Edouard Masengo

Last updated

Edouard (Katiti) Masengo (born 1933 in Kafubu, Haut-Katanga District, Democratic Republic of the Congo - 27 March 2003) was a Congolese guitarist and singer.

In 1950 Masengo helped found JECOKE, [1] "jeunes comiques de la Kenya". The JECOKE troop went on tour through Kenya, Uganda, Congo Brazzaville, Belgian Congo, and Cameroon, with great success, due to their kalinchelincheli dance. A music contest was organized in Leopoldville in 1956. The winner was JECOKE, who beat out famed local artists such as Wendo Kolosoy, Grand Kalle and Franco to win.

The day before the Independence of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Masengo decided to go to Nairobi, Kenya, where he was to make several productions with such great stars as Miriam Makeba of South Africa.

Donat Muya, chief of the Lubumbashi National Museum, says that Masengo went to meet Harry Belafonte in Kingston, Jamaica [ citation needed ]. They sang Masengo's compositions as a duet, and this new fame opened the door for Masengo to get contracts to endorse the products of such firms as Coca-Cola, Ford, and Shell. However, Edouard Masengo did not forget his roots in Katanga. He returned there often to visit fellow musicians Losla Abelo and Mwenda wa Bayeke (Jean-Bosco Mwenda).

In 1972 Masengo returned for good to Lubumbashi, but was stripped of his wealth by the government in Zaire.

He died in poverty on March 27, 2003, but his musical influence lives on in such artists as Watoto Wawili, Kabwebu Kitambala, Victorina, Ndoa, Bibi Theresa, Jadotville, and others. [ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katanga Province</span> Former province in DR Congo

Katanga was one of the four large provinces created in the Belgian Congo in 1914. It was one of the eleven provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 1966 and 2015, when it was split into the Tanganyika, Haut-Lomami, Lualaba, and Haut-Katanga provinces. Between 1971 and 1997, its official name was Shaba Province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Bosco Mwenda</span> Musical artist

Jean-Bosco Mwenda, also known as Mwenda wa Bayeke, was a pioneer of Congolese fingerstyle acoustic guitar music. He was also popular in other African countries, particularly in East Africa, and in the late 1950s and early 1960s was briefly based in Nairobi, Kenya, where he had a regular radio show and became a profound influence on a generation of Kenyan guitarists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lubumbashi</span> Second-largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Lubumbashi is the second-largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the country's southeasternmost part, along the border with Zambia. The capital and principal city of the Haut-Katanga Province, Lubumbashi is the center of mining in the region, acting as a hub for many of the country's largest mining companies. No definite population figures are available, but the population of the city's urban area is estimated to be around 2,584,000 in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Lubumbashi</span> University in Democratic Republic of the Congo

The University of Lubumbashi, also known by the acronym UNILU, is one of the largest universities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located in Lubumbashi in Haut-Katanga Province, previously Katanga Province. The campus is located in the northern part of the city, west of the airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lubumbashi International Airport</span> Airport in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Lubumbashi International Airport is an airport serving Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Garanganze, Yeke or Bayeke are a people of Katanga, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They established the Yeke Kingdom under the warrior-king Msiri, who dominated the southern part of Central Africa from 1850 to 1891 and controlled the trade route between Angola and Zanzibar from his capital, at Bunkeya.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lubumbashi is the Metropolitan See for the ecclesiastical province of Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moïse Katumbi</span> Democratic Republic of the Congo politician

Moïse Katumbi Chapwe is a Congolese businessman and politician. He leads the Together for the Republic party. He was Governor of Katanga Province, located in the southern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from 2007 to September 2015. He was a member of the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) until September 2015. He has been described by The Economist as "probably the second most powerful man in the Democratic Republic of Congo after the president, Joseph Kabila". Jeune Afrique named him "African of the Year" in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greeks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span>

The first communities of the Greeks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were established prior to Belgian colonization. The Greek presence reached a peak in the 1950s when many Greeks fled Egypt following the revolution of 1952. The Greek communities organized their own schools and churches and Greeks were active in trade, fishing, transport, coffee growing and the music industry. Also, a small group of Greek Jews emigrated to the Congo in the early 20th Century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haut-Katanga District</span>

Haut-Katanga District is a former district located in the former Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The copper mining centers of Lubumbashi and Likasi were surrounded by the district but were administratively separate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katanga insurgency</span> Ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Katanga insurgency is an ongoing rebellion by a number of rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, some of which aim for the creation of a separate state within Katanga. While the insurgency has been active in various forms since 1963, insurgent groups have recently redoubled their efforts after the 2011 jail break that freed Gédéon Kyungu Mutanga, who commanded the majority of the Katangese separatist groups until his surrender to Congolese authorities in October 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aimé Ngoy Mukena</span> Congolese politician (died 2022)

Aimé Ngoy Mukena was a political figure from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who has served as Minister of Petroleum and Gas since 26 September 2015. He previously served as Minister of Defence and Veterans' Affairs under President Joseph Kabila. He was a founding member of the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), one of the most influential political parties in the Congo where he served as its Executive Secretary in charge of interior and decentralization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral, Lubumbashi</span> Church in Haut-Katanga Province, Congo

Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Lubumbashi or simply Lubumbashi Cathedral , in the city of Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a parish of the Roman Catholic Church and the seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lubumbashi. The cathedral church is located between Kapenda and Kasa-Vubu avenues. The Convent of St. Peter and St. Paul and several provincial government buildings are located nearby.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Pierre Honoré Kazadi Lukonda Ngube-Ngube is a Congolese economist and politician who is a former member of the Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Previously he had been an economics professor at the universities of Kasaï and Katanga, and is also a Protestant chaplain. He was a presidential candidate for the Popular Front for Justice party (FPJ) in the 2018 Democratic Republic of the Congo general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominique Diur</span> Congolese politician

Dominique Diur (1929—1980) was a Congolese and Katangese politician who was one of the founders of the CONAKAT party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compagnie de Chemin de fer du Katanga</span>

The Compagnie de Chemin de fer du Katanga (CFK) was a railway company in the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo between 1902 and 1952. It held the railway concession that linked the port of Bukama on the navigable section of the Lualaba River through the mining region and the town of Elisabethville (Lubumbashi) to Sakania, where it connected with the Rhodesian railway network. Operations were subcontracted to the Compagnie du chemin de fer du bas-Congo au Katanga (BCK).

Kafubu is a river in the Haut-Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It gives its name to a health zone.

Lieutenant General Christian Tshiwewe Songesha is a military officer in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC). Effective 4 October 2022, he is the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the title given to the commander of the armed forces of that country. Before his present position, he was the commander of the Republican Guard that is "responsible for the security of the Head of State and other strategic security installations". General Tshiwewe replaced Lieutenant General Célestin Mbala, who was the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo from 14 July 2018 until 4 October 2022.

CRDB Bank DR Congo, is a commercial bank in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is licensed by the Central Bank of the Congo, the central bank and national banking regulator. CRDB Bank DR Congo opened for business in Lumumbashi, Haut-Katanga Province on 10 July 2023.

References

  1. Archived 2011-08-26 at the Wayback Machine RFI Musique, 'Music of the Copper Eaters' June 6, 2005