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Soukous
Soukous (from French '' secousse'', "shock, jolt, jerk") is a genre of dance music from Congo-Kinshasa and Congo-Brazzaville. It derived from Congolese rumba in the 1960s, becoming known for its fast dance rhythms and intricate guitar improvisation, and gained popularity in the 1980s in France. Although often used by journalists as a synonym for Congolese rumba, both the music and dance associated with soukous differ from more traditional rumba, especially in its higher tempo and longer dance sequences. Notable performers of the genre include Franco Luambo and his band TPOK Jazz, Papa Wemba, Sam Mangwana, Tabu Ley Rochereau, and Pépé Kallé. History 1960s In the 1950s and 1960s, artists began altering the popular dance style of Congolese rumba to have faster rhythms and more prominent guitar improvisation, as well as more pronounced African elements. Guitarist and bandleader Franco Luambo is credited with pioneering the genre alongside his band TPOK Jazz. Tabu Ley Roch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Congolese Rumba
Congolese rumba is a popular genre of dance music that originated in the Congo basin during the 1940s, deriving from Cuban son. The style gained popularity throughout Africa during the 1960s and 1970s. It is known as Lingala in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania after the Lingala language of the lyrics in the majority of the songs. In Zambia and Zimbabwe, where Congolese music is also influential, it is still usually referred to as rumba. It is also an individual dance. In December 2021, Congolese rumba was added to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. History In the 1930s and 1940s, Afro-Cuban son groups, such as Septeto Habanero, Trio Matamoros, and Los Guaracheros de Oriente, were played over Radio Congo Belge in Léopoldville (Kinshasa), gaining widespread popularity in the country during the following decades. Once local bands tried to emulate the sound of Cuban son (incorrectly referred to as "rumba" in Africa, despite being unrelated to Cuban rumba), their music b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tabu Ley Rochereau
Pascal-Emmanuel Sinamoyi Tabu (13 November 1940 – 30 November 2013), better known as Tabu Ley Rochereau, was a leading African rumba singer-songwriter from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was the leader of ''Orchestre Afrisa International'', as well as one of Africa's most influential vocalists and prolific songwriters. Along with guitarist Dr Nico Kasanda, Tabu Ley pioneered soukous (African rumba) and internationalised his music by fusing elements of Congolese folk music with Cuban, Caribbean and Latin American rumba. He has been described as "the Congolese personality who, along with Mobutu, marked Africa's 20th century history." He was dubbed "the African Elvis" by the ''Los Angeles Times''. After the fall of the Mobutu regime, Tabu Ley also pursued a political career. His musical career ran parallel to the other great Congolese rhumba bandleader and rival Franco Luambo Makiadi who ran the band TPOK Jazz throughout the 1960s, 1970s and '80s. During his career, Tabu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Koffi Olomide
Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba (13 July 1956), known professionally as Koffi Olomidé, is a Congolese Soukus singer, dancer, producer, and composer. He has had several gold records in his career. He is the founder of the Quartier Latin International orchestra with many notable artists, including Fally Ipupa and Ferré Gola. Background Olomide was born on 13 July 1956 in Kisangani, DRC. His mother named him Koffi because he was born on Friday. He grew up in a middle-class family, without any musical background. During his youth, Olomide improvised by singing popular songs with his own lyrics and altered rhythms until a neighbor taught him how to play the guitar. Education Often described by fellow students and his teachers alike as "a very bright student," Olomide earned a scholarship to study in Bordeaux, France where he obtained a bachelor's degree in business economics. He is also reported to hold a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Paris. Musical career U ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pépé Kallé
Pépé Kallé, sometimes written as Pepe Kalle (November 30, 1951 – November 29, 1998) was a Congolese soukous singer, musician and bandleader. Biography Pépé Kallé was born Kabasele Yampanya in Kinshasa (then Léopoldville) in the Belgian Congo, but later assumed his pseudonym in hommage to his mentor, Le Grand Kallé. With a multi-octave vocal range and a dynamic stage presence, the and vocalist recorded more than three hundred songs and twenty albums during his two-decade-long career. Known affectionately as "the elephant of African music" and "La Bombe Atomique," Kallé entertained audiences with his robust performances. The guitarist was Solomon. Musical career His musical career started with l'African Jazz, the band of Le Grand Kallé. He later performed in Bella Bella and became the lead singer of Lipua Lipua, where he sang alongside Nyboma Mwandido. In 1972, Kallé along with Dilu Dilumona and Papy Tex, left Lipua Lipua to form their own band named Empir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Papa Wemba
Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba (14 June 1949 – 24 April 2016), known professionally as Papa Wemba (), was a Congolese singer and musician who played Congolese rumba, soukous, and ndombolo. Dubbed the "King of Rumba Rock", he was one of the most popular musicians of his time in Africa and played an important role in world music. He was also a fashion icon who popularized the Sape look and style through his musical group Viva la Musica, with whom he performed on stages throughout the world.Margalit Fox (25 April 2016). Musical history Papa Wemba's road to fame and prominence began when he joined the music group Zaiko Langa Langa in the late 1960s. This was followed by his success as a founding member both of Isifi Lokole and then Yoka Lokole,"Both groups used the lokole, a hollow tree trunk played with two sticks, as a rhythmic foundation" along with a short stint as a member of Afrisa International for a few months. During these early stages of his career, he was estab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Afrika Mokili Mobimba
''African Jazz Mokili Mobimba'' (often referred to as ''Africa Mokili Mobimba'' or ''Afrika Mokili Mobimba'') was a popular song written in the Congolese rumba style by Mwamba Mongala and performed by Joseph Kabasele's band, African Jazz. History Beginning in June 1961, the popular Congolese band African Jazz —led by Joseph Kabasele— made a series of recordings in Brussels, Belgium. One of their new songs was "''African Jazz Mokili Mobimba''" (meaning "African Jazz all over the world"), written by guitarist Mwamba "Déchaud" Mongala in the Congolese rumba style. It was released later that year. It was a pastiche of two Latin American songs. The lyrics caution against excessive travel abroad. The song also references all of the performing musicians as well as several Congolese cities and African countries (a common way of expressing praise at the time). At just over five minutes in length, it was one of the first African recordings to make use of the larger 45 rpm records ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Franco Luambo
François Luambo Luanzo Makiadi (6 July 1938 – 12 October 1989) was a Congolese musician. He was a major figure in 20th-century Congolese music, and African music in general, principally as the leader for over 30 years of TPOK Jazz, the most popular and significant African band of its time. He is referred to as Franco Luambo or simply Franco. Known for his mastery of African Rumba, he was nicknamed by fans and critics "Sorcerer of the Guitar" and the "Grand Maître of Zairean Music", as well as Franco de Mi Amor by female fans. His most known hit, "Mario", sold more than 200,000 copies and was certified gold. Early life Born July 6, 1938 in his mother's hometown of in what was then the Belgian Congo, he grew up in the capital city, Léopoldville (now Kinshasa). When his father, a railroad worker, died in 1949, he ended his formal education at age 10 or 11 and helped his mother by playing a homemade guitar, harmonica and other instruments to attract customers to her market ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kwassa Kwassa
Kwassa kwassa (or kwasa kwasa) is a dance created by Jeanora, a mechanic in Kinshasa from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that started in the 1980s, where the hips move back and forth while the hands move to follow the hips. It was very popular in Africa. The dance was popularized by soukous music videos, as well as the videos of Kanda Bongo Man, Pepe Kalle, Viva La Musica, and other Congolese musicians. For the first time in Congo, all the groups adopted these dance steps. This had not happened before because bands preferred to have their own specific dance. Etymology According to Jeanora, the words ''kwassa kwassa'' comes from the Kikongo language, meaning "I'm working".Jeanora teaching how to dance "Kwassa kwassa", with Zaïko Langa Langa's Nippon Banzai as background music. Origins In 1986, the neighborhoods of Kinshasa were contested by leading Soukous artists and groups such as Zaïko Langa Langa, Papa Wemba and Viva La Musica, King Kester Emeneya and many others. A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tshala Muana
Élisabeth Tshala Muana Muidikay (13 March 1958 – 10 December 2022), known professionally as Tshala Muana, was a singer and dancer from Congo-Kinshasa. Considered the "Queen of Mutuashi", a traditional dance music from her native Kasai region, she is often called "Mamu National”. Muana started her artistic career as a dancer for the musical band ''Tsheke Tsheke Love'' in 1977 before turning to singing. She is famous for several songs such as "Karibu Yangu". She toured widely overseas, won several awards on the national, continental and global scene and recorded over 20 albums. Her music has appeared in the soundtrack of the popular 1987 Congolese musical film ''La Vie est Belle'' and ''Aya of Yop City'' . Biography Tshala Muana was born on 13 March 1958, in Lubumbashi, then part of the Belgian Congo, now the Democratic Republic of Congo. She was the second of ten children of Amadeus Muidikayi, a soldier, and Alphonsine Bambiwa Tumba, a housewife. In 1964, when Muana Mu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
TPOK Jazz
OK Jazz, later renamed TPOK Jazz (short for ''Tout Puissant Orchestre Kinois de Jazz''), was a Congolese rumba band from the Democratic Republic of the Congo established in 1956 and fronted by Franco. The group disbanded in 1993, but reformed in 1996. Location The OK Jazz band was formed in 1956 in Léopoldville (now Kinshasa), in what was at the time the Belgian Congo (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). At one time in the late 1970s and early 1980s the band grew to more than fifty members. During that period, it often split into two groups; one group stayed in Kinshasa, playing in nightclubs there, while the other group toured in Africa, Europe and North America. History 1950–1959 The musicians who started OK Jazz included Vicky Longomba, Jean Serge Essous, François Luambo Makiadi, De La Lune, Augustin Moniania Roitelet, La Monta LiBerlin, Saturnin Pandi, Nicolas Bosuma Bakili Dessoin and vocalist Philippe Lando Rossignol. They used to play at Loningisa Studi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Folk Music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted orally, music with unknown composers, music that is played on traditional instruments, music about cultural or national identity, music that changes between generations (folk process), music associated with a people's folklore, or music performed by custom over a long period of time. It has been contrasted with commercial and classical styles. The term originated in the 19th century, but folk music extends beyond that. Starting in the mid-20th century, a new form of popular folk music evolved from traditional folk music. This process and period is called the (second) folk revival and reached a zenith in the 1960s. This form of music is sometimes called contemporary folk music or folk rev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
