Kanda Bongo Man

Kanda Bongo Man (* 1955 in Inongo, then Belgian Congo ) is an important Congolese soukous singer, the guitar stressed African dance music style.

His lyrics are sung in the Congolese language Lingala and French, and handle everyday issues of life and love.

Life and career

Kanda Bongo Man - he received from his grandfather 's name - came in 1955 in the city Inongo (Democratic Republic of Congo, then Belgian Congo ) to the world, as a member of the tribe of Bandundu. The inventor of the dance rhythm " Kwassa Kwassa - " left with 18 years of school and from then on played in a local band in Kinshasa especially rumba music. In 1976 he began to work in the Orchestre Bella Mambo for three years. In 1979 he moved to Paris where he worked in a window factory.

In 1981, Kanda Bongo Man released his first album Yole with the titles Amour Fou and Kwassa Kwassa -. The music was strongly influenced rhythmically. In 1983 he played at the WOMAD festival in England and also impressed as a dancer. There followed a series of other albums in which he worked various Western musical influences, but always remained faithful to the Soukous style. Was released in 1989 with Kwassa Kwassa first album on the U.S. market, which contained songs from the albums produced in France Lela lela and Sai Liza.

Important live performances he graduated in the following years, making his second appearance at the WOMAD Festival in 2002, at the Glastonbury Festival 2003 and at the Live 8 concert at the Eden Project in Cornwall. He has also appeared three times (1992, 2002 and 2003) at the Peel sessions on BBC Radio 1.

In Paris, his current place of residence, he works on his own label Bongo Man Records together with younger artists on various projects. Among other things, he cooperated with the now living in Southern producer Alain Nkossi Konda for the production of African Rose: Volume 1, can be heard on the various artists of the African continent.

Discography (excerpt)

  • Iyole (1981)
  • Djessy (1982 )
  • Amour Fou (1984 )
  • Malinga (1986 )
  • Lela Lela (1987 )
  • Sai Liza (1988 )
  • Kwassa Kwassa (1989 )
  • Isambe Monie (1990 )
  • Zing Zong (1991 )
  • Sango (1992 )
  • Soukous in Central Park (1993 )
  • Sweet ( 1995)
  • Kwassa Kwassa (1995 )
  • Welcome to South Africa ( 1995)
  • Zing Zong ( Hannibal, 1996)
  • Francophonix (1999)
  • Balobi (2002)
  • Swalati (2003)
  • Sana (2006)
  • Soukous Time ( 2008)
History of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Rumba (dance) World of Music, Arts and Dance Integrated Authority File
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