Lokua Kanza

Lokua Kanza (born April 1958) is a singer, songwriter, and composer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is known for his soulful, folksy sound, which is atypical of the dancefloor friendly soukous music that is common in the Congo.

Biography

Lokua Kanza was born Pascal Lokua Kanza in Bukavu in the province of Kivu, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is the eldest of eight children, with a Mongo father and a Tutsi mother from Rwanda. In 1964, the family went to live in Kinshasa in a middle class area, until the day when Pascal's father, a ship's captain, died. His mother then moved to a much poorer area of the city, and Pascal, the eldest, had to work to feed the family. He therefore went to school part time, and took odd jobs, as well as singing in churches. Lokua Kanza sings in French, Kiswahili, Lingala, and English.

Discography

* Lokua Kanza (1993, Universal)
* Wapi Yo (1995, BMG)
* 3 (1998, Universal)
* Toyebi Te (2002, Universal)
* Plus Vivant (2005, Universal)

External links

* [http://www.lokua-kanza.com Lokua Kanza Official Website]
* [http://www.lokua-kanza.com/dboard/ Forum]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/world/reviews/kanza_toyebi.shtml BBC World Music Review of "Toyebi Te"]