Awilo Longomba

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Awilo Longomba
Born(1962-05-05)May 5, 1962
OriginDemocratic Republic of the Congo
GenresSoukous, Techno-soukous
Occupation(s)Singer, drummer
Associated actsViva la Musica
Websitehttps://awilolongomba.skyrock.com

Awilo Longomba is a Congolese soukous musician. At first a drummer in Viva la Musica,[1] Stukas, Nouvelle Generation and Loketo, he left drumming for singing and released his first album Moto Pamba with help from Shimita, Ballou Canta, Dindo Yogo, Dally Kimoko, Sam Mangwana, Syran Mbenza and Rigo Star in 1995. Awilo has performed live concerts in Africa, Europe, and North America.[2]fter first moving to France in the 1980s,[3] Awilo now lives in London, United Kingdom and is married to and they have a son called .

Coupe Bibamba 1998[]

His second album CD, Coupe Bibamba (1998),made him hugely popular throughout Africa making him a household name in various sub saharan African countries.It also made him garner an increasingly large international audience,with the album having popular songs such as coupe bibamba and Gate le coin ,thus enabling him perform in various cities across Africa.

Kafou Kafou (2001)[]

Kafou kafou album followed the hugely popular coupe bibamba and was remembered for having a hugely popular song cache cache a collaboration with artiste Joecyline Beorard which continued ruling the African airwaves.

Mondongo (2004)[]

 Mondongo (2004), which featured Japponais, Dally Kimoko, Caen Madoka, Djudjuchet, Josky Kiambukuta and Simaro Lutumba. He is also credited as an atalaku (animateur) on some soukous records,and was remembered for Karolina‘’’

song ,which celebrated the beauty of African women and became Africa's biggest song of 2004 .

Awilo's relatives in the music industry include his father Victor Longomba[1] a founding member of T.P OK Jazz as well as his late elder brother, Lovy of the Longombas, who are a popular Afro-fusion group based in Kenya. Lovy had a rich tenor voice and was a member of Super Mazembe led by Longwa Didos.

In 2008, Awilo Longomba released the new album Super-Man which was another success. Awilo continued his popularity in USA/ Canada while on tour with , an African dance group founded in 2007 by . The Super-Man tour was successful throughout 2008 and 2009. By popular votes and a historic win at the International Reggae and World Music Awards with over 120 countries voting in, Super-Man won the Best Soukous Entertainer Award 2009. CEO and founder of Nabtry Grace Haukwa, who represents Awilo in the US, received the award on Awilo's behalf at the ceremony.

His versatility has been evident lately with his many collaborations with modern day and styles musicians in many African Countries, among them are Nigerian artistes P-Square, Tiwa Savage, Olamide, Harmonize and Yemi Alade.

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Stewart, Gary (2000). Rumba on the River: A History of the Popular Music of the Two Congos. Verso. p. 333. ISBN 1-85984-744-7. On the well-trodden road to Paris, bands of the younger generation followed in the footsteps of their elders. Papa Wemba's lengthy stay in 1982 had awakened him to the opportunities that lay beyond his Zairean home base. The upheavals that had followed his return to Kinshasa resulted in a ‘new look’ Viva La Musica that by 1986 included a formidable lineup of young singers: Reddy Amisi,Remy Ngoua, Ketai Muchawaya,Lidjo Kwempa, Litemo Luciana, Stino ‘Stino As’ (Ace) Mubi, and Ngizulu Kubiala, known as ‘Fafa de Molokai.’ On-again-off-again singer Pepe Bipoli was on again, along with Joe ‘Joe Fat’ Fataki, a singer from Wemba's old Yoka Lokole. A pedigreed newcomer, Vicky Longomba's son Awilo, joined them on drums. In all the band numbered around sixteen, including guitarist Bongo Wende.
  2. ^ Kaggwa, Andrew (9 September 2015). "Bebe Cool, Eddy Kenzo win big". The Observer. Retrieved 7 October 2020. Last weekend in Toronto, Canada, alongside Bow Wow and Awilo Longomba, Bebe Cool was one of the performers at the highly-billed African Entertainment awards.
  3. ^ Winders, James A. (2006). Paris Africain: Rhythms of the African Diaspora. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 93. ISBN 1403960046. Awilo Longomba (1962–), also originally from Zaïre, first came to France in 1986 as drummer for the famous singer Papa Wemba. His father, “Vicky” Longomba, was a very popular singer with Zaïre’s prominent band O.K. Jazz. In 1989 Awilo moved permanently to Paris, and became a French citizen in 1994, having married a French woman.

External links[]

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