Biography
Born around 1929 in Shaba, Zaire, the acoustic guitarist passed away in 1990 after a career that helped spark Zaire’s initial surge of musical authenticité during the 1940s. Rather than pursue well-paid work in venues serving European patrons, he devoted himself to restoring local listeners’ appreciation for indigenous musical traditions. South African researcher Hugh Tracey encountered him in 1951 and captured his playing during a hotel-room session. Throughout the following decade, numerous recordings appeared on South Africa’s Gallotone imprint, carrying his name across the continent. Relocating to Nairobi in the 1960s, he produced sessions and performed to enthusiastic crowds, later traveling to the United States for the Newport Folk Festival and joining Miriam Makeba onstage at the celebrated Mohammed Ali/George Foreman bout held in Kinshasa. With the ascent of amplified groups toward the decade’s end, his visibility declined, prompting him to invest in enterprises such as hotels and clubs. He remained engaged in music, issuing a mid-1980s homage to President Mobutu’s spouse and collaborating with emerging talents including Papa Wemba until a fatal automobile accident claimed his life in 1990.
Albums