The music culture in Africa can be likened to the world’s dynamic- separate but yoked. North, East, West and Central Africa, each region proudly boasts of notable music maestros that found a footing between a need and their passion. From Miriam Makeba’s utter cry for freedom to Fela Kuti’s fight for a better Nigeria, music has in many forms availed Africa’s triumph.
In the act of paying tribute to the influential household names placing African music at the forefront of the global music scene, the list will remain infinite without the worthy mention of Congo’s King of Rumba, Fally Ipupa, who through his formidable achievements has become one of the present day leading voices of Congo and Africa as a whole.
At twenty seven years in the game, Fally Ipupa stands tall with nine studio albums, over 50 awards won and a number of outstanding historic record breaking feats. As a francophone musician, this has given the singer a reputable edge into the indigenous French music market where he made strides to set his first record as the first Congolese artist to sell out the Olympia Hall, Paris in 2007.
He attained this out of the ordinary achievement barely one year after his debut as a solo artist and one year after the release of his first solo studio album ‘Droit Chemin’ which sold 100,000 copies within its first month of release. Fally Ipupa already made 10x more global recognition before most of the artists of his time securing him multiple international awards from BET and MTV Music Awards.
In the Congolese music market, Fally Ipupa is ranked amongst the most influential artists in the country with respect to streaming data and global touring data. In 2014, he was ranked the sixth richest African musician by Forbes. It is of no doubt that a decade later the singer has attained more wealth through the success he has attained with subsequent studio albums and live concerts.
In 2022, Fally Ipupa trended for his overpacked concert held in his hometown, Kinshasa. The concert went live at Stade des Martyrs de la Pentecote with an attendance of about 120,000 people, whereas, the stadium has a capacity of only 80,000 people. This over congestion resulted in a stampede which led to the tragic loss of lives. It is distressing to fathom how such an avoidable incident transpired but it also proves how much of an impact Fally Ipupa has had on the becoming of Congolese music within the country and amongst the francophone countries in and out of Africa.
A careful study into Fally Ipupa’s well-nigh three decades of works shows how the singer has been present from the onset of Africa’s defining moments to its present era of establishment. He made his debut at the time of Africa’s yearning and struggled to break through the tides with his very first project securing a place for himself as an influential voice out of Africa.
