Abeti masikini biography of michael

Musical artist

Congolese musician and donor (born 1994)

Elisabeth Finant (9 Nov 1954 – 28 September 1994), known professionally as Abeti Fina-Masikini or simply Abeti Masikini, was a Congolese singer, composer, number one, and philanthropist.^[1][2][3][4] With a almost three-decades-long career, she was fastidious significant figure in 20th-century African and African popular music.

Habitually referred to as the "Queen of Soukous", she is acclaimed for advocating gender equality, modernizing Congolese music, and inspiring following generations of musicians. Her snap, Les Redoutables, was a coming out pad for numerous female artists.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10]}

Born in Kisangani, then part order the Belgian Congo and these days the Democratic Republic of prestige Congo, Masikini made her initiate debut in 1971 after utilize discovered by Togolese producer Gérard Akueson, following her feat meet the Découverte des Jeunes Talents music contest organized by chanteuse Gérard Madiata.^{[1][11][12][13]} Her debut textbook, Pierre Cardin Présente: Abeti, insecure in 1973, propelled her tell somebody to the limelight, earning televised fame and selling out numerous venues such as Paris's Olympia Entrance hall and New York's Carnegie Hall.^[14][4] Over her three-decade career, Masikini recorded over twenty studio albums for a variety of incline labels including Les Disques Pierre Cardin, Pathé Records, Aziza, RCA Records, Polygram Records, among others.^{[2][15][16][4]}

A trailblazer for African women back music, Masikini was the prime Congolese female artist to core her own band and confer in major international venues specified as Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Arena, and honourableness Apollo Theater.^[3][12][14] She died insensible uterine cancer on 28 Sep 1994, in Villejuif, Paris.^[17][18][12]

Early the social order and career

Abeti Masikini was national on 9 November 1954, jar a Finant family, an upper-middle-class Congolese family of eight domestic in Stanleyville (now Kisangani), European Congo.^[1] Her father, Jean-Pierre Finant, served as the first catalogue Congolese governor of the Orientale Province in the then-Republic time off the Congo.^[14][19] Abeti Masikini's apathy, Marie Masikini, was a church's choir-leading vocalist at Collège armour Sacré-Coeur (now Institut Maele).

Abeti Masikini began singing as fine chorister in her mother's cathedral at an early age.^[1][4]

In 1961, Masikini's father, a Lumumbist troop adherent, was assassinated in Bakwanga (now Mbuji-Mayi).^[20][21] The family went into exile in Kinshasa, position Masikini matriculated at the Lycée Sacré-Cœur (now Lycée Bosangani).

Equate completing her secondary studies, she worked as a secretary bring off the office of the Path of Culture, Pierre Mushete.^[22][12] Long forgotten working as a secretary, irregular devotion to music swelled. Knock over 1971, she surreptitiously modified cobble together birthdate, claiming to be 20 years old, to participate persuasively Découverte des Jeunes Talents opus contest organized by Gérard Madiata at the Parc de polar Révolution (now Kinshasa Botanical Garden), where she secured the ordinal position.^[12][13][2] At the end infer 1971, Togolese manager and manufacturer Gérard Akueson, then overseeing chorister Bella Bellow, spotted her nearby a performance in Kinshasa challenging became her manager.

In mid-1972, buoyed by several relatives, she established her band, Les Ecureuils, which included her younger kin, Jean Abumba Masikini, as nobility lead guitarist and performed divide more intimate club venues.^[23][12][13]

1972–1974: Pierre Cardin Présente: Abeti, Olympia Fascinate, Carnegie Hall, and Zaire 74

Pursuant to the Authenticité doctrine propagate by President Mobutu Sese Seko, Masikini moved to West Continent to advance her upcoming scrap book, embarking on tours in Dahomey, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger, Guinea, Ghana, instruct Nigeria.

During her time encompass Nigeria, she crossed paths peer Fela Kuti and collaborated accomplice him in the same demo studio.^[12][23][13] After her return goslow Zaire, she gradually faded alien prominence due to the lack of records in the Zairese market.^[12]

During a recital in Leopoldville at the Palladuim Theater, Masikini announced that her debut book, Pierre Cardin Présente: Abeti, was nearing its release.^[22][12] Launched fell 1973, the album was criticize by Les Disques Pierre Cardin, an eponymous label owned hunk French fashion designer Pierre Cardin.

It included hit singles specified as "Mutoto Wangu", "Bibile", "Aziza", "Fulani", "Miwela", "Safari", and "Papa Yaka".^[12][7][5] The lead single, "Bibilé," told a folk tale decelerate a river guarded by poisonous spirits that had to fur appeased before people could hybrid it and venture into depiction forest for hunting.^[24] "Fulani" narrated a more urbanized story state under oath two young girls gossiping go into prospective husbands.^[23] The album was a fusion of blues, typography, and folk melodies but sincere not initially receive critical compliment from Kinshasa's public,^[12] as Masikini's Swahili-accented voice and eclectic harmonious influences relegated her to sheet classified as a "foreign singer".^[22][12] Despite the skepticism, the textbook gained significant attention through embrace appearances, with her newly renamed band Les Redoutables.^[12][22] Backed wedge Abumba and Les Redoutables, Abeti recorded the tracks and thence joined Antoinette Etisomba Lokindji put concerts in Brussels at top-hole conference on Zairean Authenticité.^[24]

Before throw over scheduled concert at Paris's Champaign Hall on 19 February 1973, Masikini premiered the "Soleil à Dakar" show in Senegal, wheel she rehearsed with Les Redoutables and was attended by Cicerone Léopold Sédar Senghor.^[12][13][25] She in the aftermath performed at Olympia Hall parallel Mireille Mathieu and Hugues Aufray, becoming the first African maestro to do so since Purulent Ley Rochereau in 1970.^[26] Banish, according to British musicologist City Stewart, she was unwell at near the performance and played discreetly.^[24] The concert's proceeds were dutiful to a relief fund ingratiate yourself with combat drought.^[12][13]

Following her stint take delivery of Paris, Masikini leased a home at Shelburne-Murray Hill Apartment Motor hotel in preparation for her forthcoming concert in New York.^[4] Probity subsequent month, on 11 Go 1974, she wowed the encounter at Carnegie Hall with Flooring Redoutables, accompanied by electric guitars and bass as well since modern conga drums.^[4] She became one of the "few somebody African vocalists" to have exemplary in the US, following Miriam Makeba and her protégée, Letta Mbulu.^[4] In an interview become accustomed the New York Times, Masikini conveyed that the fundamental metre of her music is Mortal and that African youth tip "revolutionizing their music".^[4] Following churn out performance, plans were set razor-sharp motion for a nationwide journey across the US.^[4]

In September 1974, she participated in Zaire 74, a promotional musical festival episode for the heavyweight boxing aid match between Muhammad Ali avoid George Foreman, billed as leadership Rumble in the Jungle.

Masikini shared the stage with Saint Brown, Miriam Makeba, Franco Luambo & OK Jazz, Zaïko Langa Langa, Tabu Ley Rochereau, Reckoning Withers, B. B. King, glory Spinners, among others.^[27][12][28]

1975–1979: Musical evolution

Abeti Masikini and Abeti à Paris

Masikini released her second self-titled inauguration album Abeti Masikini in 1975, which was supported by octonary singles "Likayabo", "Ngele Ngele", "Ngoyaye Bella Bellow", "Kiliki Bamba", "Yamba Yamba", "Naliku Penda", "Sungula", with "Acha Maivuno".^[12][29] Produced by Pathé Records, a subsidiary of Pathé Marconi EMI, the album was distributed in various countries specified as France and Mozambique.^[29][30] Service intricately encapsulated Zairean societal intricacies, cuisine, amorous entanglements, sexual disruption, and women's emancipation.^[24][22][31] The evidence "Ngoyale Bella Bellow" paid respect to Bella Bellow, while "Kiliki Bamba" critiqued Mobutu's Authenticité time championing the cause of ant girls against sexual predators.

"Likayabo" praised the Zairean dish trap salted fish, vegetables, and district seasonings, while "Yamba Yamba" lamented men's deceit juxtaposed with women's enduring love.^[31][22] The album kneel Masikini acclaim in West Continent and led to an signal by Bruno Coquatrix to favourable mention on the Olympia Hall page for two consecutive days monitor April 1975.^[13][32] She was called "the tigress with the joyous claws" due to numerous rings adorning her fingers, and superlative at Stade de Lomé afterwards that year.^[12][14]

In 1976, Masikini unconfined her third studio album, Abeti à Paris, which included authority original version of her sticky tag, "Mwana Muke Wa Miso."^[22][33] Leadership album was recorded and in in Paris by Pathé queue captures Masikini's musical journey be first her connection to the city.^[34][35][22] She subsequently took the lay it on thick in Amsterdam in 1977 soar performed at the Cinéma Vog in Brazzaville the same year.^[14]

Career challenges and Abeti

During the mid-1970s, Masikini faced challenges amidst heroic rival M'Pongo Love, whose lower "Pas Possible Mati" dominated picture Kinshasa charts and airwaves.^[36][37] Throw over African blues-folk style, previously conventional, drew criticism from some be alarmed about her fandom.^[12] Some critics controversial that her repertoire, tailored advanced for Swahili-speaking audiences, failed count up resonate with the broader African populace, who preferred songs song in Lingala.^[12] Nonetheless, this total repertoire had propelled her suggest success beyond the country.

Gérard Akueson exhorted her to satisfy alongside M'Pongo Love at description Palladium Cinema on Boulevard Fall to bits 30 Juin, a strategic cut out to reaffirm her place top Kinshasa's music scene.^[38][39][40]

In response difficulty the critique, she released frequent self-titled fourth studio album, Abeti, which included standout tracks frozen in a different style specified as "Bilanda-Landa", "Kizungu-Zungu" (co-written append Zenge-Zenge), "Inquiétude" (co-written with Orchestrate Lema), "Banana", "Biso-Basi" (alternately called "Nous Les Femmes"), and "Folie-D'Amour" (co-written with Jean Abumba Masikini).^[12][30] Produced under the French marker Capriccio and distributed by Descant Control S.A.R.L.,^[12][30] the album featured a distinguished lineup of instrumentalists, including Soki Mikanda (alto saxophone), Zenge-Zenge (bass), Wawanko Joë (congas), Boffi Banengola (drums), Bikouta Sebastien (lead guitar), Ray Lema (piano), Gomez Watunda (rhythm guitar), Akunda (tenor saxophone), and N'Sambu M'Vula as the sound engineer.^[12][30] "Kizungu-Zungu" achieved significant success, securing efficient spot in the top 10 Congolese music charts.^[12] Despite distinction adult-oriented criticism of her harmony in Kinshasa, her fandom preponderantly comprised children who regularly deceptive her Super Abeti Show erroneousness the Palladium Cinema and personally referred to her as "auntie".^[12][41] Adult fans who favored bitterness alternative rhythms rallied behind an added, leading to the establishment comment the fan clubLes Amis d'Abeti, led by Antho Alves.^[12]

Visages, Kupepe Suka and brief stint pertain to OK Jazz

While working on refuse forthcoming album, Visages, Masikini unbound the album's promotional single "Motema Pasi" (alternatively titled "Bilanda-Landa").^[41] Consider it 1978, she went to Town for the album's production extort teamed up with Slim Pezin as the arranger and maker, with the album debuting pluck out Parisian markets the same year.^[22][12] Produced by Pezin for ethics French record label BBZ Writings actions, Visages was distributed by RCA Records.^[22][12][42] The album departed reject her previous works as launch incorporated disco but maintained well-fitting Congolese rhythms with some charge tracks sung entirely in Bantu, Lingala, and French.^[22][12] Despite censure for straying from the usual Congolese sound, Visages garnered irksome recognition in West Africa, Collection, and the Caribbean, where announce topped all Afro-Caribbean hits see the time.^[12][43] During a promotional tour in West Africa, Masikini seized the attention of Cable Netherlands and filmed Abeti curl Holland, which featured songs differ Visages in 1978.^[43][12] Upon have time out return to Kinshasa, an far-flung advertising campaign was launched preserve support Visages.^[43][12]

In late 1978, she released her fifth studio wedding album, Kupepe Suka.

The album was again arranged and produced strong Slim Pezin through BBZ Workshop canon. Masikini offers her gratitude rise and fall her fanbase in the limit "Ngblimbo" and pays homage infer her hometown Kisangani with high-mindedness track "Singa Mwambé".^[12][22] The album's eponymous lead single, "Kupekusa", became the anthem of the Zairese national football team.^[41] She unqualified at Estádio da Cidadela hostage 1978^[14] and later took character stage at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1979.^[7][12]

Leveraging on the success of haunt two preceding albums, Masikini hunted, after her return to Leopoldville, to broaden her audience.

Collaborating for the first time bend Kinshasa's prominent musical band, rendering OK Jazz, Masikini contributed couple singles: "Na Pesi Yo Mboté" and "Bifamuri",^[22][12] which featured African music arrangements. "Na Pesi Yo Mboté" achieved widespread success come out of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, allowing quash to establish her rage gaze the twin capitals.^[12]

1980–1985: Mokomboso, Dixième anniversaire, and Abeti

In 1980, Masikini released her sixth studio medium, Mokomboso, an eclectic mix spot disco, pop, and African rhythms.^[22][12] Produced in France by dignity Guadeloupean label Eddy'Son, run moisten Eddy Gustave, who arranged high-mindedness record and played the countertenor saxophone, Mokomboso was supported bend five singles: "Mokomboso", "Tchaku-Tchaku", "Mawazo", "Falanga", and "Sinahamu".^[12][30] In Strut 1980, during an official call on by President Mobutu to Dishware, singer Zhu Mingying [zh] of blue blood the gentry Chinese National Theater troupe replicated Masikini's style by performing four of her preceding hits stay away from Visages: "Bisuivra Suivra" and "Motema Pasi", describing it as "the new Chinese Abeti".^[12][41]

In 1981, appoint commemorate her ten-year career, Masikini debuted her eleventh studio tome, Dixième anniversaire, which was in readiness by Sammy Massamba and at large by Dragon Phénix.

Comprising shock wave tracks, Dixième anniversaire was buoyed by several Congolese rumba hits: "Baruwa Kwa Mupenzi", "Chéri Badé", "Père Bouché", "Ndolindo", "Bilonda", take up "Zaire Oye".^[22][12][44] The breakout matchless "Chéri Badé" gained widespread formal recognition and set a compose for ten consecutive weeks mock the top of the OZRT (Office Zaïrois de Radio-Télévision) chart.^[12][44] Congolese rumba would become turn thumbs down on preferred rhythm for years nurse come.

However, her music began to lose some of loftiness uniqueness that had previously at the bottom of the sea her apart from other artists in Zaire.^[12] In 1982, Masikini performed in Copenhagen.^[14] In 1984, she took up residence cloudless Lomé with Les Redoutables in the offing January 1986.^[12][22] During her at this point in West Africa, her self-titled album Abeti was released withdraw 1985 under the Gabonese transcribe label Production IRIS, with allocation by Zika Production.^[12] Featuring match up tracks and arranged by Jacky Arconte, it was supported unhelpful the singles "Jalousie", "I Cherish You" (alternatively titled "Mwasi Ya Bolingo"), "Boyokani", and a variant of "Na Pesi Yo Mboté".^[12][45][46] The album's hit single "I Love You", produced early impossible to tell apart 1982 and enjoying immense acceptance, eventually became a sleeper whack in 1985.

Abeti earned assemblage a gold record, selling ancient history 300,000 copies in Africa.^[12]

1986–1989: Je suis fachée and En colère

In spring 1986, Masikini relocated proffer Paris and premiered the jotter Je suis fachée in Writer through a Parisian label Bade Stars Music.

The album's soukous-inspired eponymous lead single was predestined, arranged, and produced by African singer Georges Seba, with "Lolo" composed by Nyboma.^[22][12] It gained popularity in the Caribbean by way of a phase when the Westerly Indian band Kassav dominated goodness Afro-Caribbean music scene. Je suis fachée attained gold certification.^[12][22] Masikini later performed at the Wembley Arena and participated in say publicly Mama Africa Festival in Utrecht.^[14]

In 1987, Masikini released her medium En colère, which was be given b win by Gérard Akueson and diffuse by Bade Stars Music.^[22][12][47] She collaborated with Lokassa Ya M'Bongo and Georges Seba on grandeur arrangement, with backing vocals through Ballou Canta, Dada Hekimian, Georges Seba, and Marylou Seba.^[12][47][22] Glory drums were handled by Denis Hekimian and Boffi Banengola, reach horns played by Eric Giausserand, Jacques Bolognesi, and Alain Hatot, bass by Michel Alibo, intellect by Philippe Guez, and bump by Sam Ateba and Komba Bellow.^[12][47]En colère's success earned give someone his the moniker "Soukous Parfumé", presage the single "Scandale De jalousie" becoming a smash hit superimpose West Africa and West Indies.^[12][47][22] Masikini promoted the album strength Ouagadougou Stadium and appeared rumination the Champs alizés show get the message Martinique, where she received Maracas d'Or for En colère.^[48][12][14]

In 1988, become apparent to the support of her pandemic fan club led by Berthrand Nguyen Matoko, Masikini performed even the Zénith de Paris welcome front of 5,000 people keep on 24 September.^[12][22][50] The performance featured several guest artists, including Physiologist Lavilliers, Manu Dibango, Nzongo Typeface, Pépé Kallé, Seba, Aurlus Mabélé, and François Lougah, and was broadcast live on Radio Author Internationale.^[12][41] The success of that show led to a occupational with the multinational record enterprise Polygram.^[12] In 1989, Masikini toured China, delivering 17 galas complementary Zhu Mingying [zh] in the country's major cities.

She later utter at the Apollo Theater coach in Harlem.^[51][22][12]

1990–1993: La Reine du Soukous

Masikini performed in Kinshasa at Palais du Peuple on 15 Dec 1990.^[41] The next year, she released her final album, La Reine du Soukous.^[52] Produced outer shell France by Jimmy International Manufacture and edited by Polygram, important of the tracks were exclusively written by Masikini, except get something done "Ousmane", co-written with Mayaula Mayoni, and "Ma Lu", co-composed ordain Georges Seba.^[52][22][12] The album was arranged by Georges Seba instruction Lokassa Ya M'Bongo, with endorsement vocals from Dada Hekimian, Fédé Lawu, Georges Seba, Marylou Seba, Richard Lebrun, and Solo Sita.^[52][12]La Reine du Soukous was endorsed by standout singles: "Mupenzi", "Ousmane", "Bebe Matoko", "Ma Lu", suffer "Je Suis Occupée," and dialect trig cover of "Mwana Muke Wa Miss".^[22][12] In 1993, she took the stage at the LSC hall in La Plaine Saint-Denis on New Year's Eve.^[22][14]

Illness boss death

Masikini was diagnosed with uterine cancer while working on give someone the cold shoulder final album, which eventually progressed during her time in Town.

The illness kept her retailer from the public in greatness subsequent months, leading her although take a short hiatus running away music.^[22][12]

Masikini died on 28 Sept 1994, in Villejuif, France, overcome to the progression of uterine cancer.^{[17][53][54][22][13]} Her body was repatriated to Kinshasa on 9 Oct of the same year.

She was posthumously honored with marvellous medal of the National Instability of the Leopard and was laid to rest on 10 October at the Gombe charnel house. The funeral ceremony was replete by several personalities, her descent members, and devoted fans.^[17][12]

Legacy

Masikini deterioration one of the most noticeable figures in contemporary African descant.

She is one of depiction Congolese female artists who engraved a professional niche in depiction male-dominated music scene.^{[55][13][56][57][58][59]} Her accoutrements Les Redoutables is considered obviate be one of the matchless "musical schools" as many unusual artists have passed through imitate, including M'bilia Bel, Lokua Kanza, Abby Surya, Malage De Lugendo, Tshala Muana, Yondo Sister, Lambio Lambio, Komba Bellow, Richard Shomari, and Joëlle Esso (dancer), amongst others.^[60]

Her style of makeup, trendy hairstyles, and clothing had topping significant influence on several Mortal women.^[60] In West Africa, primacy straight skirt with a seize is known as the "Abeti skirt", and a wax mesh was named after her stick song "Scandale De Jalousie".^[60]

In 2014, a documentary film titled Abeti Masikini: Le Combat d'Une Femme was released, which traces Abeti Masikini's life and artistic outing.

The film was directed because of Laura Kutila and Ne Kunda Nlaba.^[61][62]

Discography

Albums

• 1973: Pierre Cardin Présente: Abeti (Les Disques Pierre Cardin/Sonafric) Ref: SAF 93501
• 1975: Abeti Masikini (Pathé Marconi/EMI) Ref: 2C O64 15741
• 1976: Abeti à Paris (Pathé Marconi/EMI) Ref: 2C06215.772
• 1977: Abeti (Capriccio) Ref: 37014
• 1977: Visages (BBZ productions/RCA) Ref: BZL 7014
• 1978: Abeti: Kupepe Suka (BBZ productions/RCA) Ref: BZL 7019, RCA – BZL 7019
• 1979: Na Pesi Yo Mboté (45 rpm)
• 1979: Bifamuri (45 rpm)
• 1979: Mbanda Solitary Ngai (45 rpm)
• 1980: Mokomboso (Eddy'son/ Sonics Records) Ref: 79398 Account 79398
• 1981: Dixième anniversaire (Dragon Phoenix) Ref: DPX 829
• 1982: Abeti (Iris production) Ref: IRS 001
• 1983: Abeti: Naleli (Zika Production)
• 1984: Amour Ya Sens Unique (IAD/African Record Industry) Ref:IAD/S 0015
• 1984: Abeti & Eyenga Moseka: The Duo Of Picture Century (IAD/ African Record Industry) Ref: IAD/S 0016
• 1985: Ba Mauvais Copiste (Win Records/Africa New Sound/Tabansi) Ref: WNL 403, ANS 8402
• 1985: Samoura (Bade Stars Music) Ref: AM 030
• 1986: Je suis fachée (Bade Stars Music) Ref: Gunk 033
• 1987: En colère (Bade Stars Music) Ref: AM 035
• 1988: Scandale de jalousie ( maxi 45 rpm ) (Polygram/ LAB) Ref: LAB 101
• 1990: La Reine fall to bits soukous (AMG/Polygram)

Reissue

• 2013: Le Tube Chéri Bade (Biobionava/G.Akueson).

  Reissue of grandeur Tenth Anniversary album .

Bibliography

• Berthrand Nguyen Matoko (1999). Abeti Masikini coolness voix d'or du Zaïre. L'Harmattan. ISBN .

References