390:. He is part of the growing pantheon of Congolese music stars who died much too young. He is survived by his five children. His wife died recently in 2019. People described him as a very talented musician and band leader. Others described him as a patriot who loved his country even when times were tough. "Despite bleak conditions in Zaïre/Congo during Mobutu's last years and under the faltering regime of Laurent Kabila, Pépé Kallé continued to reside in Kinshasa, refusing to join the mass movement of music stars to Europe. He was the only musician who never had a problem with anybody. He was able to reconcile two musical generations," said
378:. After his death, minister for culture and arts Juliana Lumumba announced that the government would hold a funeral for the fallen hero on December 6. Further she requested that all music performances be halted in his honour. Upon his death Kallé received praise from government ministers and the common people as well. His body lay at several locations throughout the city where he had lived and worked. More than one million people were reported to have paid their final respects at his funeral at the Palais du Peuple and along the funeral procession route. Pépé Kallé was buried on December 6 at
41:
394:. Veteran Congolese journalist Achille Ngoie, who covered Empire Bakuba from its inception, remembered Kallé as a man of the people. "Kallé could be on stage in the middle of a song and, seeing a person in the audience he hadn't seen for years, he could work a greeting to that person into the song. "He was an extraordinary person with an elephantine memory.”
212:
and a dynamic stage presence, the 210 cm (6 ft 11 in) and 150 kg (330 lb) vocalist recorded more than three hundred songs and twenty albums during his two-decade-long career. Known affectionately as "the elephant of
African music" and "La Bombe Atomique," Kallé entertained
333:
Pépé Kallé later introduced some dancers with growth disabilities like Jolie Bebe, Dominic Mabwa and Ayilla Emoro in to his band. In 1992 the band faced its first major calamity when Emoro, the band's dancing dwarf, died while on tour in
721:
284:'s top group. Throughout the early 1980s, Empire Bakuba continued to tour extensively while releasing no less than four albums a year. By the mid eighties, they had a large following throughout
253:. Empire Bakuba took its name from a Congolese warrior ethnic group, and it pointedly incorporated rootsy rhythms from the interior, sounds that had long been sidelined by popular
553:
502:
603:
222:
691:
374:. Shortly after midnight on Sunday November 29, Pépé Kallé was pronounced dead. The cause of his death was officially reported to be
537:
716:
165:
451:
658:
476:
726:
230:
296:(1988), which launched his popularity throughout Africa. In the song Moyibi, there's a part at the end that says
338:. Despite this setback, Pépé Kallé's popularity continued to soar in the nineties as he released albums like
578:
375:
371:
711:
706:
379:
242:
40:
391:
234:
533:
258:
246:
226:
199:
292:
was one of the years top selling albums. But it was his second collaboration with Nyboma,
254:
116:
355:
351:
700:
621:
437:
418:
413:
387:
311:
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Kallé fused elements of the fast-paced version of
274:
250:
195:
82:
273:, the band was a constant fixture on the charts. They also created a new dance, the
305:
327:
320:
285:
209:
179:
686:
17:
367:
335:
324:
262:
191:
175:
91:
87:
78:
639:
366:
On
November 28, 1998, Pépé Kallé suffered a heart attack at his home in
403:
312:
171:
168:
120:
408:
288:
Central and West Africa. His 1986 collaboration with Nyboma labelled
238:
206:
503:"20 years after Pepe Kalle's death, where are Empire Bakuba stars?"
213:
audiences with his robust performances. The guitarist was
Solomon.
316:
281:
554:"100+ Songs Similar to Zouke - Zouke by Pepe Kalle | Gemtracks"
308:
song named
Bakoule (Bidama), written by Honore Liengo in 1961.
452:"Young Africa by Pepe Kalle ft Empire Bakuba - Download Mp3"
198:, but later assumed his pseudonym in hommage to his mentor,
265:'s most popular youth band. With hits such as Pépé Kallé's
722:
20th-century
Democratic Republic of the Congo male singers
579:"FAGOstore - Empire Bakuba - Pepe Kalle & Nyboma (LP)"
280:
On their tenth anniversary in 1982, the band was voted
142:
134:
126:
112:
98:
65:
55:
50:
31:
257:. The band was an instant hit, and together with
249:, left Lipua Lipua to form their own band named
530:African All-stars: The Pop Music of a Continent
350:. He also collaborated with other legends like
164:(November 30, 1951 – November 29, 1998) was a
604:"Remembering the gentle giant of Congo music"
8:
330:, is a classic example of this arrangement.
108:Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
28:
532:. London, England: Quartet. p. 158.
323:– a tribute to the exploits of the great
190:Pépé Kallé was born Kabasele Yampanya in
430:
528:Stapleton, Chris; May, Chris (1987).
7:
657:Philip Sweeney (January 19, 1999).
25:
687:Pepe Kalle at Africa Music Centre
221:His musical career started with
39:
45:A posture of Pépé Kallé in 1978
438:Kenya Page Blog – Pepe Kalle
233:and became the lead singer of
1:
370:and was rushed to the nearby
450:Trendzikizm (June 4, 2023).
241:. In 1972, Kallé along with
194:(then Léopoldville) in the
743:
237:, where he sang alongside
440:by musica, April 10, 2012
319:studios. His 1990 album,
38:
229:. He later performed in
717:Musicians from Kinshasa
622:"Pepe Kalle, 1951–1998"
160:, sometimes written as
659:"Obituary: Pepe Kalle"
477:"Obituary: Pepe Kalle"
51:Background information
692:Pepe Kalle at Afropop
384:Cimetiere De La Gombe
376:myocardial infarction
304:part is taken from a
640:"Rumba on the River"
626:insideworldmusic.com
644:rumbaontheriver.com
130:singer, song writer
509:. February 1, 2023
483:. January 19, 1999
392:Tabu Ley Rochereau
727:Soukous musicians
583:www.fagostore.com
386:) in a grandiose
372:Clinique Ngaliema
259:Zaiko Langa Langa
152:
151:
102:November 29, 1998
76:November 30, 1951
61:Kabasele Yampanya
16:(Redirected from
734:
674:
673:
671:
669:
654:
648:
647:
636:
630:
629:
618:
612:
611:
600:
594:
593:
591:
589:
575:
569:
568:
566:
564:
550:
544:
543:
525:
519:
518:
516:
514:
499:
493:
492:
490:
488:
473:
467:
466:
464:
462:
447:
441:
435:
344:Larger than life
145:
105:
75:
73:
58:
43:
29:
21:
742:
741:
737:
736:
735:
733:
732:
731:
697:
696:
683:
678:
677:
667:
665:
663:The Independent
656:
655:
651:
638:
637:
633:
620:
619:
615:
610:. July 5, 2020.
602:
601:
597:
587:
585:
577:
576:
572:
562:
560:
552:
551:
547:
540:
527:
526:
522:
512:
510:
501:
500:
496:
486:
484:
481:The Independent
475:
474:
470:
460:
458:
449:
448:
444:
436:
432:
427:
400:
364:
328:Football player
269:and Papy Tex's
239:Nyboma Mwandido
219:
188:
155:
143:
107:
103:
85:
77:
71:
69:
56:
46:
34:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
740:
738:
730:
729:
724:
719:
714:
709:
699:
698:
695:
694:
689:
682:
681:External links
679:
676:
675:
649:
631:
613:
595:
570:
545:
538:
520:
494:
468:
442:
429:
428:
426:
423:
422:
421:
416:
411:
406:
399:
396:
380:Gombe Cemetery
363:
360:
352:Lutumba Simaro
298:Bakule, bakule
227:Le Grand Kallé
225:, the band of
223:l'African Jazz
218:
217:Musical career
215:
200:Le Grand Kallé
187:
184:
154:Musical artist
153:
150:
149:
146:
140:
139:
136:
132:
131:
128:
124:
123:
114:
110:
109:
106:(aged 46)
100:
96:
95:
67:
63:
62:
59:
53:
52:
48:
47:
44:
36:
35:
32:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
739:
728:
725:
723:
720:
718:
715:
713:
710:
708:
705:
704:
702:
693:
690:
688:
685:
684:
680:
668:September 30,
664:
660:
653:
650:
645:
641:
635:
632:
627:
623:
617:
614:
609:
605:
599:
596:
584:
580:
574:
571:
559:
558:Gemtracks.com
555:
549:
546:
541:
539:9780704325043
535:
531:
524:
521:
508:
504:
498:
495:
482:
478:
472:
469:
457:
453:
446:
443:
439:
434:
431:
424:
420:
419:Kwassa Kwassa
417:
415:
414:Empire Bakuba
412:
410:
407:
405:
402:
401:
397:
395:
393:
389:
388:state funeral
385:
381:
377:
373:
369:
361:
359:
357:
353:
349:
345:
341:
340:Gigantafrique
337:
331:
329:
326:
322:
318:
314:
309:
307:
303:
299:
295:
291:
287:
283:
278:
276:
275:kwassa kwassa
272:
271:Sango ya mawa
268:
264:
260:
256:
252:
251:Empire Bakuba
248:
244:
243:Dilu Dilumona
240:
236:
232:
228:
224:
216:
214:
211:
208:
205:With a multi-
203:
201:
197:
196:Belgian Congo
193:
185:
183:
181:
177:
173:
170:
167:
163:
159:
147:
141:
137:
133:
129:
127:Occupation(s)
125:
122:
118:
117:African Rumba
115:
111:
101:
97:
93:
89:
86:(present-day
84:
83:Belgian Congo
80:
68:
64:
60:
54:
49:
42:
37:
30:
27:
19:
666:. Retrieved
662:
652:
643:
634:
625:
616:
608:Daily Nation
607:
598:
586:. Retrieved
582:
573:
561:. Retrieved
557:
548:
529:
523:
511:. Retrieved
506:
497:
485:. Retrieved
480:
471:
459:. Retrieved
456:Zambia Music
455:
445:
433:
383:
365:
356:N'Yoka Longo
347:
343:
339:
332:
315:produced in
310:
306:Rock-a-Mambo
301:
297:
293:
289:
279:
270:
266:
261:they became
220:
204:
189:
161:
157:
156:
144:Years active
104:(1998-11-29)
79:Léopoldville
26:
712:1998 deaths
707:1951 births
325:Camerounian
321:Roger Milla
290:Zouke zouke
286:Francophone
235:Lipua Lipua
231:Bella Bella
210:vocal range
701:Categories
425:References
180:bandleader
162:Pepe Kalle
158:Pépé Kallé
148:1960s–1998
135:Instrument
72:1951-11-30
57:Birth name
33:Pépé Kallé
18:Pepe Kalle
186:Biography
166:Congolese
588:July 22,
563:July 22,
513:July 22,
487:July 22,
461:July 22,
398:See also
368:Kinshasa
348:Cocktail
336:Botswana
263:Kinshasa
247:Papy Tex
192:Kinshasa
176:musician
92:DR Congo
88:Kinshasa
507:Monitor
404:Soukous
313:soukous
169:soukous
121:Soukous
536:
409:Nyboma
302:bakule
300:. The
294:Moyibi
207:octave
172:singer
138:Vocals
113:Genres
362:Death
317:Paris
282:Zaire
267:Dadou
255:rumba
670:2019
590:2023
565:2023
534:ISBN
515:2023
489:2023
463:2023
354:and
346:and
245:and
178:and
99:Died
66:Born
703::
661:.
642:.
624:.
606:.
581:.
556:.
505:.
479:.
454:.
358:.
342:,
277:.
202:.
182:.
174:,
119:,
90:,
81:,
672:.
646:.
628:.
592:.
567:.
542:.
517:.
491:.
465:.
382:(
94:)
74:)
70:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
