Describing the music of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is difficult, due to vagaries surrounding the meanings of various terms. The country itself was formerly called Zaire and is now sometimes referred to as Congo-Kinshasa to distinguish it from the Republic of the Congo (or Congo-Brazzaville). In this article, Congo will refer specifically to the Democratic Republic of the Congo unless otherwise noted. Outside of Africa, most any music from the Congo is called soukous, which most accurately refers instead to a dance popular in the late 1960s. The term rumba or rock-rumba is also used generically to refer to Congolese music, though both words have their own difficulties and neither are very precise nor accurately descriptive. People from the Congo have no term for their own music per se, though they do use muziki na biso (our music) on occasion. Rumba is both a family of music rhythms and a dance style that originated in Africa and traveled via the slave trade to Cuba and the New World. ... Soukous is a musical genre formed in Zaire and the Congo in the early 20th century, also known as Lingala music in East Africa and Congo music in English-speaking West Africa. ... Algerian music is virtually synonymous with raï among foreigners; the musical genre has achieved great popularity in France, Spain and other parts of Europe. ... Burkina Faso is home to some sixty different ethnic groups, each with their own variety of folk music. ... Burundi is a Central African nation that is closely linked with Rwanda, geographically, historically and culturally. ... Cameroon is best-known for makossa, a popular style that has gained fans across Africa, and its related dance craze bikutsi. ... The Central African Republic includes many different cultures and musical forms. ... Comoros is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean, most an independent nation but also including the French territory of Mayotte. ... The Republic of the Congo (or Congo-Brazzaville) is an African nation with close musical ties to its neighbor, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, or Congo-Kinshasa). ... Côte dIvoires capital, Abidjan, is perhaps the most influential city in recorded African music, with performers coming from across the continent to record their singles and albums. ... Djibouti is an African country on the Horn of Africa. ... Madagascar is an island off the east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. ... The music of Mali is dominated by forms derived from the ancient Mande Empire. ... A woman performs the sega in Pointe-aux-Piments, Mauritius. ... Morocco is a North African country inhabited mostly by Arabs along with Berbers and other minorities. ... Rwanda is an African nation with a chaotic and bloody recent past. ... Senegals musical heritage is more well-known than most African countries, due to the popularity of mbalax, which is a form of Wolof percussive music; it has been popularized by Youssou NDour. ... The Seychelles are an independent island chain in the Indian Ocean, formerly a colony of France. ... Togos small population and culturally giant neighbors, as well as its hostile government, has not had much musical success outside of its borders, though it has produced stars like Bella Bellow and Jimi Hope. ... Tunisia is a North African country with a predominately Arab population. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a nation in central Africa and the third largest country on the continent. ... The Republic of the Congo, also known as Middle Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, and Congo (but not to be confused with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire, which was also at one time known as the Republic of the Congo), is a former French colony of west-central Africa. ... World map showing location of Africa A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ... Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s - 1960s - 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Years: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ...

Since the colonial era, Kinshasa, Congo's capital, has been one of the great centers of musical innovation, ranking alongside Nairobi, Johannesburg and Abidjan in influence. The country, however, was carved out territories controlled by many different ethnic groups, many of which had little in common with each other. Each maintained (and continue to do so) their own folk music traditions, and there was little in the way of a pan-Congolese musical identity until the 1940s. Kinshasa (formerly Léopoldville) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Capitals in Africa | Kenya ... Johannesburgs skyline as seen from the observation deck of the Carlton Centre. ... Abidjan is the largest city and former capital of Côte dIvoire. ... This article or section should be merged with ethnicity An ethnic group is a group of people who identify with one another, or are so identified by others, on the basis of a boundary that distinguishes them from other groups. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ... Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s - 1940s - 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s Years: 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 Events and trends Technology First nuclear bomb First cruise missile, the V1 flying bomb and the first ballistic missile, the...

Like much of Africa, the Congo was dominated during the World War 2 era by rumba, a fusion of Latin and African musical styles that came from the island of Cuba. Congolese musicians appropriated rumba and adapted its characteristics for their own instruments and tastes. Following World War 2, record labels began appearing, including CEFA, Ngoma, Loningisa and Opika, each issuing many 78 rpm records; Radio Congo Belge also began broadcasting during this period. Bill Alexandre, a Belgian working for CEFA, brought electric guitars to the Congo. German soldiers at the Battle of Stalingrad World War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the worlds nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. ... Rumba is both a family of music rhythms and a dance style that originated in Africa and traveled via the slave trade to Cuba and the New World. ... Latin - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... The Republic of Cuba is an archipelago in the northern Caribbean that lies at the confluence of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. ... A musical instrument is a device that has been constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... A record label is a brand created by companies that specialize in manufacturing, distributing and promoting audio and video recordings, on various formats including compact discs, LPs, DVD-Audio, SACDs, and cassettes. ... Note: broadcasting is also the old term for hand sowing. ... The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. ... An electric guitar is a type of guitar with a solid or semi-solid body that utilizes electromagnetic pickup (music)s to convert the vibration of the steel-cored strings into electrical current. ...

Popular early musicians include Feruzi, who is said to have popularized rumba during the 1930s and guitarists like Zachery Elenga, Antoine Wendo and, most influentially, Jean Bosco Mwenda. Alongside rumba, other imported genres like American swing, French cabaret and Ghanaian highlife were also popular. Events and trends Technology Jet engine invented Science Nuclear fission discovered by Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann Pluto, the ninth planet from the Sun, is discovered by Clyde Tombaugh British biologist Arthur Tansley coins term ecosystem War, peace and politics Socialists proclaim The death of Capitalism Rise to... Jean Bosco Mwenda is a pioneer of Kenyan finger-style acoustic guitar music. ... Musically, swing can be either: (written with small s), refers to swung notes, the rhythmic feeling evoked by swinging music, esp. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... Cabaret is a form of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue - a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting around the tables (often dining or drinking) watching the performance. ... The Republic of Ghana is a nation in West Africa. ... Highlife is a type of music that originated in Ghana and spread to other West African English-speaking countries near the end of the 19th century. ...

In 1953, the Congolese music scene began to differentiate itself with the formation of African Jazz (led by Joseph Kabasele), the first full-time orchestra to record and perform, and the debut of fifteen-year-old guitarist Luambo Makiadi. Both would go on to be some of the earliest Congolese music stars. African Jazz, which included Kabasele, sometimes called the father of modern Congolese music, as well as legendary Cameroonian saxophonist and keyboardist Manu Dibango, has become one of the most well-known groups in Africa, largely due to 1960's "Independence Cha-Cha-Cha", which celebrated Congo's independence and became an anthem for Africans across the continent. 1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... This is an article about an orchestra. ... The Republic of Cameroon is a unitary republic of central Africa. ... Saxophones of different sizes play in different registers. ... A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument played with a musical keyboard. ... Manu Dibango (born December 12, 1933) is a Cameroonian saxophonist and vibraphone player. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Into the 1950s, Kinshasa and Brazzaville became culturally linked, and many musicians moved back and forth between them, most importantly including Nino Malapet and the founder of OK Jazz, Jean Serge Essous. Recording technology had evolved to allow for longer playing times, and the musicians focused on the seben, an instrumental percussion break with a swift tempo that was common in rumba. Both OK Jazz and African Jazz continued performing throughout the decade until African Jazz broke up in the mid-1960s. Tabu Ley and Dr. Nico then formed African Fiesta, which incorporated new innovations from throughout Africa as well as American and British soul, rock and country. African Fiesta, however, lasted only two years before disintegrating, and Tabu Ley formed Afrisa instead, but this new group was not able to rival OK Jazz in influence for very long. Events and trends Technology United States tests the first fusion bomb. ... Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ... Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s - 1960s - 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Years: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Country music, once known as country and western music, is a popular musical form developed in the southern United States, with roots in traditional folk music, spirituals, and the blues. ...

Many of the most influential musicians of Congo's history emerged from one or more of these big bands, including Sam Mangwana, Ndombe Opetum, Vicky Longomba, Dizzy Madjeku and Kiamanguana Verckys. Mangwana was the most popular of these solo performers, keeping a loyal fanbase even while switching from Vox Africa and Festival des Marquisards to Afrisa, followed by OK Jazz and a return to Afrisa before setting up a West African group called the African All Stars. Mose Fan Fan of OK Jazz also proved influential, bringing Congolese rumba to East Africa, especially Kenya, after moving there in 1974 with Somo Somo. Rumba also spread through the rest of Africa, with Brazzaville's Pamela M'ounka and Tchico Thicaya moving to Abidjan and Ryco Jazz taking the Congolese sound to the French Antilles. In Congo, students at Gombe High School became entranced with American rock and funk, especially after James Brown visited the country in 1969. Los Nickelos and Thu Zahina emerged from Gombe High, with the former moving to Brussels and the latter, though existing only briefly, becoming legendary for their energetic stage shows that included frenetic, funky drums during the seben and an often psychedelic sound. This period in the late 60s is the soukous era, though the term soukous now has a much broader meaning, and refers to all of the subsequent developments in Congolese music as well. Categories: Africa geography stubs | Eastern Africa ... Kenya (pronounced as KEN-ya) is a country of East Africa, bordering Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and the Indian Ocean. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... Abidjan is the largest city and former capital of Côte dIvoire. ... Funk is a distinct style of music originated by African-Americans, e. ... James Brown, otherwise known as Soul Brother Number One, Mr. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region Flag of The City of Brussels Brussels ( Dutch: Brussel, French: Bruxelles, German: Brüssel) is the capital of Belgium and is considered by many to be the de facto capital of the European Union, as two of its three main institutions have their headquarters... This entry pertains to the word psychedelic, its origin and uses. ... Soukous is a musical genre formed in Zaire and the Congo in the early 20th century, also known as Lingala music in East Africa and Congo music in English-speaking West Africa. ...

Stukas and Zaiko Langa Langa were the two most influential bands to emerge from this era, with Zaiko Langa Langa being an important starting ground for musicians like Pepe Feli, Bozi Boziana, Evoloko Jocker and Papa Wemba. A smoother, mellower pop sound developed in the early 1970s, led by Bella Bella, Shama Shama and Lipua Lipua, while Kiamanguana Verckys promoted a rougher garage-like sound that launched the careers of Pepe Kalle and Kanda Bongo Man, among others. Papa Wemba, real name Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba, is a Congolese singer and one of Africas biggest music stars. ... Events and trends Although in the United States and in many other Western societies the 1970s are often seen as a period of transition between the turbulent 1960s and the more conservative 1980s and 1990s, many of the trends that are associated widely with the Sixties, from the Sexual Revolution... Bella Bella, British Columbia Heiltsuk, also known as Bella Bella, is the name of a Native American group and also their (North Wakashan) language. ... Garage rock was a simple, raw form of rock and roll created by a number of American bands in the mid-1960s. ...

By the beginning of the 1990s, the Congolese popular music scene had declined terribly. Many of the most popular musicians of the classic era had lost their edge or died, and President Mobutu's regime continued to repress indigenous music, reinforcing Paris' status as a center for Congolese music. Pepe Kalle, Kanda Bongo Man and Rigo Starr were all Paris-based and were the most popular Congolese musicians. New genres like madiaba and Tshala Mwana's mutuashi achieved some popularity. Kinshasha still had popular musicians, however, including Bimi Ombale and Dindo Yogo. In 1993, many of the biggest individuals and bands in Congo's history were brought together for an event that helped to revitalize Congolese music, and also jumpstarted the careers of popular bands like Swede Swede. Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM... Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku wa za Banga (or Mobutu Sese Seko Koko Ngbendu Wa Za Banga; October 14, 1930 - September 7, 1997) was the President of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) from 1965 to 1997. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003) Events Media:January January 1 - Czechoslovakia divides. ...

The new generation now include Kora winner Kaysha Hip hop artist Kaysha is the stage name of Edward Mokolo (born January 22, 1974 in Kinshasa). ...

References

• Ewens, Graeme. "Heart of Danceness". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, pp 458-471. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0