Lokua Kanza | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Pascal Lokua Kanza |
Born | Bukavu, Belgian Congo (modern-day Democratic Republic of the Congo) | April 21, 1958
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instrument(s) | Guitar, harmonica, vocals, drums, lap steel |
Years active | 1980s—present |
Labels | |
Website | www |
Pascal Lokua Kanza (born 21 April 1958), known professionally as Lokua Kanza, is a Congolese singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, philanthropist, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his soulful, folksy sound, which is atypical of the dancefloor-friendly African rumba music.[1][2][3][4][5] He sings in French, Swahili, Lingala, Portuguese, English, and Wolof. He was a member of the coaching panel of the Voice Afrique Francophone from 2016 to 2017.[6][7]
Kanza began his career as a guitarist in Abeti Masikini's band Les Redoutables in 1980 and later moved to Ivory Coast, where he worked with Best Orchestra.[8][9][10] In 1984, Kanza relocated to Paris, where he emerged as a significant figure within the French world music scene.[11][12] His eponymous debut solo album, Lokua Kanza, released in 1992, catapulted him to stardom and won the Best African Album at the African Music Awards.[13][14][15][16] Kanza's second album, Wapi Yo (1995), yielded his highest commercial success, with the lead single "Shadow Dancer" charting in several European countries.[15][17][18] Kanza released his third album, Lokua Kanza 3, in 1998,[15][19] followed by Toyebi Té (2002),[20][21] Toto Bona Lokua (2004),[22][23] Plus Vivant (2005),[5][24][25] Nkolo (2010),[26] Bondeko (2017),[22] and Moko (2021).[27][28][29]
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