Koffi Olomide
Dance The Night Away With Congolese Soukous

Looking for fun African party music? Then Koffi Olomide is your man. You simply can't help but move when his Congolese Soukous rhythms start to play! 

Working at the info desk during a sold out Koffi Olomide concert in Switzerland, I once witnessed a small riot of disappointed African fans who couldn't get a ticket. Nobody wants to miss the chance to see him live on stage. And those unlucky fans certainly did miss something! 

As soon as Koffi appears the party begins - on and off the stage. His piercing voice alone and the playful guitar tunes could perfectly do the job. But to raise the heat even more, Koffi always brings a line-up of sexy dancers along with him. And the audience goes mad.

Koffi is a star not only in his home country, but in the whole of Africa and in Europe.

Koffi Olomide Biography And Career

Antoine Agbepa Mumba is his real name. His father is Congolese and his mother comes from Sierra Leone. In her and other African countries, children are also named according to the day they are born. She gave birth on 13th August 1956, a Friday and therefore named the baby Koffi. 

For African standards, Koffi's family was rich. He grew up rather comfortably in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire). He learned to play the guitar and even created his own songs. Because he was also a very bright student, his father sent him to Bordeaux in France to study business.

After financing a university education in Europe, no wonder Daddy wasn't fond of Koffi's idea to become a musician instead of a respected business man. He recorded his first songs in the late 1970s and worked as a song writer for then already famous Papa Wemba. 

In the 1980s, Koffi formed his famous group Quartier Latin, which celebrated its 20-year anniversary in 2006. During all these years he performed and recorded both with the group and solo, which earned him several music awards and a faithful fan base in Africa and Europe.

His Music

During 30 years of music making, Koffi Olomide recorded nearly 30 brilliant albums!

For about ten years, he experimented with various Congolese genres and finally created his own style: Tcha-tcho. 

Tcha-tcho is a sub-form of Soukous with sensual dance rhythms and playful guitar tunes. The lyrics are often melancholic and because of his seductive voice, Koffi has been compared to Julio Inglesias and Barry White.

To much of his (mostly female) fan base, Koffi is the image of a perfect lover. Others are rather put off by his constant display of luxury and sex. Some of his videos were censored or banned by the Congolese government. (Which just made him even more popular among fans though.) But whether you care for such a life style or not: 

Koffi's music will definitely get you in the right mood to dance the night away!

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