Awilo Longomba facts for kids

Louis Albert William Longomba (born 5 May 1962), known as Awilo Longomba, is a famous singer, drummer, and producer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is known for creating a new style of music called techno-soukous. This style mixes techno music with ndombolo, and sometimes includes electronic, dance music, and zouk sounds.

From 1980 to 1995, Awilo started his music journey as a drummer for bands like Viva La Musica and Stukas. He became very famous in 1995 with his first solo album, Moto Pamba. This album made him a star in Africa and Europe. Moto Pamba helped him win the "Best Artist of Central Africa" award at the Kora Awards two times in a row, in 1996 and 1997.

In 1998, Awilo released his second album, Coupé Bibamba. The main song, also called "Coupé Bibamba" (which featured Jocelyne Béroard), became a huge hit across Africa. It was also very popular in Europe and America. Many people think it's one of Africa's most famous Lingala songs. Awilo was the first artist to sell out the Lagos National Stadium for three days in a row. Later, this song was even part of a special album called World Tribute to the Funk by Sony Music.

Awilo was the first Congolese artist to perform in São Tomé and Príncipe. He was also one of the few African artists, along with Miriam Makeba, to perform in Libya when the African Union was being formed. His third album, Kafou Kafou, came out in 2000. It won him a special award at the 2001 Kora Awards for his important work in African music. In 2009, Awilo won the "Best Soukous Entertainer" award at the IRAWMA Awards. He released his fourth album, Mondongo, in 2003, and his fifth album, Superman, in 2008.

Awilo Longomba's Early Life and Music Start

Childhood, Education, and First Steps in Music (1962–1994)

Vicky Longomba, Awilo's father, was a lead singer for TPOK Jazz.

Awilo Longomba was born Louis Albert William Longomba on May 5, 1962, in Kinshasa. His father, Vicky Longomba, was a famous singer and a founding member of the band TPOK Jazz. Awilo grew up in a musical family with six sisters and three brothers. He is also the uncle of the music duo Longombas and the older brother of Malou Longomba, who is the mother of French soccer player Claude Makélélé.

As a child, Awilo was always around music and often went to his father's rehearsals. Even though his father was a musician, he didn't want Awilo to go into music. He wanted his children to get a good education. But Awilo loved music so much that he left school. In 1985, he became a drummer for Papa Wemba's band, Viva La Musica.

Awilo Longomba (far left) with Viva La Musica during their 1986 tour.

In 1986, Awilo toured Europe and Asia with Viva La Musica. They recorded an album in Brussels, where Awilo became known as an amazing drummer. In 1989, he moved to Paris, France. While living there, he noticed how some people treated Africans unfairly.

In the early 1990s, Awilo played drums for other Congolese bands like Orchestre Stukas and Loketo. In 1991, he visited Kenya for the first time as a drummer for the Loketo band. A year later, he left Viva La Musica and started his own band called La Nouvelle Génération. He was the leader of this new group, and they quickly became popular in Africa. Awilo also worked on many recordings in France and toured the world with other famous African artists. He became a French citizen in 1994.

Awilo Longomba's Solo Career

Moto Pamba and Early Success (1995–1998)

In 1995, Awilo Longomba left La Nouvelle Génération and released his first solo album, Moto Pamba. This album had eight songs and mixed Congolese rumba with soukous. Awilo wrote the songs, sang, and played drums on the album. Other musicians helped with backing vocals, bass guitar, and lead guitars. Awilo later shared that the album's director encouraged him to sing more than drum. He also said that everyone was surprised by his singing when the album came out. Two songs from the album, "Moyen Te" and "Betty Mulanga," became very successful in Africa. Even after his album was a hit, Awilo continued to play drums for other artists.

During a show in Kampala, Uganda, Awilo performed secretly at first, using the name "Willy" so he wouldn't take attention away from the main artist. But when he revealed himself in the second show, the audience cheered loudly. This concert helped promote his album Moto Pamba. In 1996, Awilo performed live in Paris to promote the album even more. He then won the "Best Artist of Central Africa" award at the first Kora Awards. He won the same award again in 1997.

Coupé Bibamba and Continent-Wide Fame (1998–2000)

On October 27, 1998, Awilo released his second album, Coupé Bibamba. This album had ten songs and was sold in many countries like France, Ivory Coast, and Kenya. Many talented singers and musicians helped with the album.

The main song, "Coupé Bibamba," which featured Jocelyne Béroard, became a huge hit in Africa and Europe. It is still a classic African song today. The song talks about the problem of poverty in Africa. Awilo explained that "Coupé Bibamba" encourages young people to get an education, go to church, and believe in themselves to fight poverty. The song also mentioned a famous radio presenter, Robert Ogwal, which was a common practice in African music.

The success of "Coupé Bibamba" allowed Awilo to tour East Africa in early 1999. He had sold-out shows in Tanzania and Kenya. Because so many people wanted to see him, he stayed longer than planned. Many fans couldn't even get into his first show in Dar es Salaam.

"Coupé Bibamba" also made Awilo very popular in West Africa. People even translated the song into local languages like Yoruba and Igbo. In 2000, Awilo made history by selling out three concerts in a row at the Lagos National Stadium in Nigeria. He also filled other large stadiums, becoming the first Congolese artist to be so popular on Nigerian radio. Awilo also worked with Sony Music for a new version of "Coupé Bibamba" called "Comment Tu T'Appelles." This version was popular among Africans living in France and the US.

Kafou Kafou, Mondongo, and Live Shows (2000–2008)

In July 2000, Awilo released his third album, Kafou Kafou. This album had ten songs and later won him a special award at the 2001 Kora Awards. He dedicated this award to Nelson Mandela, saying it was a great honor to have Mandela there.

Awilo released his fourth album, Mondongo, in September 2003. This album had popular songs like "Karolina" and "Mondongo." Mondongo mixed Congolese rumba, soukous, R&B, and Kompa music. It was very popular in Africa and sold over 30,000 copies in France. The song "Karolina" became a favorite at parties and is often played at African events. In the song, Awilo praises a woman named Karolina.

To promote Mondongo, Awilo had sold-out shows in Zimbabwe in 2003. He also toured Cameroon in 2004, performing in large stadiums. In November 2004, "Karolina" was nominated for an award at the Kora Awards.

In March 2005, Awilo performed at the Africa Live 2005 concert. This event was held to fight malaria and had 40,000 people watching. Many other famous artists also performed. In September 2005, Awilo held three concerts in Namibia. The next year, he performed in Libreville and at the Sumbe International Music Festival in Angola. In 2007, Awilo had two sold-out concerts in Ivory Coast. He also performed in Madagascar in 2008.

Superman, New Music, and Collaborations (2008–Present)

In August 2008, Awilo released his fifth album, Superman. This album included popular songs like "Super Man" and "Torticolis." Barbara Kanam was a guest artist on the album. Awilo performed at Zénith Paris in 2009 to promote Superman. He also performed in Madagascar in 2010 to celebrate their 50th anniversary of independence.

On his birthday in May 2014, Awilo shared a preview of his new song, "Bundele." Before the music video for "Bundele" came out, Awilo worked with the Nigerian duo P-Square on a song called "Enemy Solo." He also appeared on Nathalie Makoma's song "Eyi Mabe." In 2017, he released "Rihanna" with Yemi Alade, and "Esopi Yo" with Tiwa Savage. In 2018, Awilo was featured on BM's remix of "Rosalina," which started a popular dance trend online.

In April 2019, Awilo performed in Kampala, Uganda, and brought Robinio Mundibu on stage to help promote his music. Awilo then released the music video for his song "Canon." In 2021, Awilo was featured on Harmonize's song "Attitude," which got three million views on YouTube in just 24 hours. He also appeared on Angel Mary Kato's song "Tanzania."

In October 2022, Awilo performed at a Fally Ipupa concert. In November 2022, Awilo worked with many other artists on a song called "Allons Tous Nous Faire Enrôler." This song was made to encourage people to register for the 2023 elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In December 2022, Awilo was a guest on Inoss'B's song "Maboko Milayi," which quickly got two million views on YouTube.

In March 2023, Awilo became a coach for the first season of The Voice Africa, a singing competition for English-speaking African countries. He later joined Inoss'B on stage for a special concert in Brussels. In July 2024, Awilo was the main performer at AfroFest in Toronto. However, the event ended early due to an incident in the crowd. In August, he performed at the Antilliaanse Feesten Festival in Hoogstraten.

Awilo Longomba's Musical Impact

Awilo Longomba is one of the most popular Congolese artists in Africa and Europe. Many people, including writer Jide Taiwo, say that Awilo "inspired a new group of Nigerian entertainers." Awilo's music has influenced many Nigerian musicians. For example, Funmi Adams and Julius Agwu have created songs that use a similar style to Awilo's music. Nigerian singer-songwriter Burna Boy has also said that Awilo was a big inspiration for him when he was growing up.

In February 2023, Nigerian singer Ayra Starr released a song called "Sability" that was inspired by techno-soukous and used parts of Awilo's song "Coupé Bibamba." This song was praised by Tanzanian singer Harmonize, who admired how it honored Awilo's music. Harmonize even said, "I want to be like Awilo Longomba."

Awilo Longomba's Albums

• Moto Pamba (1995)
• Coupe Bibamba (1999)
• Kafou Kafou (2001)
• Mondongo (2003)
• Super-Man (2008)

Awilo Longomba's Famous Songs

• "Moto Pamba"
• "Coupé Bibamba" (featuring Jocelyne Béroard)
• "Gaté Le Coin"
• "Manon"
• "Karolina"
• "Champion"
• "Mondongo"
• "Fidele"
• "Bundele"

Awards and Nominations