Congolese Women in the Music Industry

Aug 17

Conversations on Congolese music are often gendered and focused on men, specifically cisgender and heterosexual men.

When people discuss Congolese women in the music industry, the same names tend to come up, such as Tshala Muana, M’Pongo Love, M’Bilia Bel, Nathalie Makoma, and Cindy Le Coeur for example.

In the past, the industry was male dominated, and that has stayed constant in the present. People can easily name off artists such as Dadju, Naza, Ya Levis and Innoss’B but to name Congolese women artists in the current generation would be harder for most people.

In the Wikipedia entry for Democratic Republic of the Congo female singers, there are 12 names present:

Along with the five women I named above, Celine Banza, Lucie Eyenga, Barbara Kanam, Laurette la Perle, Abeti Masikini, Marie Misamu and Alicios Theluji are also listed.

In 2016, The Culture Trip Published 10 Congolese Musicians You Need To Know. There is not a single woman on the list. Two years later, OkayAfrica published 10 Musicians That Prove the Congolese Diaspora Is Killing It Right Now. Once again, Congolese women were nowhere to be found.

Below is a list I have created of Congolese women in the music industry, past and present. This is a working list, meaning that the list will be updated as we learn of more women. We encourage you to let us know of women to add to the list!

As I was thinking about women artists, I wondered about the connections between religion and music, and how most of the Congolese women I grew up listening to, were gospel singers. The names with asterisks * are women who are gospel singers. This list is not exclusive to vocal artists and includes instrumentalists, such as the guitarist Sarah Solo.

1. Abby Surya

2. Abeti Masikini

3. Acsa Olangi*

4. Afi La Princesse

5. Alicios

6. Amanda Malela*

7. Anne Ako

8. Anita Mwarabu

9. Annie Makoma*

10. Anto Boteku

11. Antoinette Etisomba

12. Aodora de Magdala

13. Baniel Itela Boketsu

14. Barbara Kanam

15. Béatrice Beyou Ciel*

16. Bebe Faila

17. Bernadette Sakina

18. Betty Novallis

19. Caroline Mpia

20. Cassi Kalala Tshimpi*

21. Cécile Teno

22. Celine Banza

23. Cheela

24. Christy Lova

25. Cindy Le Coeur

26. Deborah Lukalu*

27. Déesse Mukangi

28. Dena Mwana*

29. Djany

30. Djenna Mandako

31. Elisabeth Gossini

32. Esther Sudila

33. Faya Tess

34. Germaine Bakonga

35. Gloire Grace

36. Henriette Balako

37. Iyenga

38. Jeanne Ninin

39. Jolie Detta

40. Joséphine Sambeya

41. July Botele

42. Koko Clay

43. Kola La Sommité

44. Kolinga

45. Lady Issa

46. Laura Souzy

47. Laurette la Perle

48. Léonine Mbongo

49. Leys

50. Lucie Eyenga

51. Lo Benel

52. L’Or Mbongo*

53. Lous and the Yakuza

54. Loustra

55. Lu Kala

56. Maud Elka

57. Marie Kitoto

58. Marie Misamu*

59. Marie Yamba

60. Martha Badibala

61. M’bilia Bel

62. Melina

63. Meta Baye

64. MJ30

65. Mimi Ciel

66. Miss Bora

67. Miss Lucia

68. Molengi Show

69. Monik Tenday

70. M’Pongo Love

71. Muana Shaba

72. Nana Akumu

73. Nana Lukezo*

74. Nancita Kapi

75. Nathalie la Douceur

76. Nathalie Makoma

77. Nkento Bakaji

78. Ninita

79. Pauline Lisanga

80. Pengani Makoma*

81. Rafiya

82. Rébecca M'Boungou

83. Rosette Kamono

84. Rosny Kayiba*

85. Sammus

86. Sandra Mbuyi*

87. Sarah Kalume

88. Sarah Medina

89. Sarah Solo

90. Scola Miel

91. Shay

92. Sista Becky

93. Soulé

94. Spirita

95. Sudyla

96. Taz Bolingo

97. Tekele Mokango

98. Théthé Thétia

99. Tshala Muana

100. Tshegue

101. Trina*

102. Vonga Aye

103. Yondo Nyota

104. Yondo Sister

Below are eight songs by eight Congolese women you should listen to!

1. Maud Elka, a Congolese-French pop and R&B singer based in France, released her album Seven, last month. The album features Still Fresh and fellow Congolese artist, Hiro. Check out the music video she released last week for her song Tiki.

2. DCMO (Don’t Count Me Out),the debut single of LU KALA, a Congolese-Canadian R&B singer has been streamed over half a million times. In an interview with Complex she stated, “DCMO is my way of reclaiming my power and showing the world that yes, I do belong. There is room for everyone.” Her latest single No Smoke was released last month and this past week she was featured on the main page of Apple Music as the New Artist Of The Week.

3. Last November, the Radio France International Discovery Award was awarded to Congolese singer Celine Banza. Her prize-winning song Te Rembi, which translates to “my body” is sung in Ngbandi. She told Reuters she rejected the temptation to sing in a more popular language like French or English because she wants audiences to know her culture and identity.

4. Taz Bolingo was the first all women’s Congolese orchestra. The group formed in the late 80s in Kinshasa. While the group is no longer together, they have left a major impact in Congolese history.

5. Congolese singer and rapper Sista Becky released her first song on YouTube in 2017. Since then she has continued to rise and this past April, she released a music video for her song Il fait semblant which features Innoss'B.

6. Tatiana Kruz is a Congolese artist based in Kinshasa. Fun fact, she took on the name “Kruz” after the famous Cuban singer Celia Cruz!

7. The lead singer of the group Kolinga is Congolese-French singer Rébecca M'Boungou. “Nguya Na Ngai,” the name of their most recent single, means “my power,” in Lingala.

8. Soulé is a Congolese-Irish pop and R&B singer. Her single, Love Tonight was played on each episode of Love Island in 2019. It was also nominated for the Choice Music Awards' 2019 Song of the Year and it was the biggest song by an Irish woman artist that year.

When we talk about representation in the music industry, or any other facet of life for that matter, we have to be critical of who is being represented. Homophobia, transphobia, classism, imperialism, fatphobia, ableism, colorism, tribalism, and other systems of oppression impact who is represented and why.

Sources:

http://zenga-mambu.com/2020/03/08/musique-congolaise-8-mars-journee-internationale-des-femmes/

https://twitter.com/MaisonLudi/status/982309407135543297?s=20

http://pagesafrik.info/taz-bolingo-lorchestre-feminin-avait-mis-de-couleur-a-musique-congolaise/