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 32 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]Forbes has named him among Africa's 40 most influential celebrities.[27] In 2013, he founded his own recording label, Koffi Central.[28] On 13 October 2015, he released 13ième apôtre, a quadruple album comprising 39 songs, which he proclaimed to be his last, before later resurfacing with Nyataquance (2017),[29][30]Légende Éd. Diamond (2022),[31] and Platinum (2024).[32]
^ ab"Koffi Olomidé". Congolese Music. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
^Dictionnaire des immortels de la musique congolaise moderne (in French). San Francisco, California, United States: Academia. June 2012. pp. 22–24. ISBN9782296492837.