At 72 years Old, the legendary Tabu Ley passed on today while in a Belgium Hospital where he was undergoing treatment for a stroke that he had suffered in 2008, but had often been affecting his health.
The performer, whose popular hits like Muzina, Maze and Sorozo rocked millions of fans in Africa, is a celebrated musician, whose songs continue to enjoy airplay years after they were released.
Thanks to his massive contribution to African Music, Tabu Ley was recently in in Kinshasa to accept an award for his contribution to the country's rich heritage and cultural diplomacy and was set to perform at a Gala Night today.
News of his demise has thus left his fans saddened but despite the loss many still have tons of praises for his contribution to the African culture and Music.
Having launched his career in Kinshasa in 1959 both as a composer, singer and dancer, in Joseph Kabasele’s African Jazz, Tabu Ley was one of the few of his generation of musicians, who included Joseph Kabasele, alias Grand Kallé or Nicolas Kasanda, alias Nico.
When asked about his health state in a previous interview, Tabu Ley had said :
“I feel very well as you can notice. As per my doctors, my health conditions are improving every day. The thing is that I have to accept my current condition with good-naturedness. I am 72 years old and find it normal to face some physical weaknesses. I am a Christian and trust in God,” .
At the time of his death, Tabu Ley composed around 2,000 songs and produced 250 albums.
Source: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/entertainment/article/3156/legendary-congolese-musician-tabu-ley-rochereau-passes-on
His profile:
Tabu Ley Rochereau
| Background information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Pascal Tabu |
| Born | 13 November 1940 Bagata, Belgian Congo |
| Died | 30 November 2013 (aged 73) Belgium |
| Genres | African Rumba |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1958 - 2013 |
Tabu Ley Rochereau (November 13, 1940 – November 30, 2013) was a musician from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was the leader of Orchestre Afrisa International and one of Africa's most influential vocalists and prolific songwriters. Along with guitarist Dr Nico Kasanda, Tabu Ley pioneered soukous; he internationalised his music by fusing elements of Congolese folk music with Cuban, Caribbean, and Latin American rumba.
Biography
Tabu Ley was born in Bandundu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, as Pascal Tabu. In 1954, at the age of fourteen, he wrote his first song Bessama Muchacha which he recorded with Joseph "Le Grand Kallé" Kabasele's band, African Jazz. After finishing high school he joined the band as a full time musician. Tabu Ley sang the pan-African hit Independence cha cha which was composed by Grand Kalle when Congo was declared an independent nation in 1960, propelling him to instant fame. He remained with African Jazz until 1963 when he and Dr Nico Kasanda formed their own group, African Fiesta. Two years later, Tabu Ley and Dr. Nico split and Tabu Ley formed African Fiesta National, also known as African Fiesta Flash. The group became one of the most successful bands in African history, recording African classics like Afrika Mokili Mobimba, and surpassing record sales of one million copies by 1970. Papa Wemba and Sam Mangwana were among the many influential musicians that were part of the group.In 1970, Tabu Ley formed Orchestre Afrisa International, Afrisa being a combination of Africa and Éditions Isa, his record label. Along with Franco Luambo's TPOK Jazz, Afrisa was now one of Africa's greatest bands. They recorded hits such as "Sorozo", "Kaful Mayay", "Aon Aon", and "Mose Konzo".
In the mid 1980s Tabu Ley discovered a young talented singer and dancer, M'bilia Bel, who helped popularise his band further. M'bilia Bel became the first female soukous singer to gain acclaim throughout Africa. Tabu Ley and M'bilia Bel later married and had one child together. In 1988 Tabu Ley introduced another female vocalist known as Faya Tess, and M'bilia Bel left and continued to be successful on her own. After M'bilia Bel's departure Afrisa's influence along with that of their rivals TPOK Jazz continued to wane as fans gravitated toward the faster version of soukous.
In 1985, the Government of Kenya banned all foreign music from the National Radio service. After Tabu Ley composed the song "Twende Nairobi" ("Let's go to Nairobi"), sung by M'bilia Bel, in praise of Kenyan president Daniel arap Moi, the ban was promptly lifted.
In the early 1990s he briefly settled in Southern California. He began to tailor his music towards an International audience by including more English lyrics and by increasing more international dance styles such as Samba. He found success with the release of albums such as Muzina, Exil Ley, Africa worldwide and Babeti soukous.
In 1996, Tabu Ley participated in the album Gombo Salsa by the salsa music project Africando. The song "Paquita" from that album is a remake of a song that he recorded in the late 1960s with African Fiesta.
When President Mobutu Sese Seko was deposed in 1997, Tabu Ley returned to Kinshasa and took up a position as a cabinet minister in the government of new President Laurent Kabila. Following Kabila's death, Tabu Ley then joined the appointed transitional parliament created by Joseph Kabila, until it was dissolved following the establishment of the inclusive transitional institutions.
In November 2005, Tabu Ley was appointed Vice-Governor in charge of political, administrative, and socio-cultural questions, for the city of Kinshasa, a position devolved to his party, the Congolese Rally for Democracy by the 2002 peace agreements.
He died on November 30, 2013 at the Belgium hospital where he had been undergoing treatment for a stroke he suffered in 2008.
Tabu Ley was the father of French rapper Youssoupha.
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