Soukous is a generic term for modern
Zairean dance music. In the 1980's this style of music became very popular in London, UK
and Paris, France. A number of musicians left Kinshasa to work around central and east
Africa, before settling in either the UK or France. Notably:
Mose Se "Fan Fan" and the band Somo Somo
Sam Mangwana and the African All Stars
Papa Wemba and Viva la Musica
Kanda Bongo Man and his guitarist Diblo Dibala
With the move to Europe and better studio engineering, the music has
become big in the dance clubs as more "electronics" entered the music.
Notz Soukous Recommended
Listening
Soukous music has a number of
international stars who have been highly recorded.
Soukous
In Central Park - Kanda Bongo Man
With a move to Paris in 1979, Kanda moved Soukous into hi-energy dance floor music.
Traditional Soukous follows a standard Zaiko song which has a long Rhumba section followed
by a faster Seben. Kanda, eliminated the Rhumba using only the Seben, producing tracks
that were suitable for the dance floors of London and Paris.
Papa
Wemba - Papa Wemba
Papa Wemba, based in Paris, has steadily built an international following. His unique
voice adds a yearning almost religious quality to the music.
