Tabu Ley Rochereau

Pascal-Emmanuel Sinamoyi Tabu (13 November 1940 – 30 November 2013), known professionally as Tabu Ley Rochereau, was a Congolese singer-songwriter, record executive, and bandleader who became one of the most influential figures in Congolese rumba. Noted for his clarion baritone voice and prolific songwriting, he led or co-led several prominent bands, including African Fiesta with guitarist Nico Kasanda, African Fiesta National, and Orchestre Afrisa International. Dubbed "Le Seigneur Rochereau", "Vieux Maze", and "King of Congolese rumba", he is credited with composing more than 3,000 songs and recording 250 albums during a career spanning over five decades. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked him 178th on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. Tabu Ley was born in Bagata, Kwilu, and made his official debut with Le Grand Kallé's African Jazz at the Vis-à-Vis dance hall in Kinshasa on 6 June 1959 and became a permanent member of the band following its return from Brussels in 1960. His songwriting and distinctive vocal style brought him early recognition. In 1963, he and Kasanda co-founded African Fiesta, and, following disagreements between the two bandleaders, African Fiesta split in 1966, with Kasanda leading African Fiesta Sukisa and Tabu Ley establishing African Fiesta National. In 1969, Tabu Ley founded International Service Artistic (ISA), a company that also operated as a record label, and subsequently assembled the female dance troupe Les Rocherettes. In 1970, he established Orchestre Afrisa International, which became one of the leading bands in Congolese and African popular music. On 12 December 1970, he began a series of performances at the Olympia Hall in Paris, becoming the first sub-Saharan African and the second African artist, after Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum, to perform at the venue. During the 1970s and 1980s, Tabu Ley introduced musical and choreographic innovations to Congolese rumba, including...