Introduction to Rene Kassanda Rene Kassanda, also known as Kassanda Kashama René and affectionately called Karé, was a respected Congolese singer, performer, and composer whose voice helped shape the golden era of Congolese rumba and soukous. Closely associated with Tabu Ley Rochereau and the legendary Afrisa...
The Grand Maître of Congolese Music François Luambo Luanzo Makiadi, known to the world as Franco, was a towering figure in Congolese and African music. Born on July 6, 1938, and passing on October 12, 1989, Franco's influence extended far beyond the music stage. He was...
Early Life and Musical Roots Born on November 9, 1954, in Stanleyville, Belgian Congo (now Kisangani, DRC), Elisabeth Finant, famously known as Abeti Masikini, emerged from an upper-middle-class family. Her father, Jean-Pierre Finant, was the first native Congolese governor of Orientale Province, and her mother, Marie...