Kinshasa, formerly named Léopoldville until June 30, 1966, is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once a site of fishing and trading villages along the Congo River, Kinshasa is now one of the world's fastest-growing megacities. Kinshasa's 2024 population was estimated at 17,032,322. It's the most densely populated city in the DRC and the most populous city in Africa. It is Africa's third-largest metropolitan area and the leading economic, political, and cultural center of the DRC. Kinshasa houses several industries, including manufacturing, telecommunications, banking, and entertainment. The city also hosts some of DRC's significant institutional buildings, such as the Palais du Peuple, Palais de la Nation, Court of Cassation, Constitutional Court, Cité de l'Union Africaine, Palais de Marbre, Stade des Martyrs, Immeuble du Gouvernement, Kinshasa Financial Center, and multiple federal departments and agencies.
Zaïko Langa Langa is a Congolese rumba band formed in Kinshasa, in December 1969. Established by D.V. Moanda, Henri Mongombe, Marcellin Delo and André Bita, the band evolved from the Orchestre Bel Guide National, which is seen as Zaïko's predecessor.
Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba, known professionally as Koffi Olomidé, is a Congolese singer-songwriter, dancer, producer, and founder of Quartier Latin International. Often referred to as the "King of Ndombolo", he is noted for his explosive high notes, deep baritone, and offbeat voice. Agbepa is considered one of the most significant figures in 20th-century Congolese and African popular music. His lyrics often explore themes of love, politics, technology, success, infidelity, religion, chicanery, and disillusionment. Through his music and stage performances, he introduced the slower style of soukous known as Tcha Tcho and popularized a flamboyant fashion subculture called La Sape, alongside Papa Wemba.
Sony Lab'ou Tansi, born Marcel Ntsoni, was a Congolese novelist, short-story writer, playwright, and poet in French language. Though he was only 47 when he died, Tansi remains one of the most prolific African writers and the most internationally renowned practitioner of the "New African Writing." His novel The Antipeople won the Grand Prix Littéraire d'Afrique Noire. In his later years, he ran a theatrical company in Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo.
Gombe, also known as La Gombe, or Downtown Kinshasa, is one of the 24 communes of Kinshasa, in the western part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Encompassing a vast area of approximately 29.33 square kilometers, it is home to an approximate population of 49,024 residents (2014).
Pascal Lokua Kanza, known professionally as Lokua Kanza, is a Congolese singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his soulful, folksy sound, which is atypical of the dancefloor-friendly African rumba music that is common in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His proficiency in blending different musical styles and cultural influences has made him a celebrated artist, admired for his distinctive and evocative musical creations. He sings in French, Swahili, Lingala, Portuguese, English, and Wolof. He was a member of the coaching panel of The Voice Afrique Francophone from 2016 to 2017.
Louis Albert William Longomba, known professionally as Awilo Longomba, is a Congolese soukous singer, composer, drummer, songwriter, dancer, and producer. The third son of Vicky Longomba and maternal uncle of French player Claude Makélélé, William is known for his avant-garde "techno-soukous" and performances.
Noël Ngiama Makanda, known professionally as Werrason, is a Congolese singer-songwriter, composer, producer, philanthropist, and the bandleader of Wenge Musica Maison Mère. He was a co-founding member of Wenge Musica, a musical group that played a pivotal role in the development of the ndombolo dance music genre during the 1990s.
Empire Bakuba is an influential soukous band that formed in Zaire in 1972. The name of the band refers to the Bakuba Kingdom; it is sometimes reported as Empire Bakuba du Grand Kalle, in honor of Grand Kalle, the "father of Congolese music", who was also bandleader Pepe Kalle's mentor. The band has never formally disbanded, although its activity has been scarce since Pepe Kalle's death.
Fally Ipupa N'simba, known professionally as Fally Ipupa, is a Congolese singer-songwriter, dancer, philanthropist, guitarist, and producer. Often referred to as the "Prince of Rumba", he is noted for his tenor vocals as well as his blend of contemporary and traditional Congolese music genres, including Congolese rumba, soukous, and ndombolo. His lyrics often cover themes of romance, suffering, and joy.
Charles Bisengimana Rukira is the former Commissioner General of the Congolese National Police of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Georgia Makhlouf is a Lebanese writer in the French language, an editor and literary critic. She is a winner of the Prix Léopold Sedar Senghor and the Prix Ulysse.
Pierre Haffner (1943-2000) was a French film critic, "one of the first French critics to seriously study African film".
Article 15 is a humorous French idiom in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which refers to an imaginary legal provision permitting individuals to take any measures, whether legal or illegal, necessitated by adverse personal circumstances such as economic hardship, crime, or oppression by the state.
Wenge Musica Maison Mère, also spelled as WMMM, is a musical band founded in December 1997, by musicians Werrason, Didier Masela and Adolphe Dominguez, after the split of their original band, Wenge Musica, created in 1981. Since its foundation, the band has had a rivalry with former bandmate JB Mpiana's Wenge BCBG. Under the leadership of Werrason, the group developed stars such as vocalists Ferré Gola, Héritier Watanabe, Fabregas le Métis Noir and Bill Clinton Kalonji. The band faced its first split after Ferré, Bill Clinton and JDT Mulopwe left the band to found Les Marquis de Maison Mère in 2004.
Isidore Ndaywel è Nziem, is a Congolese historian and linguist. He is the author of several essays, studies and other publications about the history of the Congo, including the overview work L'histoire générale du Congo: De l'héritage ancien à la République démocratique.
The Hotel Memling is a five-star hotel in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Jean-Pierre Makouta-Mboukou was a Congolese politician, academic, novelist and playwright. For his abundant and eclectic work his biographers have called him the “Congolese Victor Hugo” and the “baobab of Congolese literature”.
Dieudo Hamadi is a documentary filmmaker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
DR Congo–France are the bilateral diplomatic relations between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and France. Both nations are members of the Organisation internationale de la francophonie and the United Nations.
