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Joseph Athanase Tshamala Kabasele, popularly known as Le Grand Kallé, was a Congolese singer and bandleader, considered the father of modern Congolese music. He is best known for his role as leader of the band, Le Grand Kallé et l'African Jazz, in which capacity he was involved in a number of noted songs, including Indépendance Cha Cha.
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Congolese rumba, also known as African rumba, is a dance music genre originating from the Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo. With its rhythms, melodies, and lyrics, Congolese rumba has gained global recognition and remains an integral part of African music heritage. In December 2021, it was added to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.
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Lucie Eyenga was a vocalist, and one of the early pioneers of soukous music. She was born in Bandaka in the Belgian Congo.
Editions Esengo was a record studio in the Congo, which is noted for assembling to their label Rock-a-Mambo, African Jazz, and Conga Jazz, three of the great powerhouse bands of Congolese rumba. Esengo is taken from the Lingala language, and is the word for "happiness" or "joy."
Elisabeth Finant, cognomenously known as Abeti Fina-Masikini or simply Abeti Masikini, was a Congolese singer, composer, bandleader, and philanthropist. With a nearly three-decades-long career, she was a significant figure in 20th-century Congolese and African popular music. Often referred to as the "Queen of Soukous", she is noted for advocating gender equality, modernizing Congolese music, and inspiring successive generations of musicians. Her band, Les Redoutables, was a launching pad for numerous female artists.
Radio Congo Belge was a radio broadcaster in the Belgian Congo which played an important role in the early development and popularisation of Congolese rumba music across Africa in the aftermath of World War II.
Franklin Boukaka was a Congolese baritone singer, guitarist, and songwriter who is recognized as a pioneer of Congolese popular music. He performed in bands based in each of "the two Congos," i.e., the countries now named the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; toured worldwide; achieved broad popularity; took outspoken political stances; and is widely believed to have been the victim of an extrajudicial execution during an attempted coup in the Republic of the Congo.
"Mario" is a song by Congolese guitarist Franco and his group TPOK Jazz from his eponymous 1985 album. It is considered to be the musician's biggest hit.
Adou Elenga was a Congolese singer-songwriter, composer and guitarist. Signed on the Ngoma label since 1950, during his musical career, he composed several hits such as "Mokili Ekobaluka", which is his best known. The song is considered by Congolese as a prophecy of their independence. Other hits are "Maria Tchebo", "Pyramide", "Tout Le Monde Samedi Soir". His music was covered by many artists, including Sam Mangwana and Bopol Mansiamina.
Sebene, also known as seben, is an instrumental section commonly played in Congolese rumba. It is usually played towards the end of the song and is the dancing section where the lead and rhythm guitars take the lead in the dance. It is characterized by the repetition of a specific number of notes during the passage of second chords: one major chord and one-seventh chord, which gives rise to the Lingala derivation "sebene," derived from the English numeral "seven" or its ordinal rendition.
References
- ↑ Stewart, Gary (November 17, 2003). Rumba on the River: A History of the Popular Music of the Two Congos. Verso. p. 35. ISBN 1859843689.
- ↑ Bemba, Audifax (21 October 2023). "Le guitariste Zacharie ÉLENGA alias Jhimmy L'hawaïenne: un baobab au milieu du village" [Guitarist Zacharie ÉLENGA aka Jhimmy L'Hawaïenne: a baobab in the middle of the village]. Congopage (in French). Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ↑ Nzonga, Jean-Pierre François Nimy (2010). Dictionnaire des immortels de la musique congolaise modern. ACADEMIA. pp. 98–99. ISBN 978-2872099771.
- ↑ Ossinondé, Clément (6 August 2010). "Le duo mémorable Jhimmy na Mwanga" [The memorable duo Jhimmy na Mwanga]. Congopage (in French). Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ↑ "Le duo mémorable Jhimmy na Mwanga à l'origine d'innovations historiques, by Clément Ossinonde".
- ↑ "Worldservice Website of African and Latin Music".
- ↑ "Le duo mémorable Jhimmy na Mwanga à l'origine d'innovations historiques, by Clément Ossinonde".
- ↑ Stewart, Gary (November 17, 2003). Rumba on the River: A History of the Popular Music of the Two Congos. Verso. p. 36. ISBN 1859843689.
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