FOR DAILY UPDATES ON EXCLUSIVE ENTERTAINMENT GIST
& GOSSIP ON YOUR MOBILE, TEXT RMWD TO 4900 (MTN SUBSCRIBERS ONLY)
Legendary
Congolese singer, Papa Wemba (real name Jules Kikumba) is dead. Aged 67, the
musician reportedly slumped during a live performance at a music festival in
Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast, early on Sunday morning.
The sad event
occurred barely a few days after the world lost another legendary music icon,
Prince Rogers Nelson.
Prince, 57,
was found dead in his Paisley Park residence in Chanhassen, Minnesota, last
Thursday.
According to Papa
Wemba’s spokesman, Henry Vokia, the singer suffered a seizure while performing
on stage.
Vokia said,
“Papa Wemba had sung the first and the second song. While singing the third
song, he collapsed. I was following the concert live on television. I saw the
dancers surround him. I thought it was a scene for the concert.
“But then I saw
people from the Ivorian Red Cross pop up on stage. Suddenly, we cut the signal
of the Ivorian television. I tried to call the manager of Papa Wemba abroad,
Cornelie.
“He told me that
Papa Wemba fell during a concert. I remember 10 minutes later, I was told that
he is in intensive care. I called 30 minutes after, Cornelie told me that Papa
Wemba had passed away.”
Footage from the
live performance showed his back-up singers rushing over to help the stricken
star in his last moments.
Before his death,
Papa Wemba was a globally-acclaimed exponent of modern Congolese rhumba. In the
Democratic Republic of Congo, he was considered one of the greatest musicians
that ever lived.
Wemba’s music had
influenced generations of Congolese and he was a living reminder of better
times, especially the 1970s, when the Congo was still known as Zaire.
Having honed his
skill under the supervision of his idol, Tabu Ley and his group, the Viva la
Musica, he had proceeded in the 1980s to help nurture the Congo’s next music
generation.
Apart from
serving as a cultural bridge between his country’s past and the present, Papa
Wemba will be remembered for his hit songs, such as, ‘Matambele Bangui’, ‘Sala
Keba’ and ‘Mabele Makonzi.’
But he will be
remembered more for being a firm believer in art for art’s sake and for
constantly encouraging fellow musicians not to mix their art with politics.
Wemba was born in
1949 in the Kasai-Oriental province, Democratic Republic of Congo.
He became a
pivotal player on the African continent’s music scene and lived almost all his
life as a musician.
Wemba, who started
his career at the age of 20, was said to have inherited his love of song from
his mother, who was a professional wailing woman at funerals.
Report said the
legend founded the label and group Viva la Musica in 1977 and would later
create scintillating videos while pioneering emblems of world music.
He also discovered
and trained generations of African musicians, like Koffi Olomide, and created,
the Society of Ambianceurs and Elegant People.
Wemba, known as
the King of Rumba Rock, won fans across Africa and Europe and worked with
international stars, including former Genesis singer, Peter Gabriel.
Kinshasa rapper,
Youssoupha, mourned the band leader in a tweet, saying he was the icon of
Congolese culture and people’s lifestyle.
“Like my
community, I am devastated by the death of Papa Wemba. This is a huge loss,” he
added.
In 2004, Papa
Wemba was convicted of people-smuggling in France and spent three months in
prison.
The conviction
related to a racket whereby illegal immigrants were taken to Europe, posing as
members of his band.
A Belgian court
convicted him of the same crime in 2012, handing down a fine of €22,000
(£17,143; $24,690) and suspended prison sentence of 15 months.
He was also once
jailed in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) for allegedly having an
affair with a general’s daughter.
FOR DAILY UPDATES ON EXCLUSIVE ENTERTAINMENT GIST
& GOSSIP ON YOUR MOBILE, TEXT RMWD TO 4900 (MTN SUBSCRIBERS ONLY)
No comments:
Post a Comment