African Celebrities: Koffi Olomide

Saturday 14 December 2013

Koffi Olomide

Antoine Christope Agbepa Mumba, also known as Koffi Olomide, is a DR Congolese soukos singer, dancer, producer and composer. He is also known by a multitude of other names and aliases. He was born on July 13, 1956 in Kisangani, in the the Democratic Republic of Congo. His father is Congolese and his mother was born from a Sierra - Leone father and a Congolese mother. Koffi Olomide grew up in the city of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in a middle - class family, where education was valued.

Koffi Olomide earned an academic scholarship and went to study in Bordeaux, France where he obtained a Bachelors Degree in Business Economics. Koffi Olomide also had a Masters Degree in Mathematics from the University of Paris.

Koffi Olomide joined Papa Wemba's band, Viva la Musica in the 1970s, as a composer and songwriter and later as a vocalist and lead singer. In 1986, Koffi Olomide formed his band known as Quartier latin. Since then, he has performed and recorded both with the group and by himself.

Koffi Olomide popularized the slower style of Soukous, which he dubbed Tcha Tchao.

Koffi Olomide has received numerous awards including four Kora Awards on a single night at the annual Kora Awards in South Africa for 2002 and 2003, including the award for Best African Artist, which he had earlier won in 1998. More recently, he has won the Kora Award for "Best African Artist of the Decade".

Koffi Olomide is married and is the father of seven children; Nzau Twengi Aristotle, Elvis, Minou, Didi Stone Nike, Rocky, Del pilo Mourhino, and Saint James Rolls. Koffi Olomide has an elder brother, John Ko who lives in Paris and a younger brother Tutu Roba, who lives in London, England.