5 essential songs of Koffi Olomide
5 essential songs of Koffi Olomide
Afroculture.net presents 5 essential songs of Koffi Olomide. In nightclubs or at an African wedding, these songs are part of the classics of Congolese music.
But who is the legend Koffi Olomide?
photos credits : Koffi Olomide
- Civil name : Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba
- Date of birth : July 13, 1956 in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Koffi Olomide is a Congolese singer-songwriter, singer and producer. He was born in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo. His father is Congolese (Gbandi tribe from the Equator region) and his mother was born to a Sierra Leonean father and a Congolese mother (Songye tribe from the Kasai region). According to the ethnic custom of his Sierra Leonean grandfather, his mother called him ‘Koffi’ because he was born on a Friday.
He is a Congolese artist of legend very popular in Africa, who is at the same time the pillar of the rumba of the 80s and a pillar of the Ndombolo of the end of the 90’s. It is a legend of the Congolese and African music, hence his nickname “The Great Mopao”. In the 1970s, Koffi joined Papa Wemba’s band, Viva la Musica, first as a composer and composer, then as lead singer. The name Olomide was invented during his time at Viva La Musica. In 1986, he formed his group known as Quartier Latin International.
His fame is so strong, that he is the first black-African artist to fill the Olympia, on August 29, 1998, the Zenith November 7, 1998, the Palais Omnisports of Paris-Bercy February 19, 2000. Despite, that Bercy is the largest hall in France, Koffi has filled the 17,000 places without any promotion, only with word of mouth. This simple fact bears witness to its great popularity.
With 28 studio albums and more than 300 songs, Koffi is an essential artist of African music during his forty years of career. He collaborated with Papa Wemba and Latin Quarter in his albums. Over the years, he has built a loyal fan base internationally, especially in Africa and Europe. Koffi popularized the slower style of Soukous, which he called Tcha Tcho.
He has received numerous awards and prizes:
_He received 7 gold records (1994, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2008).
_It got 5 Kora awards.
_It was voted Best singer at the Africa Music Awards.
- N°1: Loi of Koffi Olimidé (1997)
“Loi” is one of Koffi Olimide’s greatest hits. It is one of the essential songs of the Congolese musician, that we pass during an African wedding or during an Afro evening. This music was released in 1997 at Sonidisc. The title of the album is accompanied by the famous dance “Ndombolo”, which has become viral and very popular throughout Africa.
- N°2 : Droit de véto of Koffi Olomidé (1998)
A year after the flagship song “LOI”, Koffi released “Right of Veto” with the Latin Quarter. This song quickly became a hit in Congo and spread to the African continent. People are literally in a trance when Koffi sings this song during his concerts.
- N°3: Attentat of Koffi Olomide (1999)
Koffi’s new album ‘Attentat’ arrived after a delay in the last days of 1999. With his group Quartier Latin, they conquered their fans with this album and various memorable dances.
- N°4 : Effrakata of Koffi Olomide (2001)
With Effrakata, released in 2001, Koffi received four awards in one evening at the annual Kora Awards in South Africa in 2002 and 2003, including the award for Best African Artist, which he won in 1998. one of the best albums of the Congolese singer.
- N°5 : Affaire d’état of Koffi Olomide (2003)
In 2003, Koffi launched the album “State Affair” with the Latin Quarter. This album was very successful.
- photos credits : Koffi Olomide
What do you think?
