Tribute To Barack Obama — By The North America Congolese Community
Who is Koffi Olomide?
Congolese singer Koffi Olomide, is one of Africa’s best-selling artists. After completing a maths degree in Paris, he moved back home to become one of the continent’s most controversial musical figures, clashing with the ruling regime in Zaire (DRC - Democratic Republic of Congo) and finding his music banned for obscenity in Mali.
Antoine Koffi Olomidé (born August 13, 1956), is a soukous singer, producer, and composer. Born in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo to a Congolese mother and a Sierra Leonean father, Koffi grew up in Kinshasa.
While studying in Paris, he began playing the guitar and writing songs. On his return to Congo he was a member of Viva la Musica, Papa Wemba’s band. Koffi re-popularized the slower style of soukous, which had fallen out of fashion.
He dubbed this style Tcha Tcho, and it gained popularity outside Congo. Koffi’s music can be quite controversial, taking on current events and topics considered taboo in some conservative societies. He has also participated in the salsa music project Africando. Koffi has won four Kora Awards in South Africa and also won the best artist in central Africa. He is married and the father of four children.
[Map of DRC-Congo][Enlarge] Koffi Olomide, also known by a plethora of other names such as Large Degaire, Akram Bourge, Gralibane Maji, Le Grande Mopao, Le Shakespeare Du Zaire, Nkolo Lupemba, Mokonzi etc., is arguably the most talented African singer, producer and composer of the 1990s..
He has dominated music charts across the continent and abroad with a combination of his deep baritone voice, sophisticated arrangements, blending old school rumba and smooth keyboard melodies as well as a searing guitar climax.
His compositions are classy and appeal to a wide spectrum of fans worldwide.
His songs delve deep into a wide variety of topics including love, politics, technology and even religion. In each song he discusses his feelings about such diverse topics while expressing confused feelings about mythical beasts and dream like fantasies.
Names of famous people like Bill Gates, Silvio Berlusconi, Saddam Hussein and even George Weah are mentioned.
Indeed He himself said you have to understand the words to fully appreciate his songs. More so, he has a keen sense of fashion and extensive sapeur wardrobe as well as a personality to match….[ read more here ]
The leading singer of “Mutuashi,” the Afro-Cuban-influenced dance music of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tshala Muana is known for her sensuous stage outfits and extremely sexy dancing. The Baluba folk music tradition has also played an important role in the development of Muana’s sound. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide
TSHALA MUANA: A Musical and Political Biography From the Democratic Republic of Congo
Very few Congolese artists have made it from Le Belle Epoche to the present day Congolese music scene with their fan base still intact while also picking up new fans along the way.
Many have passed away, while others simply lost their popularity over the years as the music of the Congo continued to go through changes. Tshala Muana is one such artist who has stood the test of time. Not only has Tshala Muana wowed audiences for years with her music she has been a advocate for political and social change in the Congo and has even had to flea the country because of her views and political work.
She was born Elizabeth Tshala Muana on March 13, 1958, in the Kasai section of the Congo the 2nd of 10 children. As a child she was very much into dance and the music of her native Kasai. Once she completed secondary school her love for music and dance grew and she dreamed of bringing the unique sounds of Kananga (her native village) called MUTUASHI to other parts of the Congo and eventually the world….[MORE]
Congolese musicians started playing Cuban songs, mimicking the Spanish lyrics or replacing them with verses in their own languages and composing original songs in Cuban styles.
Records produced in Léopoldville (the Belgian Congo) and Brazzaville (the French Congo) in the 40s and 50s confirm, however, that the early stars of rumba Congo never merely imitated Cuban music. Paul Kamba, Antoine Wendo, Henri Bowane, Kallé Kabasele and other artists of their generation created a new sound.
They called it Rumba but used a variety of rhythms and song structures, some recognizably Latin, some not.
Their melodies followed the tones and accents of Lingala and other local languages instead of Spanish. They favored clarinets or saxophones over flutes and trumpets, and above all they featured guitars.
In Congolese Rumba, guitars—usually in pairs or threes—covered all the parts that the guitar, the trés, the violins and the piano played in Cuban music.
And when innovative guitarists such as Franco, Dr. Nico and Papa Noel took up electric guitars in the mid-’50s, Congolese Rumba further distinguished itself from its Cuban antecedent. Soukous is a offshoot Rumba.
One of my favorite African Musicians - Awilo Longomba is a Congolese musician who was a drummer in Viva la Musica, Stukas, Nouvelle Generation and Loketo. In 1995, he finally quit drumming for singing and released his first album Moto Pamba with help from Shimita, Ballou Canta, Dindo Yogo, Dally Kimoko, Sam Mangwana, Syran Mbenza and Rigo Star.
Awilo Longomba was born in Kinshasa (formally, Léopoldville). His father was from the Mongo region of the Ecuador and his mother was also from the Ecuador region of Ngombe and Congo Brazzaville. His father,Vicky Longomba, was the famous lead singer and founder of “Tout puissant OK Jazz” during the golden age of Congolese rumba, had a big influence on Awilo.
His second CD, Coupe Bibamba (1998) made him known throughout Africa, Europe and America. This was followed by Kafou Kafou (2001) and his most recent album, Mondongo (2004), which features Japponais, Dally Kimoko, Caen Madoka, Djudjuchet, Josky and Simaro Lutumba. He is also credited as an atalaku (animateur) on some soukous records.
Congolese singer Koffi Olomide, is one of Africa’s best-selling artists. After completing a maths degree in Paris, he moved back home to become one of the continent’s most controversial musical figures, clashing with the ruling regime in Zaire (DRC - Democratic Republic of Congo) and finding his music banned for obscenity in Mali.
