Popular Congolese singer Papa Wemba died April 24, 2016 after collapsing on stage during a performance in Ivory Coast.
Papa Wemba was born Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba in Kazai, in the former Zaire (now the Democratic Republic Congo). From humble village beginnings in the interior of his vast, Central African homeland, Shungu Wembadio moved to the capital city of Kinshasa when he was still a boy. There, the fledgling singer rose quickly to stardom in a series of ground breaking bands.
Famous for his flamboyant sense of style and emotional Lingala vocals, Papa Wemba was the ambassador of a truly global African music. Originally part of the adventurous Kinshasa music scene, Wemba departed for Paris in 1986, starting an international chapter in his career.
In 1996, Wemba joined Youssou N’Dour and other leading African musicians on an epic consciousness-raising journey through war-torn Africa, sponsored by the International Red Cross, and released the single “So Why?” to raise profits for the war victims.
Papa Wemba released 3 albums for Peter Gabriel’s Real World label: ‘Le Voyageur‘ (1992), ‘Emotion‘ (1995) and ‘Molokai‘ (1998), a live studio recording of classic hits and new songs. Also he appeared on the compilations ‘Voices of the Real World’ and ‘Spirit of Africa’ as well as the ‘Big Blue Ball‘ album project.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
