Originally from Pointe Noire in Congo, Albert Siassia came to Paris in the early 80s as part of the Ballet National du Congo and joined forces with a young French reggae group called Dread Lion – a band he re-christened “Tokobina” (Lingala for “let’s dance”). Keen to broaden their audience the group played a mixture of reggae, rumba, disco and new wave styles, often using drum machines and synths.Â