Koffi Olomidé | |
|---|---|
 Olomidé performing in 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba |
| Born | 13 July 1956 Stanleyville, Belgian Congo (now Kisangani, DRC) |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instrument(s) |
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| Years active | 1977–present |
| Labels | |
| Spouse(s) |
Aliane Olomide
(m. 1994; div. 2022) |
Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba (born 13 July 1956),[3] known professionally as Koffi Olomidé, is a Congolese singer-songwriter, dancer, producer, and founder of Quartier Latin International.[4][5] Often referred to as the "King of Ndombolo",[6][7] he is noted for his explosive high notes, deep baritone, and offbeat voice.[8][9] Agbepa is considered one of the most significant figures in 20th-century Congolese and African popular music.[10][11] His lyrics often explore themes of love, politics, technology, success, infidelity, religion, chicanery, and disillusionment.[12][13][8] Through his music and stage performances, he introduced the slower style of soukous known as Tcha Tcho[14][15] and popularized a flamboyant fashion subculture called La Sape, alongside Papa Wemba.[16][17]
Emerging as a ghostwriter for various artists in the Zairean music industry, he gained prominence in 1977 with the song "Princesse ya Synza, which featured Papa Wemba and King Kester Emeneya.[13][18][19] In 1986, he established the group Quartier Latin International, which accompanied him onstage and on his albums since 1992, serving as a launching pad for emerging artists, including Fally Ipupa, Jipson Butukondolo, Deo Brondo, Montana Kamenga, Bouro Mpela, Ferré Gola, Marie-Paul Kambulu, Eldorado Claude, Djuna Fa Makengele, Soleil Wanga, Laudy Demingongo Plus-Plus, Éric Tutsi, among others. His career experienced a resurgence in 1990, when he signed a record deal with SonoDisc.[20][21][22]
With a nearly five-decade-long career, he is the first African artist to sell out the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, and one of twelve African artists whose work has been featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[23][24] Throughout his forty-year career, Agbepa has recorded 28 studio albums, including seven under the Latin Quarter banner, one in collaboration with Papa Wemba, as well as 18 live albums, amounting to a repertoire of over 300 songs.[25][26]
He has won six Kora Awards, four of which in the 2002 edition, for his album Effrakata.[20] In 2013, he founded his own recording label, Koffi Central.[27] On 13 October 2015, he released 13ième apôtre, a quadruple album comprising forty songs, which he proclaimed to be his last, before later resurfacing with Nyataquance (2017), Légende Millénium (2021), and Légende Éd. Diamond (2022).[28][29][30]
Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba was born on 13 July 1956, in Stanleyville (present-day Kisangani), in the Belgian Congo (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), to Aminata Angélique Muyonge and Charles Agbepa.[31][4] His father is Congolese, while his mother is of Sierra Leonean and Congolese descent. He was named Koffi, which means Friday in Akan, in accordance with the West African custom of naming newborns based on the day of their birth.[32] He grew up in Kinshasa's Lemba commune until his family relocated to Lingwala in 1973.[33][34][35] In his youth, he aspired to become a professional footballer but later pivoted towards music, drawing inspiration from Franco Luambo, Le Grand Kallé, Vicky Longomba, and Tabu Ley Rochereau.[4][15] In an interview with Afropop Worldwide, Agbepa stated, "My father told me that I couldn't be a musician, a singer, if I didn't get a degree, a license."[15] In 1974, at 18 years old, he obtained a high school scientific baccalaureate and pursued business studies in southwestern France at the University of Bordeaux.[30][4][36] While on campus, he procured a six-string guitar, taught himself to play, and began composing.[15]
During school holidays in the mid-1970s, Agbepa returned to Kinshasa and began composing lyrics for various artists in the Zairean music scene, earning the sobriquet "the most famous student in Zaire" and seizing the attention of Papa Wemba, who had recently departed from Yoka Lokole and was actively engaged as a lyricist.[13][16] Agbepa recorded his debut single, "Onia", while on leave in Kinshasa.[37] Following the establishment of Viva La Musica, he contributed songs such as "Mère Supérieure", "Ebalé Mbongé", and "Aissa Na Zoé".[38][19][39] In mid-1977, alongside Wemba and King Kester Emeneya, he composed "Asso" and "Princesse ya Synza".[4][40] In subsequent years, he released songs like "Samba Samba", "Ekoti ya Nzube", "Elengi ya Mbonda", and "Bien Aimée Aniba"[41][42] While making music during off-peak hours and mainly during holidays, straddling Zaire and France, Agbepa graduated with a Bachelor's degree in business economics in 1980, with his thesis "La commercialisation des matières premières minières du Zaïre, un atout pour celui-ci?".[23][33][28]
Following his graduation, Agbepa went to Kinshasa but could not find employment.[43] He then returned to Europe in search of work. After coming back to Zaire in 1982, he established the Historia Musica ensemble, alongside Debaba, though their collaboration was brief, due to disputes. Agbepa subsequently toured Brussels to record his debut solo studio album, Ngounda, which was released in 1983. Ngounda was produced by Roland Leclerc at the Veve studio and included a guest appearance by Josky Kiambukuta.[4][43][16] Agbepa described this as his "first experience in a professional studio".[16]
Ngounda received mixed reviews, and Agbepa began working on his second studio album, Lady Bo, which was released in 1984 and featured King Kester Emeneya as a guest artist.[43][41]
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Further information: Quartier Latin International |
Agbepa's third studio album, Diva, arranged by Rigo Bamundélé, was released in 1985 and gained international popularity.[43][44][45]
Diva introduced Agbepa's Tcha Tcho (also known as "Soukous Love") style of music—a slower, sensuous variant of soukous. The style was widely emulated by many artists and was notably appealing to young women.[43][41][46] The West Africa Publishing Company described Agbepa's style as "an irresistible concoction".[47]
While working on his forthcoming album, Ngobila, Agbepa made appearances on the records Olomidé et Yakini Kiese (with Yakini Kiese) and Olomidé et Fafa de Molokaï (with Fafa de Molokaï).[43] Ngobila was released in 1986 but did not garner considerable success. The album's eponymous lead single narrates the tale of a man standing on a port quay, witnessing the departure of his beloved, uncertain if fate would reunite them. Later that year, Agbepa established the group Quartier Latin International.[43][28] His solo records and Quartier Latin albums were then released alternately, with the same musical personnel.[16]
At the start of 1987, rumors spread that Agbepa had succumbed to AIDS in Europe.[43][48] This enormously affected Agbepa, rousing him to compose the song "Ngulupa", in which he responds to his critics with the lyrics: "Bomoni té, boyoki yango, tika kotuba koloba, tuba tuba eza mabé" (you haven't seen anything, only heard; stop talking about things you don't know; verbal diarrhea is a bad thing).[43] He also addresses illness in "Dieu Voit Tout", singing, "Kuna na mboka lola ata bato oyo ya sida, bazuaka pe kimia oyo ya seko" (at least in heaven, there is eternal peace even for those who suffer from AIDS).[49][50]
In mid-1987, Agbepa released his fifth studio album, Rue D'Amour, which was later reissued in CD format in 1992 by Sonodisc under the title Golden Star dans Stéphie.[43][41] The record featured backing vocals by Nyboma, bass guitar by Rigo Bamundélé, drum programming by Gérard Weiss, drums by Ringo Moya, and synthesizer work by Manu Lima.[43][51] Songs on the album explored themes of love, such as "Stéphie", and jealousy towards Agbepa, in "Petit frères ya Yesus" and "Droits de l'homme".[43] The track "Mosika na Miso" was a tribute to Claudien Likulia, son of General Norbert Likulia Bolongo.
In mid-1988, he released the six-track album Henriquet, an eponymous homage to that year's Miss Zaire.[16] The record included a guest appearance by Manu Lima and propelled Agbepa to stardom across several countries, including the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Kenya. Lukunku Sampu of the Office Zaïrois de Radio Télévision, extolled him as "the biggest current star of Zairean music".[41][28]
In August 1989, Agbepa released his seventh studio album, Elle et Moi. Its eponymous lead single was dedicated to his daughter Minou.[41][28] Elle et Moi features Agbepa's guitar and bass performances, arranged by Manu Lima. His distinct Tcha Tcho cadence underwent a contemporary transformation on the album, featuring a more modern sound.[41][28] While in Paris, rumors surfaced of his alleged arrest with drugs, but they were swiftly quelled.[41][28]
In 1990, Agbepa released his eighth studio album, Les prisonniers dorment... Released on SonoDisc, it sold over 100,000 copies worldwide.[52] Gilles Obringer acclaimed the album on his Radio France Internationale show Canal Tropical. The record won two consecutive awards at the 1991 Trophées de la musique Zaïroise, for "Best Songwriter" and "Best Album of the Year".[52][53]
In February 1992, he released his ninth studio album, Haut De Gamme, again through SonoDisc.[54][55] It blended Tcha Tcho, Kwassa kwassa, and Congolese rumba.[56][57] The album's lead singles, "Désespoir" and "Koweit Rive Gauches", are devoted to romantic relationships. The chart-topping single "Papa Bonheur", with its animated kwassa kwassa intro segments, catapulted him to stardom in African and European markets.[58][59][60] In 2005, Haut De Gamme was featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, the only Congolese album to achieve this milestone.[60][61]
On 1 June 1992, Agbepa released Quartier Latin's debut studio album, Pas de faux pas, through SonoDisc. To support the record, Agbepa embarked on a continent-wide tour and was subsequently invited to perform at Gabon's Palais du bord de mer by President Omar Bongo Ondimba. He also performed during Denis Sassou Nguesso's presidential campaign in Congo.[52] Later that year, Agbepa and Jossart N'Yoka Longo were arrested due to perceived lascivious animations within their songs; they were later released.[52][41]
On 14 August 1993, Agbepa performed at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles to present his forthcoming album, Noblesse Oblige, which was officially released in September 1993. It sold over 100,000 copies and was certified Gold.[28][41] That year, Agbepa toured Kenya and performed at Safari Park Hotel.[62] The album's triumph gave rise to Agbepa's fandom dubbing themselves "koffiettes" and "koffiphiles".[63][64]
On 22 November 1994, Agbepa released Quartier Latin's second studio album, Magie, accompanied by music videos shot in the United States and Paris.[28] He subsequently performed at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles and at FNAC Forum. Magie debuted at No. 6 in the top 30 of FNAC Forum.[28][8] In December 1994, Agbepa won two consecutive African Music Awards at the Palais des Congrès at the Hotel Ivoire in Ivory Coast, for "Best Male Singer" and "Best Video Clip".[28]
V12, Agbepa's thirteenth studio album, released on 9 October 1995, earned him a gold record, with sales exceeding 100,000 copies. The lead single, "Fouta Djallon", debuted among the top 20 Congolese rumba songs that year. In December, he presented the album during a concert at Ivoire InterContinental in Ivory Coast.[65][52][41]
In 1996, he released the album Wake Up, featuring Papa Wemba, to quash rumors of a feud between them.[66][67][68]
On 21 May 1997, he published Ultimatum, Quartier Latin's third studio album, followed by his own release, Loi, in December.[52][69][70] Produced by SonoDisc, Loi reached a gold record, with over 25,000 copies in France and 105,000 internationally. The album's eponymous lead single became the hallmark of the ndombolo dance, making waves across Africa.[52][70] Driven by producer Ngoyarto's suggestion, Agbepa released his first compilation album, N'Djoli, featuring his early songs with Papa Wemba, King Kester Emeneya, and Félix Manuaku Waku.[64][52]
On 1 January 1998, Agbepa released Quartier Latin's fourth record, Droit de Veto, which fused traditional soukous rhythms, ndombolo beats, and Congolese rumba.[71][16][72] Droit de Veto was the last album to feature a few members who left the following year to form their own ensemble, Quartier Latin Académia, in Paris.[73][74][75] The album's eponymous single became a chart-topping hit in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and gained widespread acclaim across Africa, earning the band their first gold record.[76][71]
On 29 August, Agbepa sold out the Olympia Hall in Paris, becoming the first Congolese artist to do so since Tabu Ley Rochereau in 1970 and Abeti Masikini in 1973.[64][77] François Bensignor, writing for the French digital library Persée, lauded the event as a "historic musical date for the Congolese community" and commended Agbepa as the "undisputed current leader of Congolese music".[16] Patrick Labesse of Le Monde praised Agbepa as the "king of rumba and soukous" and noted that he maintained his dominance over all rivals in the "field of Congo-Zairean music".[64]
On 7 November, Agbepa sold out the Zénith de Paris, becoming the first solo ndombolo artist to achieve this feat.[78][79] He performed a few tracks from his previous albums and engaged in a dance-off with the Haitian band Tabou Combo.[28][80] To further bolster the album's promotion, he took the stage at the Brixton Academy in London and clinched the Kora Award for Best Central African Artist later that year.[28]
In November 1999, Agbepa released Attentat, an album titled in homage to the 1998 attacks on American embassies in Africa. Attentat attained a gold record within two months, selling over 100,000 copies.[81]
On 19 February 2000, Agbepa became the first African solo artist to perform at a sold-out Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy (now Accor Arena), with 17,000 tickets sold solely through word-of-mouth promotion.[82][83][84] Libération reported that over 5,000 people were left outside due to lack of seats.[83]
On 26 December 2000, Agbepa released Quartier Latin's fifth studio album, Force de Frappe, which featured songs by various artists. The record swiftly secured a prominent position on the music charts of major radio and TV channels and was followed by a tour in West Africa, Nairobi, Mombasa, and Paris.[85][86][87][88]
Agbepa began recording his album Effrakata while on tour in France and the US.[85] During this time, he performed at the Lincoln Center in New York City as part of his American tour.[89] On 7 December, Agbepa released the 16-track double album Effrakata, which earned a gold record, with sales eclipsing 180,000 copies.[90][41][91] The album won Agbepa four Kora Awards in 2002, for Best Male Artist of Central Africa, Best Video of Africa, Best Arrangement of Africa, as well as the Jury Special Award, earning him the moniker "Quadra Koraman".[92][93] On 16 November, he presented his trophies to Kinshasa's governor, Marthe Ngalula Wafuana, the Congolese minister of culture and the arts, and President Joseph Kabila.[93] Agbepa and Quartier Latin later won seven awards, including Best Album of the Year, Best Presenter for Kérozène, Best Author/Composer, Best Artist-Musician for Koffi Olomidé, Best Singer for Fally Ipupa, Best Orchestra for Quartier Latin, and Best Song of the Year, for their track "Effervescent".[41]
Quartier Latin's sixth album, Affaire d'Etat, was released in France on 28 March 2003 and Congo on 5 April.[94][95] It contains 16 tracks and features Fally Ipupa's compositions "Ko-Ko-Ko-Ko", Fofo le Collégien's "Inch'Allah", Bouro Mpela's "Calvaire", Soleil Wanga's "Drapeau Blanc", Jipson Butukondolo's "Biblia", Lola Muana's "Tendrement", Deo Brondo's "Tous Pepele", and Montana Kamenga's "Love Story", among others.[94][96] Produced by Obouo Productions, the album won the Kora Award for Best African Group, shared with Ivorian ensemble Anti Palu. On 12 April, the group supported the album with a concert at the Zénith de Paris.[97] To further advance the album's promotion, Agbepa and Quartier Latin embarked on a tour of the US and Canada.[98] The band also toured the Republic of Congo in late July 2003 to prepare for their participation in the Pan-African Music Festival, held jointly in Brazzaville and Kinshasa from 2 to 8 August. Agbepa was awarded the "Kouyate Souri Kanta" for his performance.[98][99][100]
Following his North American tour, Agbepa introduced his forthcoming album, Monde Arabe, during a concert in Kinshasa.[101] Initially slated for a December 2003 release, the record came out a year later. In the wake of SonoDisc's closure, Agbepa self-produced the 18-track double album, which was distributed by Sonima.[102] Monde Arabe sparked a fashion trend called "Sabot Monde Arabe", which was a pair of round-toed slippers decorated with pearls, covering the phalanges and metatarsals of the foot.[103][104] However, one month after the album's debut, the Congolese Censorship Commission prohibited its three singles, "Alya", "Silivi", and "Esili", from airing on television due to perceived obscenities within the tracks.[105]
On 12 February 2005, Agbepa took part in a Valentine's Day celebration with Quartier Latin at Maïsha Park in Kinshasa, also inviting musicians Tshala Muana and Madilu System onstage.[106] On 30 March, he performed at the Royal Festival Hall in London,[107] followed by performances at the Music Ebène Festival in Dakar, Senegal, in April, and at the fifth edition of Festival Panafricain de Musique in July.[108][109] On 4 December, Agbepa won the Kora Lifetime Achievement Award in South Africa.[41]
On 5 December 2005, he released a two-track maxi single titled "Boma Nga N'Elengi".[37]
In September 2006, Agbepa began recording Quartier Latin's seventh studio album, Danger de Mort, at Ndiaye studio in Kinshasa, while also producing an advertising single titled "Swi" for Bracongo.[110] Danger de Mort was released on 13 October 2006 and became Quartier Latin's final record, due to the consecutive departure of several members.[111][112][113] Agbepa supported the album with a live show at Radio Television Groupe Avenir on 27 May 2007,[114] followed by a performance at the Zénith de Paris on 13 October 2007.[115]
In early 2008, Agbepa announced that his forthcoming, yet-unnamed album was nearing completion and scheduled for release in May.[116] In an interview with Le Potentiel, he stated, "My album comes out around mid-May... It has no title. I simply signed it 'the priest's album'."[116] The record included several collaborations with Cindy Le Coeur. Agbepa later teamed up with Youssou N'Dour on the single "Festival" and then toured Paris with various artists who had contributed to the album Lokua Kanza.[116] In March, Agbepa began recording several music videos in Atlanta[116] The record, finally titled Bord Ezanga Kombo, came out on 7 August 2008.[117] It sold 60,000 copies within four months and achieved a gold record.[118][119] To promote it, Agbepa sold out the Palais de la Culture d'Abidjan and Complexe Sportif de Yopougon in Ivory Coast[120] and Centre Wallonie Bruxelles in Paris.[121][122] Bord Ezanga Kombo faced censorship by the DRC's Commission Nationale de Censure (national censorship commission) on 23 January 2009, who cited obscenities within certain tracks and music videos.[123][124][125] The ban was revoked on 23 February 2009.[126] Out of the album's 14 tracks, only six received the commission's approval for television broadcast, including "Grand Prêtre Mère", dedicated to Agbepa's wife, along with "BB Goût", "Ikea", "Sixième Chantier", "Salopette", and "Festival".[126] In March 2009, Agbepa participated in the World Festival of Black Arts in Dakar, Senegal, alongside Manu Dibango, Issa Hayatou, Aïcha Koné, Salif Keita, Akon, Pape Diouf, and Sepp Blatter.[127]
In September 2009, he was scheduled to perform at the opening of the 29th SADC summit but was excluded due to his non-participation in the summit's opening song, which was recorded in Kinshasa together with other Congolese artists.[128][129][130]
On 17 October 2009, Agbepa performed at the Pullman Kinshasa Grand Hotel,[131] in tribute to Franco Luambo, with a lineup of former OK Jazz members and contemporary rumba artists, including Malage de Lugendo, Papa Noël Nedule, Wuta Mayi, Edo Nganga, Michel Boyibanda, Jossart N'Yoka Longo, Bozi Boziana, Manda Chante, Papa Wemba, Tshala Muana, M'bilia Bel, Simaro Lutumba, and Bana Ok.[131] Later that same year, Agbepa released the 7-track maxi single "La Chicotte à Papa".[132]
In June 2011, Agbepa's album Abracadabra was pirated before its planned release on 23 December 2011.[133][134][135] The music video for the album's lead single, "Double Mbonda", was broadcast clandestinely in certain bars, local channels, and on Trace Africa.[134][133] Agbepa directly accused Les Combattants, a group of demonstrators against artists supporting president Joseph Kabila, of being behind the piracy. He alleged that they aimed to tarnish his musical career by disseminating all the songs across the internet.[136][137] His producer, Diego Music Lubaki, ultimately decided to release the album on 10 January 2012, as a countermeasure against piracy; Agbepa also distributed his album for free in Kinshasa.[138][139] The record again faced accusations of indecency by the Kinshasa censorship commission.[139]
In May 2013, he began recording his upcoming album, 13ème Apôtre, announcing that it would be his career's 20th and final.[140][141] During an interview with Radio Okapi, he explained that he sees himself as the thirteenth Apostle of Jesus and named his album accordingly.[142] He also expressed his belief that Black apostles are needed and referred to Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Bob Marley, and Muhammad Ali as people who could have been Apostles of Jesus.[142] In mid-2014, Agbepa commenced filming music videos for select tracks and invited collaborators to partake.[143][144]
In October 2014, Congolese singer JB Mpiana publicly called Agbepa "Old Ebola" after a financial dispute between the two. Agbepa subsequently reclaimed the slur, using it in banners to promote his forthcoming album.[145] On 21 October, Kinshasa police arrested Agbepa for offending the international community's efforts to combat the hemorrhagic fever.[146][147]
Following his release from jail, Agbepa released the five-track EP Bana Zebola in June 2015. 13ème Apôtre was officially published on 13 October 2015 and sold over 22,000 copies in one day and 46,000 copies within a week.[148][149][142] It topped the charts, debuting at No. 1 on the French iTunes and peaking at No. 15 in the iTunes World ranking. The lead single, "Selfie" (alternately known as "Ekoti té"), became a viral sensation, with over a million views on YouTube in just three weeks.[150][151] The hashtag #OpérationSelfie gained traction across various social media platforms and was embraced by celebrities such as French singer Matt Pokora, Ivorian footballer Didier Drogba, and French-Congolese footballer Blaise Matuidi.[152][151][150] In recognition of his triumphs, Trace Africa dedicated the month of October to Agbepa.[153] Several programs were aired, retracing his lifetime journey. The French channels TV5Monde and France 24, along with media outlets in Canada, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Senegal, the UK, and the US also covered the "Selfie" phenomenon.[153]
Following a one-year hiatus from music, Agbepa resurfaced and announced to La Prospérité that a new album, Nyataquance, was nearing completion. He also told the press that he was actively working on an eponymous lead single.[154] He issued the single on 8 March 2017, on International Women's Day.[155] After the album's publication, Leo Pajon reviewed it for Jeune Afrique and described it as Agbepa's plea for "forgiveness" from women.[155] In an interview with Cameroon Radio Television, Agbepa stated, "Many women are angry with me; I wanted to ask them for forgiveness". The album includes the single "Pardon", a paean to women, which also pays homage to his father, daughter, mother, and wife.[155] To further support the album, Agbepa organized a Women's Day concert at Hôtel Invest in Kinshasa, a joint performance with Fally Ipupa.[156]
Agbepa was scheduled to perform in Johannesburg on 28 June 2019, at the Gallagher Convention Centre, and in Cape Town on 29 June, at the Shimmy Beach Club.[157][158] However, the concerts were called off due to allegations against him of "violence against women and gender-related violence".[157] He subsequently visited the European Parliament in Brussels in January 2020 to present his foundation, Frères de Terre, which assists disadvantaged populations in the DRC.[159]
In March 2020, he released the single "Coronavirus Assassin" to urge people to stay indoors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.[160] Sung in Lingala and French,[160] the song attributed the pandemic to the "anger of God".[161]
Agbepa was slated to perform at Paris La Défense Arena on 13 February 2021, to promote his forthcoming album, Légende Millénium,[162][163] but the event was postponed to 27 November 2021.[163][164] One month before the rescheduled date, the event was canceled due to the ongoing global pandemic.[163][165] In September 2021, Agbepa announced on his YouTube channel that Légende Millénium was almost complete;[166] the album was to feature guest artists such as Tiwa Savage, Fally Ipupa, Gally Garvey, Ninho, Damso, Gaz Mawete, Hiro Le Coq, Davido, and Inoss'B.[166][167][168] In promotion, Agbepa released "Mon Amour", a rumba-infused single featuring Cameroonian singer Charlotte Dipanda.[168] Légende Millénium was published on 22 November 2021.[169][170] He subsequently performed two concerts in Goma to commemorate Quartier Latin's 35th anniversary, with proceeds going to "victims of rebel attacks and natural disasters".[170]
In November 2022, Agbepa released Légende Ed. Diamond, the second volume of Légende Millénium, with an additional 14 tracks. It combined traditional Congolese rumba, ndombolo, and urban music.[171] A review in Akum Radio FM described it as a "cultural broth that brings together all age groups".[171]
In 2003, Agbepa's album Affaire d'Etat flaunted his previous Kora Awards and taunted JB Mpiana for being less successful.[96] Meanwhile, some fans of Wenge Musica Maison Mère contended that Quartier Latin plagiarized Werrason's allegorical tale of mboloko (hare) and mbwa (dog).[96] There were also further allegations that the album's cover and introductory segment bore resemblances to Werrason's 2002 Zenith de Paris performance.[96]
In May 2005, Agbepa stirred up controversy while marketing his album Monde Arabe by adopting the sobriquet "Benedict XVI". Despite the latter's recent appointment as head of the Catholic Church, the move was "strongly" censured by the Episcopal Conference of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which deemed it discourteous towards the pontiff.[172][173]
In early March 2009, a feud erupted between Agbepa and his former bandleader and mentor Papa Wemba when the latter verbally assaulted Agbepa during a YouTube interview on the show Chez Francis.[174] Papa Wemba alleged that Agbepa pirated the album Wake Up.[174] Agbepa filed a complaint against Papa Wemba at the Ngaliema Peace Court in Kinshasa for "damaging his reputation". Following the second hearing on 19 March, Papa Wemba faced a potential sentence of eight days to six months in prison for slander under the DRC law.[174][175] The prosecution sought an estimated one million dollars.[174] However, Agbepa withdrew his complaint against on 25 March.[176]
In early November 2017, Agbepa was verbally attacked by Ferré Gola during a YouTube interview.[177][178] Agbepa filed a complaint against Ferré Gola for insult and defamation. On 21 November, Ferré Gola was held in custody for 24 hours in Gombe, Kinshasa.[178] However, on 22 November, the judicial court found no evidence for Agbepa's complaint, and Ferré Gola was released.[178][179]
In February 2012, Agbepa fled Paris, where he had been indicted for the rape and kidnapping of three ex-dancers from his Quartier Latin International.[180]
In August 2012, he was arrested at the Ndiaye music studio in Kinshasa, following a fracas with his producer, Diego Music Lubaki, over charges of assault and battery stemming from an altercation at the Venus Hotel.[181][182] He was tried at the Tribunal de Paix de Gombe. At issue was a debt of €3,000 that Diego Music owed to Agbepa. The latter instead claimed €6,000 during the legal proceedings.[181] All parties agreed that Agbepa did go to the hotel to claim his debt from Lubaki. Each party, in turn, levied accusations of aggression against the other during their testimonies before the magistrates.[181] The physical encounter damaged Lubaki's room door, and some hotel property was broken. Three witnesses, all hotel employees, gave their statements against Agbepa, but their testimonies lacked consistency.[181]
Ultimately, the judge adjudicated the charge of assault and battery against Agbepa, doling out a sentence of three months, which was suspended after the court found the accusation of "malicious destruction" unproven, particularly regarding the alleged destruction of the door lock to the room where Lubaki was staying. The latter, opting for reconciliation, withdrew his complaint, thus preferring to settle the matter amicably.[181]
In July 2016, while on a concert trip in Kenya,[183] Agbepa was caught on camera kicking one of his female dancers. The action was widely condemned and led to the suspension of his performance after the video went viral.[184] Agbepa was arrested five days later at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, allegedly for the same unpunished action.[185][186] He was subsequently jailed for five days without judgement and released with no explanation. However, it was later revealed that the former Congolese First Lady, Olive Lembe di Sita, was behind the arrest, as she was an advocate for women's protection against violence and rape.[187][188][189]
In 2018, Agbepa was ordered for arrest for assault on a photographer in Zambia, though he freely left the country.[190]
In 2019, he was found guilty by a French court of statutory rape of one of his former dancers, when she was 15 years old. He was handed a two-year suspended jail sentence in absentia, as he did not attend court in France.[191][190]
Two of his concerts in South Africa were canceled due to the offense.[157] In September, the DRC's censorship commission banned his songs and performances, claiming that he had shown disregard for the commission's mandate, which requires "prior written authorization" for the broadcast of artistic works, as stipulated by a 1996 statute aimed at preventing the incitement of "racial or tribal hatred" and safeguarding societal norms. As a result, many television stations refrained from airing his eight singles from the Nyataquance album.[192][193]
On 25 October 2021, Agbepa appeared at the Versailles Court of Appeal in Paris.[194][195] During the hearing, the prosecutor requested an eight-year sentence, while Agbepa's lawyers pleaded for release.[196] The court adjourned the proceedings and scheduled deliberation on 13 December.[194] Agbepa was subsequently acquitted of the sexual assault charges but was sentenced to 18 months in jail with a three-year probationary suspension for the sequestration charges.[197][198] The acquittal was given "with the benefit of the doubt", as there were "evolving, sometimes contradictory statements" from the complainants.[199]
On 3 May 2003, sixteen people were reported dead at the Stade de l'Amitié in Cotonou, Benin, during Agbepa's performance, caused by crowd crush.[200] Le Phare's reported that the concert was poorly coordinated, lacking adequate security and proper podium setup.[201] Critically, only one out of fifteen stadium entrances was accessible, as the venue was undergoing renovations in preparation for the 2005 African Youth Championship, making it unsuitable for Agbepa's concert.[201][202] Agbepa later paid tribute to the victims with his single "Les Martyrs du Tchatcho".[203]
Agbepa has been married three times and has several children with different women. His first spouse was Marianne Makosso, with whom he had two children.[204][205][206] He subsequently had three children with his second wife, Stephanie Godee.[207][204]
Agbepa began dating his third wife, Aliane, a former French model, in the early 1990s, in Paris. They got married on 15 April 1994, in a small Congolese community in Paris, and have three children together.[204][208] He has dedicated several songs to Aliane, including "Miss des Miss", from the album Noblesse Oblige (1993), "12ème Dan" from Abracadabra (2012), and "Alidor", from Nyataquance (2017).[209] Their daughter, Didi-Stone Naïke, is a fashion model and social media personality.[204][210] She has been featured on numerous fashion and lifestyle magazine covers, including Vogue, Grazia, and Vanity Fair. She was named L'Oréal Paris Ambassador for France in 2020 and a national ambassador for UNICEF on International Women's Day in 2022.[204]
After 27 years of marriage, Aliane filed for divorce in 2021 in Paris, after months of rumors in the Congolese press about their marital conflicts.[211] Their divorce was finalized in 2022, after a year of legal proceedings in Bobigny.[211]
Agbepa was alleged to have had an extramarital relationship with a soprano vocalist in his band, Cindy Le Coeur, since 2013, while still married to Aliane.[212][213] Rumors began circulating in 2017 that Le Coeur had a child with Agbepa.[212]
In 2020, Agbepa expressed his interest in becoming the chief of staff for Congolese president Félix Tshisekedi after Vital Kamerhe's legal issues.[214] In July 2021, he became an executive member of the Alliance des Forces Démocratiques du Congo (AFDC), a political party led by the president of the Senate, Modeste Bahati Lukwebo.[215][214][216]
On 9 February 2022, Tshisekedi appointed Agbepa as a cultural ambassador of the nation with a diplomatic passport, making him the third Congolese solo musical artist to receive this honor, after Maître Gim and Dadju.[217][218][219] Agbepa was tasked with representing Congolese culture beyond its borders.[220][221] On 24 February, Catherine Kathungu Furaha, the Minister of Culture, Arts, and Heritage, met with Agbepa to discuss the ministry's plan and strategy to promote Congolese culture through his ambassadorship title.[222][223]
In March 2024, Agbepa announced his candidacy in the senatorial elections in the Sud-Ubangi constituency, which were scheduled for 27–29 March, with polls scheduled for 31 March 2024.[214]
Agbepa is one of the most popular African musicians of all time.[224][225] He has helped boost the careers of numerous up-and-coming artists, some of whom originally played in his Quartier Latin ensemble and later went solo, such as Fele Mudogo, Sam Tshintu, Suzuki Luzubu 4x4, Soleil Wanga, Bouro Mpela, Fally Ipupa, Montana Kamenga, and Ferré Gola.[226][227][228][227]
Agbepa is one of the best-selling artists in Africa. He has won six Kora Awards, four of them in a single evening, for his album Effrakata, making him the only African artist to achieve this milestone.[229][230][231] He is also the only Congolese solo artist whose work is featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[60][61]
