Bolia Matundu (born 12 July 1992), also known by the initialism BM, is a Congolese-born, British singer-songwriter, dancer, director and record producer. Born in Kinshasa and raised in London, Matundu is considered one of the influential figures in 21st-century ndombolo music.[1][2][3][4]
Matundu rose to prominence with his 2015 hit single "Ebebi" from his eponymous debut studio album, which gained international acclaim and amassed significant viewership on YouTube.[5][6][7] His subsequent hit single "Rosalina" (2018), along with its remix featuring Awilo Longomba released that same year, enjoyed continent-wide success, giving rise to the viral "Rosalina dance challenge" trend that rapidly proliferated across social media platforms and was embraced by various celebrities.[1][3][8]
He attended Carshalton College in Carshalton, England, where he obtained a BTEC National Diploma in Music Technology in 2010. His commitment and enthusiasm were commended by his tutors, particularly his use of Additional Learner Support to strengthen his literacy skills.[10]Your Local Guardian reported that he achieved top marks in his program.[10] While at Carshalton College, BM co-founded the musical group DRT with Sona and Mellie, which signed to a record label and achieved moderate success in the United Kingdom with the electro-rap single "Get Mad Now", released on 17 September 2010.[10][5] The track was later featured in a nationwide Specsavers advertising campaign.[10][5] In 2011, BM was named among South London's top students and received the Best Learner Award, competing against thousands of students from colleges across Croydon, Kingston, Bromley, Richmond, Sutton, and Merton.[10] He received the award at the House of Lords on 18 May 2011. Alongside his studies, he served as a class representative, assisted with music equipment setup for college events, and produced graphic designs for the Music Technology department.[10]
BM later found his footing as a solo artist in the midsummer of 2012, incorporating bright Afro-pop tones in his early single "Lelo Eko Yinda".[5][7] The record, featuring Nigerian singer Sona, earned him the Best Song at the Congolese Achievement Awards in 2013.[7]
On 24 February 2015, BM released his debut solo album, Ebebi, which consisted of 15 tracks.[11] It included guest appearances by Dymunds, Will Son, DJ Leo, Champion, Freezah Sterling, and Yemo.[7][6] The album's eponymous ndombolo-inspired lead single gained traction across Africa, Europe, and the Americas, with internet personalities actively emulating its dance routines and encouraging others to take part.[7][6] Filmed in London and directed by Sam Kirk, the music video featured appearances from internationally-based dancers like Sheryl Isako, Ceecee, Gugu, Junior Drogba, renowned Detroit model SupaWoman, Valentine Artiste, Mad Dog, and Freezah.[7][6] Speaking to the Jamaica Star, BM said he was thrilled to see people worldwide dancing to his music. His publicist, Malaika, remarked that the ndombolo-inspired dance craze was rapidly spreading and could become the next significant global phenomenon.[6] Meanwhile, "Makolongulu" significantly boosted BM's visibility and solidified his standing in Afro-pop. Initially released as a standalone track, it was later included on Ebebi.[12][11] The song, which incorporates strong ndombolo elements, runs at 113 BPM in the key of E major.[12]
2018–2019: from "Makolongulu" remix to "Rosalina"
BM performing on stage
On 7 February 2018, BM premiered a remix of "Makolongulu," featuring Ugandan singer Eddy Kenzo. The video, directed by Martin Beta and filmed on the streets of Kampala, included a guest performance by the Ugandan Hyper Dancers troupe.[13] The remix was a massive hit in Uganda and Kenya and catapulted BM's visibility in the East African music scene.[13]
On 24 June, he debuted the single "Rosalina," which signifies 'break your back'.[14][8] The song gained a substantial following in Europe, particularly in the UK, France, Belgium, as well as across the Americas. The hashtag #Rosalinadancechallenge disseminated virally across various social media platforms and was featured in BBC What's New. Notable personalities, such as the Congolese-British comedian Eddie Kadi, took part in the dance challenge. The choreography incorporated ndombolo-inspired dance movements, characterized by energetic, full-body motions involving the legs, arms, and waist that followed the song's rhythmic tempo.[8][14][15][16][2]
On 13 December, BM guest-performed on Assi So-La's single "Gwara Nao Para", which became BM's most-streamed track on Spotify, amassing over 6 million streams.[17][18]
On 25 December 2018, he issued the remix of "Rosalina," with Awilo Longomba as a featured artist. Sung in a blend of Lingala, French, and English, the remix garnered broad acclaim and set off a chain of dance challenge videos, similar to the original.[3][19] The remix made the "Top 10 hits that made people dance in 2018" list by Music in Africa.[19] The song's popularity allowed BM to embark on an international tour, with performances in the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and France.[14][16][5]
2020–2024: Standalone releases
On 6 March 2020, BM dropped the ndombolo-inspired single "How Low (Anita)", characterized by the genre's trademark rhythm and guitar, accompanied by a video directed by Lester Kunai and filmed in Paris.[20] A month later, on 14 April, while Western musicians were increasingly "sampling and recycling Congolese guitar riffs into uninspired pop and urban tracks", BM released "Kanda", an ndombolo single with Celeo Scram.[21][5] In his review for African cultural platform Djolonet, critic Aodren described the track as featuring "sharp, well-cut guitar line, a vibrant atmosphere, frothy percussion, and bits of vocals woven between dedications and fiery dance calls".[21] The song quickly gained attention for its upbeat choreography in the video and its viral #KandaChallenge.[21] BM later followed up with "Mabe" on 2 August 2021,[22][23] and "Ye Le" on 6 October, both of which sustained his popularity, with the latter going viral through the trending #YeleChallenge.[24][25] Later releases included "Nyla" (2023), the instrumental "Intro" (2023), and "Selfie" (2024).[26][27][28]
BM serves as a director of the dating show Pop the Balloon or Find Love, hosted by his wife Arlette Amuli. The program features a panel of singles who decide whether to continue engaging with a contestant by keeping their balloon intact or "popping" it to indicate disinterest. The show airs weekly on YouTube.[29][30][31]
In April 2025, a live adaptation titled Pop The Balloon Live premiered on Netflix, hosted by actress Yvonne Orji. BM and Arlette Amuli served as executive producers, alongside Bonnie Biggs, Dan Adler, Ellen Rocamora, and Matt Sharp.[31][32][33]
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