Category: DR Congo

Music from Canada/ Congo DR – Pierre Kwenders // World Music

Pierre Kwenders, born in Kinshasa in 1985, now living in Canada, is a singer best known for his modern world music mixed with electro, pop and rumba elements. Listen to his amazing song “Mardi gras”:

Found this here

Music from Congo DR – Lumio

Born as Charles Bofossa, better known by his stage name, Lumino, is a Congolese (DRC) artist/songwriter and Record Producer. His sounds are really wonderful and his wonderful voice fits perfectly to his gospel songs and ballads. Have a listen to “Beyond all”:

Music from Congo DR – Wendo Kolosoy

Antoine Wendo Kolosoy (April 25, 1925 – July 28, 2008), known as Papa Wendo, was a Congolese musician. He was considered the “Father” of Congolese rumba music, a musical style blending rumba, beguine, waltz, tango and cha-cha.

Wendo was born in 1925 in Mushie territory, Mai-Ndombe District of western Congo, then under Belgian colonial rule. His father died when he was seven, and his mother, a singer herself, died shortly thereafter. He was taken to live in an orphanage run by the Society of the Missionaries of Africa, and remained there until he was 12 or 13, expelled when the fathers disapproved of the lyrics of his songs. Wendo began playing guitar and performing at age 11.

Kolosoy became a professional singer almost by chance after having worked also as a boxer, sailor and longshoreman in Congo, Cameroon and Senegal. From 13 Wendo traveled as a worker on the Congo River ferries, and entertained passengers on the long trips. Between 1941 and 1946 he traveled as a sometime professional boxer, as far from home as Dakar, Senegal. Here´s his song “Camille “

Music from Congo DR/France – Gasandji

Gasandji is a congolese alternative, soul and jazz-fusion musician. Listen to her nice piece “Na lingui yo”:

Music from DR Congo – Nico Kasanda

Nico Kasanda, born in 1939 in Belgian Congo, was a pioneer of soukous music. He’s also known as Docteur Nico. In the young age of 14, he started playing in the group ‘Le Grand Kallé et l’African Jazz’ and became an influential guitarist, as a  meeting with Jimi Hendrix shows. He already died in 1985 in Belgium. Listen to his piece “Zadio”:

Music from DR Cogo – Tabu Ley Rochereau

Tabu Ley Rochereau, born in 1940, is a musician from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He’s well known for internationalising his african rumba and soukous music, together with Dr Nico Kasanda. Listen to his nice piece “Mokolo Nakokufa”:

Music from DR Congo – Le Grand Kalle

Joseph Kabasele Tshamala (1930 – 1983), popularly known as Le Grand Kalle, was a Congolese singer and bandleader, considered the father of modern Congolese music. He began his career by founding the seminal African Rumba band Grand Kalle & l’African Jazz, the most popular early band on the scene, whose personnel at various times included guitarist Dr Nico Kasanda, saxophonist Manu Dibango and singers Tabu Ley Rochereau, Sam Mangwana and Pepe Kalle. Here is the song “Independance Cha Cha “

Music from DR Congo – Rochereau

Tabu Ley Rochereau (born 1940) is a musician from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is the leader of Orchestre Afrisa International and one of Africa’s most influential vocalists and prolific songwriters. Along with guitarist Dr Nico Kasanda, Tabu Ley pioneered soukous; he internationalised his music by fusing elements of Congolese folk music with Cuban, Caribbean, and Latin American rumba. Here is the song “Mokolo Nakokufa”

Music from DR Congo – Kaysha

Kaysha, born in Kinshasa 1974, is a pop, R&B and rap musician who immigrated to France. He already won some awards, e.g. the Kora Award for the best African artist in 2000. Here’s his song “Si tu veux de moi”: