Africa Top Success Ils font l'Afrique
The emotion is lively in all Africa. A Congolese great voice, the one of King Kester Emeneya of his real name Jean Emeneya Mubiala Kwamambu, was just gone.
He was born on November 23rd, 1956 in Kikwit and he went dead on February 13th, 2014 in Paris at Marie Lannelongue hospital. He was only 57 years old.
He began making music in Kikwit in the Angels Blacks group when he was a school boy at the Don Bosco Institute.
After his high school certificate, he studied in Lubumbashi political and administrative sciences. He was known in 1977 when he joined Papa Wemba’s Viva la Musica group. The latter urged him to launch into a solo career: « I was the conductor and from time to time that I was not there, he then took over. He managed Viva la Musica in a masterly fashion. He came with his way of making music: we all followed him. He brought a style which a lot of Congolese singers admired and which they always take back today. The Congolese music flag is at half-mast. »
In 1977, he created his own group Victoria Eleison. He became then the most popular African artist of the years 1980-1990.
Emeneya Mubiala Kwamambu was the first artist of Central Africa known to have used the synthesizer and the computerized musical programming. In 1987, his album « Nzinzi » was an great commercial success worldwide.
He was appointed as the year best star in Congo from 1982 to 1989.
King Kester Emeneya’s success was global; he presented on the five continents. In 1991, Japaneses were unable to resist to his music, so were North Americans. With his group Victoria Eleison, he was the first Congolese artist with Abeti Masikini to have presented at the Zénith of Paris.
Nobody will forget his huge concert in Congo Kinshasa at the stadium of the Martyrs in 1997 in front of an audience of more than 80 000 people on his return into the country after 7 years of absence.
All in all, he is said to have written and interpreted more than 1 000 songs during his career.
King Kester Emeneya had lived in France since 1991 with his family. He had two official residences in Kinshasa in the very rich district of Ma Campagne.
His last album « This is me » was planned for the next summer. Will it come out?
His discography
Miléna(1977,Viva La Musica)
Kaba Zonga(1978,Viva La Musica)
Ndako Ya Ndélé(1978,Viva La Musica)
Kayolé(1979,Viva La Musica)
Ata Nkalé(1979,Viva La Musica)
Dikando(1980,Viva La Musica)
La Runda(1980,Viva La Musica)
Dembela,Ngonda(1980,Viva La Musica)
Mishueni,Fleur d’été,Horoscope(1981,Viva La Musica)
Naya (1982)
Ngabelo (1982)
Okosi ngai Mfumu (1982)
Surmenage (1983)
Kimpiatu (1985)
Willo mondo (1985)
Wabelo (1986)
Ambenzo (1987)
Manhattan (1987)
Nzinzi (1988)
Mokusa(1990)
Dikando Remix (1991)
Polo Kina (1992)
Every Body (1993)
Live in Japan (1994)
Every Body (Remix) (1995)
Pas de contact (1996)
Succès Fous (1997)
Mboka Mboka (1998)
Never Again Plus jamais (1999)
Longue Histoire (Volume 1 & 2) (2000)
Live au Zénith de Paris (2001)
Live à l’Olympia (Bruno COQUATRIX) de Paris (2002)
Rendre à César … … ce qui est à César. (2002)
Nouvel ordre (2002)
Skol (2006)
Le Jour Le Plus Long(2007)
This is me (2014)
DVD
The Best of King Kester Emeneya (Volume 1&2) (Clips) (2006)
