THE entertainment world recently lost two renowned musicians, Papa Wemba of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Prince Rogers Nelson of the United States of America. Although the two musical icons made their names in different genres of music, they had many things in common. Both were influential and revered musicians, actors and producers, as well as respected cultural icons with fans all over the world.
Papa Wemba collapsed and died while performing at a music festival in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, on April 24, at the age of 66. Prince Nelson, on the other hand, was found dead in his Paisely Compound, Minnesota, USA, on April 21. He was 58.
The death of these global musical ambassadors has robbed the world of two of its most accomplished artistes. They will be sorely missed by their fans for their danceable music, their soulful rhythms and flamboyant stage performances.
Born as Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba on June 14, 1949 in Lubefu, Belgian Congo, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, Papa Wemba’s musical career started with singing in the church choir. The late musician had acknowledged the religious influence in his music in an interview when he explained that he left religious music completely when he started singing pop music. But he admitted that there was always the influence of religious music on his voice. As he put it: “With religious music, the minor key always recurs. When I compose songs, I often use the minor key.”
He joined the music group, Zaiko Langa Langa in the late 1960s. There, he played alongside Nyoka Longo Jossart and Bimi Ombale. He was a founding member of both Isifi Lokole and then Yoka Lokole. He had a stint with Afrisa International. The deceased gained international musical fame and success with his band, Viva La Musica, particularly after his tour of Paris, France, in the 1980s. He was reported to have honed his musical skills under the supervision of his idol, Tabu Ley Rochereau. There is no doubt that the French exposure had great influence on his musical style and composition. Wemba pioneered the blending of African, Cuban and Western sounds and made it one of Africa’s most popular music styles.
His genres of music include Congolese rumba, soukous and ndombolo. The deceased, who was also called the King of Rumba Rock, was one of the most popular contemporary musicians in Africa. He was an important figure in world music.
As a fashion icon, Wemba popularised the La Sape look and style through his musical group, Viva La Musica, which he performed with on stages throughout the world.
The celebrated musician influenced generations of Congolese musicians including Koffi Olomide. Some of his hit songs are: “Matambele Bangui, Sala Keba and Mabela Makonzi. As an actor, Wemba played the male lead role in the Zairean film, La Vie est Belle in 1987. And in 2012, he had a cameo role in the Belgian film, Kinshasa Kids.
Prince Rogers Nelson, popularly known as Prince, was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor. He was born on June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA of African-American parents – Mattie Della, a jazz singer and John Lewis Nelson, a pianist and song writer.
Prince was named after his father, who used the stage name, Prince Rogers, while he performed as a pianist with the jazz band, the Prince Rogers Trio. Prince Rogers Nelson developed interest in music at an early age and wrote his first song at seven. A musical innovator, Nelson will be remembered for his eclectic musical works, flamboyant stage presence, colourful dressing and make-up, as well as his wide vocal range. His music cuts across genres and integrates a wide variety of styles that include funk, rock, Rhythm & Blues, soul and pop. Besides his showmanship, Prince was also well known for his androgynous look and the strong female presence in his band.
In his decades of successful musical career, Prince won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Award and an Academy Award for the film, Purple Rain. He made the Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest Artistes of all time at number 27. Some of his most memorable songs include While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Little Red Corvette, I wanna be Your Lover and Purple Rain.
Without doubt, Papa Wemba and Prince Rogers Nelson revolutionised world music through their invaluable contributions. We commiserate with the music world on their demise and urge the new generation of artistes to emulate their shining examples.