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Bopol
Bopol Mansiamina (26 July 1949 – 7 November 2021), also known as Bopol or Don Paolo, was a prolific and renowned Congolese musician (bass player, guitar player most commonly as a rhythm guitarist, vocalist, composer, and producer). He recorded and performed extensively over four decades as a solo artist, as a member of leading African bands, and in support of many African musicians. Bopol was best known for his work in the 1980s and early 1990s as one of the four members of the Paris-based supergroup Les Quatre Etoiles (the 4 Stars) and as a solo artist. Career and history Early life Mansiamina was born 26 July 1949, in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo) as Paul Mansiamina Mfoko (or M'Foko Mansiamina). 1969 to c.1980: Zaire, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo From 1969 to 1978 Bopol was based in Zaire and played in a series of bands. He joined many of the leading Congolese musicians of the past and next generations. After that time, he moved to West Africa for ...
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Syran Mbenza
Syran Mbenza (or M’Benza) (b. May 31, 1950) is a guitarist, originally from the Congo, who has lived in Paris since about 1981. He has recorded and performed prolifically over five decades, including as a solo artist; as one of the four members of the popular soukous "supergroup" Les Quatre Étoiles; as a founding member of the acoustic, Congolese rumba revival band Kékélé; in other bands; and in support of numerous artists. He has been described as one of the greatest guitar players of Africa. Career/History Early years: Congo/Zaire (1950 to early 1970s) Mingiedi "Syran" Mbenza was born on May 31, 1950, in a family of six, in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa), in what was then the Belgian Congo (and was later the Republic of the Congo, then Zaire, and is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Mbenza began to play guitar at about age 11. He grew up hearing the music of Franco, and taught himself to play guitar in Franco's style. He played in a number of local bands, and lear ...
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Wuta Mayi
Gaspard Wuta Mayi, commonly known as Wuta Mayi, is a Congolese rumba and soukous vocalist and composer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). From 1974 to 1982, he was a member of the band TPOK Jazz, led by Franco (François Luambo Makiadi), which dominated the Congolese music scene from the 1960s through the 1980s. Since leaving TPOK Jazz he has recorded and performed as a solo artist, in addition to being one of the four members of the "supergroup" Les Quatre Etoiles (The Four Stars), and subsequently a member of Kékélé. Background Wuta Mayi was born on 9 August 1949 at Leopold General Hospital in then Leopoldville, now Kinshasa, the capital of, and largest city in, what was then the Belgian Congo, was later (among other names) Zaire, and is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This singer has been known by a variety of names; one source notes that "Gaspard Wuta Mayi is also known as Gaspard Wuta, Paschal Gaspard Mayi, Wuta Mayandi Yundula and Blaise Pa ...
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Les Quatre Étoiles
Les Quatre Etoiles was a Congolese musical group active from 1982 to 1996. They played the Soukous style of dance music, which gained widespread popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. The members were Paris-based musicians Bopol Mansiamina (bass and rhythm guitar), Wuta Mayi (vocals), Syran Mbenza (lead guitar) and Nyboma (vocals). It was commonly called a "supergroup," since each of the four members of Les Quatre Etoiles had long established individual musical careers before joining forces. Band history The band was formed in Paris in 1982, upon a request to Syran Mbenza from David Ouattara Moumouni, who produced their first album and released it on his Afro-Rythmes label, although they did not adopt Quatre Etoiles as the band's name until a year and a half later, when they recorded their second album in late 1983. The first album was recorded in late December 1982, and included one song by each of the four musicians. When the group formed, each of its four members was a well-kno ...
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Nyboma
Nyboma Mwan'dido (or Muan'dido), often simply Nyboma (b. 1952), a prominent Congolese soukous tenor vocalist, has been over a fifty-year span a leading member of several outstanding bands, including Orchestre Lipua Lipua, Orchestre Kamale, Les Quatre Étoiles, and Kékélé, in addition to performing and recording as a solo artist. He is widely recognized as one of the best singers in Congolese music. Biography 1952-1970: Early years and first bands: Baby National and Negro Succès Nyboma was born on 24 December 1952 in Nioki, a river town 200 km northeast of the capital of what at the time was the Belgian Congo, later the Republic of the Congo and Zaire, and is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. He learned to sing as a child in Nioki, in the church choir. He sang in the school chorus when his family moved to Kinshasa while he was still in primary school. Early bands that Nyboma joined were l'Orchestre Baby National and Orchestre Negro Succès, although sources differ ...
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Nyboma Mwan'dido
Nyboma Mwan'dido (or Muan'dido), often simply Nyboma (b. 1952), a prominent Congolese soukous tenor vocalist, has been over a fifty-year span a leading member of several outstanding bands, including Orchestre Lipua Lipua, Orchestre Kamale, Les Quatre Étoiles, and Kékélé, in addition to performing and recording as a solo artist. He is widely recognized as one of the best singers in Congolese music. Biography 1952-1970: Early years and first bands: Baby National and Negro Succès Nyboma was born on 24 December 1952 in Nioki, a river town 200 km northeast of the capital of what at the time was the Belgian Congo, later the Republic of the Congo and Zaire, and is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. He learned to sing as a child in Nioki, in the church choir. He sang in the school chorus when his family moved to Kinshasa while he was still in primary school. Early bands that Nyboma joined were l'Orchestre Baby National and Orchestre Negro Succès, although sources differ ...
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Josky
Joseph Kiambukuta Londa, known as Josky Kiambukuta, (14 February 1949 – 7 March 2021) was a Congolese performing artist, singer, songwriter and composer. As a member of TPOK Jazz he played alongside Franco during their most popular period in the mid-1960s until the late 1980s. Early life Joseph Kiambukuta Londa was born in Gombe-Matadi on Valentine's Day of 1949, to Bernard Bakiansuni and Albertine Londa. Musical career Early musical career Kiambukuta joined Dr. Nico's group, African Fiesta Sukisa in 1969. During his stay in the band, he recorded one of his first hits, "Sadi Naboyi Masumu". Two years later, in 1971, he leaves to form his band Orchestre Continental with other young musicians including Wuta Mayi and Bopol Mansiamina. He recorded and composed another hit, “Nakobondela”, during his time with the band. TPOK Jazz Kiambukuta joined TPOK Jazz in 1973. Kiambukuta is known for his range of voice, from very high notes to deep bass, as the need arises. He ...
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Ricardo Lemvo
Ricardo Lemvo (born September 3, 1957) is a singer of Angolan descent who lives in Los Angeles, California. His music is a blend of African soukous, kizomba, samba and Cuban salsa. Early years and family Lemvo was born in Kimpese, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and as a boy he lived in Kinshasa.Siddhartha Mitter"Congolese singer Ricardo Lemvo bridges styles, cultures"''Boston Globe'' (September 12, 2015). His family is Angolan, from M'banza-Kongo in the northern part of Angola. His grandfather, João Mantantu Dundulu N'lemvo, was a Baptist pastor who worked with British missionaries in the 1880s, and was the first Angolan to translate the English-language Bible into Kikongo. Although Lemvo grew up in the D.R.C. and later in the United States, he said in an interview that Angolan is foremost among his three nationalities: (translated) "I am the product of these three countries, but I feel Angolan on top of everything, because it is in this country that my roots are located, i ...
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Rock-a-Mambo
Orchestre Rock-a-Mambo was an African jazz band from Brazzaville of the 1950s. It was a studio band of the Esengo music studio.Rumba on the River: A History of the Popular Music of the Two Congos By Gary StewartChapter 5: "A Change in Mentality"/ref> It was reconstituted in 1963 under former member Philippe "Rossignol" Lando. This version, which lasted until the 1970s, was a launching pad for young musicians including Bopol, Wuta Mayi, Camille "Checain" Lola, and Henriette Borauzima. The band often merged with the musicians from the African Jazz band and sometimes produced recordings under the title ""African Rock". The band name is a pun with the Kongolese word ''rocamambu'' "the one who looks for problems". In a Kongolese folk tale, Rocamambu is a kind of prodigal son The Parable of the Prodigal Son (also known as the parable of the Two Brothers, Lost Son, Loving Father, or of the Forgiving Father) is one of the parables of Jesus Christ in the Bible, appearing in Luke ...
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Félix Manuaku Waku
Pépé Felly Manuaku, also known as Pépé Fely (or Felly) is a Congolese Rumba guitarist, songwriter, producer, arranger, Bandleader and lyricist from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He has been described as the foremost Congolese solo guitarist of his generation. He is a founding member of the iconic groups Zaïko Langa Langa, Les Ya Toupas and Grand Zaïko Wawa. His style of guitar is the last style officially credited as a "School" or Genre of guitar following the styles "Fiesta" created by "Le Docteur" Nico Kassanda and "Odemba" created by "Le Sorcier" Franco Luambo Makiadi. He is credited with establishing the guitar as the lead instrument in contemporary Congolese music introducing Synthesiser, Bouzouki, Advanced Guitar effect pedal techniques, new arrangement and recording techniques. Pepe Felly Manuaku is a Congolese Rumba Guitarist from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was born in the mountain region of Zoma in what is now Angola. Zoma is known as a royal village ...
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Sam Mangwana
Sam, SAM or variants may refer to: Places * Sam, Benin * Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso * Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso * Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso * Sam, Iran * Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place People and fictional characters * Sam (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Sam (surname), a list of people with the surname ** Cen (surname) (岑), romanized "Sam" in Cantonese ** Shen (surname) (沈), often romanized "Sam" in Cantonese and other languages Religious or legendary figures * Sam (Book of Mormon), elder brother of Nephi * Sām, a Persian mythical folk hero * Sam Ziwa, an uthra (angel or celestial being) in Mandaeism Animals * Sam (army dog) (died 2000) * Sam (horse) (b 1815), British Thoroughbred * Sam (koala) (died 2009), rescued after 2009 bush fires in Victoria, Australia * Sam (orangutan), in the movie ''Dunston Checks In'' * Sam (ugly dog) (1990–2005), voted the world's ugliest dog i ...
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Kinshasa
Kinshasa (; ; ln, Kinsásá), formerly Léopoldville ( nl, Leopoldstad), is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once a site of fishing and trading villages situated along the Congo River, Kinshasa is now one of the world's fastest growing megacities. The city of Kinshasa is also one of the DRC's 26 provinces. Because the administrative boundaries of the city-province cover a vast area, over 90 percent of the city-province's land is rural in nature, and the urban area occupies a small but expanding section on the western side. Kinshasa is Africa's third-largest metropolitan area after Cairo and Lagos. It is also the world's largest nominally Francophone urban area, with French being the language of government, education, media, public services and high-end commerce in the city, while Lingala is used as a ''lingua franca'' in the street. Kinshasa hosted the 14th Francophonie Summit in October 2012. Residents of Kinshasa are known as ''Kinoi ...
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