” on its path to becoming the best selling pop song of all time that features a strong accordion presence. By using the piano accordion in the enormously successful song, it represents a genuine breakthrough, heightening all expectations for the instrument in current American Pop music.
Written and performed by KONGOS, an Arizona based band of four brothers, each a musician with his own unique perspective. The name of the band, KONGOS, their surname, is of Greek origin and is always presented in upper case letters. The sons of an American mother and South African father, Johnny, Jesse, and Daniel Kongos were born in Johannesburg, South Africa as American citizens. They were transplanted to Arizona from London at early ages after Dylan, the youngest, was born while the family resided in London. They grew up in the Valley, graduated from Scottsdale’s Chapparal High School and attended Arizona State University. Their father, John Kongos, was a singing star in South Africa in the nineteen sixties and seventies. He made certain that his sons were exposed to a wide variety of music styles and genres during their childhood. It was inevitable that the Kongos brothers would learn to feel completely comfortable in their own multi-cultural musical landscape where their talent and band could evolve with the help of their very supportive family atmosphere and their own recording studio.
