Barbara Kanam facts for kids

Barbara Kanam (born 27 September 1973) is a famous singer, songwriter, and producer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). She is known for her amazing singing voice and is one of the most important people in modern Congolese and African music. Barbara sings in French, Swahili, Lingala, and English. Her songs often share messages about peace, love, happiness, and women's rights. Besides music, she is also a television personality, helps others through charity, and is involved in politics. Currently, she is the Director General of the Cultural Promotion Fund in the DRC, which helps promote the country's culture.

Barbara became well-known after being discovered by reggae singer Alpha Blondy and producer Dodo Koné. They helped her release her first album, Mokili, in 1999. The song "Mokili Ekoleka" from this album even got her on TV at the Kora Awards. Her second album, Téti, came out in 2003 and won her the "Most Promising African Female Artist" award at the 2003 Kora Awards. This album also brought her many other awards, including "Best Female of Central Africa" and "Revelation of the Year".

In 2008, Barbara started her own music company called Kanam Music. She released her third album, Karibu, in 2010, and it won her the Okapi Award for "Best Female Artist". Her fourth album, Zawadi, came out in 2015 and earned her awards for "Best Female Voice" and "Best Female Artist". Her fifth album, Transfiguration, was released in December 2023.

Beyond music, Barbara Kanam also owns a business called Kanam Luxury in Kinshasa. This shop sells her own branded products, including a special champagne line called Barbara Luxury.

Early Life and Music Journey

Growing Up and Discovering Music

Barbara Kanam Mutund was born on 27 September 1973, in Bukavu, which was then called Zaire. She grew up in a large family with eleven brothers and sisters. Her father worked as a manager for a big hotel in Lubumbashi.

After finishing high school in Kolwezi, Barbara went to study international business in South Africa in 1991. While there, she joined a local church choir. This was her first real experience with music, and she quickly realized she had a special talent for singing. She even started leading and performing solos in the choir. Barbara loved music so much that she decided to change her studies. She chose to learn about theology and music instead.

However, her family faced financial difficulties, making it hard for her to pay for school. Barbara found a job to help her family and still managed to finish her first year of university. As a reward for her hard work, she bought herself a guitar and taught herself how to play it. This is when she started writing her own songs.

Starting Her Music Career

When Barbara went back home to Lubumbashi for a break, she told her father about her dream of becoming a musician. At first, he didn't approve and wanted her to stay home. Barbara agreed to take a year off from school. During this time, she worked in import and export to help her family.

In the early 1990s, Barbara began performing in different cities across Central Africa, including Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. In 1995, her family moved to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where she continued to sing in her church choir.

In 1997, while performing at a hotel, she was noticed by famous reggae singer Alpha Blondy and his manager, Koné Dodo. They wanted to sign her to a music contract. However, Barbara's parents insisted that she finish her studies first. She eventually earned her degree in International Commerce from a university in Abidjan.

Music Success and Albums

First Albums: Mokili and Téti

In 1999, Barbara Kanam released her first album, Mokili. It was produced by Koné Dodo. The album included a gospel-inspired song called "Mokili Ekoleka," which helped her get a nomination for the Kora Awards. She even performed her album on TV at the awards ceremony.

In 2000, Barbara took a break from music and moved to Paris because she was expecting a baby. After two years, she returned to music with her second album, Téti, released in 2003. This album had 12 songs and became very popular, especially in Burkina Faso.

One of the most famous songs from Téti was "Bibi Madeleine: L'argent appelle l'argent." This song honored her grandmother and used parts of an older song. It was released in two versions, one with Edgar Yonkeu and another with Awilo Longomba. In 2003, Barbara was nominated for the Kundé d'Or awards and performed to promote Téti.

Her success with Téti led her to win the "Most Promising African Female Artist" award at the Kora Awards in December 2003. In 2004, she won "Best Female of Central Africa" at the Kundé d'Or in Burkina Faso. A new version of "Bibi Madeleine: L'argent appelle l'argent" was released in 2005 and became very popular in Africa, the Caribbean, and among Africans living in Europe. This song won her two Black Music Awards for "Best Video" and "Revelation of the Year." The next year, she worked with Fally Ipupa on his song "100% Love."

Starting Her Own Label and New Music

In 2008, Barbara Kanam decided to leave Koné Dodo's record label and start her own company, Kanam Music. She began working on her third album, Karibu (which means "welcome" in Swahili), in Paris. She then moved to Ivory Coast in 2009 to focus on the album.

Karibu was officially released in January 2010 by Kanam Music. It mixed Congolese rumba music and featured Fally Ipupa on a song called "Noir & Blanc." Many music experts praised Karibu as one of the best albums of the year. Barbara became a leading female African musician. She was also nominated for "Best Female Artist" at the MTV Africa Music Awards.

In October 2014, Barbara was part of a special song called "Africa Stop Ebola." This song helped spread awareness about the Ebola virus in Africa. Many famous African singers and rappers joined her on this project, sharing important health tips.

Recent Albums and Collaborations

Barbara started recording her fourth album, Zawadi, in 2014. She explained that "Zawadi" means "gift" in Swahili and represents a special gift from above. The album featured a new dance style. While working on Zawadi, Barbara also helped judge a music contest for young talents.

Zawadi was released digitally in July 2015 and on CD soon after. It combined Congolese rumba with other styles and included collaborations with other artists. Barbara described Zawadi as her "most complete" album, with richer music and vocals than her previous works. In August 2016, she won the "Best African Female Artist" award at the Afroca Music Awards. Zawadi also earned her a special award at the Canal d'Or ceremony.

In 2017, Barbara released a new single called "Mela Mayi," which had a lively music video. In 2018, she released "Lisanga Ya Ba Mbanda," a cover of a classic Congolese rumba song from the 1980s, paying tribute to the original singer, M'bilia Bel. She continued to release new songs like "Bouger" (2019), "Flèche" (2020), and the popular love song "Atcha" (2020), which was sung in Swahili, Lingala, and French.

In 2021 and 2022, she released "Amour Invincible" and "Oxygène." In 2023, she released the Congolese rumba song "Consommation," which quickly gained over a million views on YouTube. She also released a spiritual song called "Uzima" (meaning "life") and collaborated with other artists like Félix Wazekwa and Fabregas Le Métis Noir.

On 23 December 2023, Barbara Kanam released her fifth studio album, Transfiguration. This album mixes Congolese rumba and ndombolo music. It has 14 songs and features collaborations with many famous artists like Ferré Gola, Koffi Olomide, and Héritier Watanabe.

Television and Public Service

Barbara Kanam has also been involved in television. In 2013, she was a coach on a music show called Best of Best in Kinshasa. The next year, she participated in the first season of Island Africa Talent in Ivory Coast.

On 8 July 2023, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, appointed Barbara Kanam as the Director General of the Cultural Promotion Fund (FPC). In this important role, Barbara is in charge of helping to promote and develop the country's culture.

Helping Others and Awards

Barbara Kanam is also dedicated to helping her community. She started the Kanam Foundation, which focuses on supporting women's empowerment and child welfare. She also supports the Association for the Fight against Childhood Cancer.

In 2012, she joined many other artists in a musical project called "Stop à la Guerre à l'Est!" This project spoke out against conflict in the DRC and called for peace. In 2014, she was part of the "Africa Stop Ebola" project, helping to raise awareness about the Ebola epidemic.

In 2019, Barbara received an honorary doctorate from the University of Florida for her contributions to society. This made her the only Congolese musician to receive such an honor from that university. She also received another honorary doctorate and was named a "Woman of Value." That same year, she was recognized as a "Champion for the Promotion of Women's Rights." In 2022, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) named her a Goodwill Ambassador for promoting climate action in the DRC.

Discography

Albums

• Mokili (1999)
• Téti (2003)
• Karibu (2010)
• Zawadi (2015)
• Transfiguration (2023)

Awards and Nominations