King Kester Emeneya

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King Kester Emeneya
Portrait of Kester c. 2014
Portrait of Kester c. 2014
Background information
Birth nameJean Baptiste Emeneya Mubiala Kwamambu
Born(1956-11-23)November 23, 1956
Kikwit, Kwilu, DR Congo
DiedFebruary 13, 2014(2014-02-13) (aged 57)
Paris, Île-de-France, France
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer-Songwriter, Dancer
Years active1977–2014
Labels

Jean Baptiste Emeneya Mubiala Kwamambu (23 November 1956 – 13 February 2014) was a Congolese singer.[1][2][3]

Early life

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Jean was born in Kikwit within the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While attending the University of Lubumbashi as a political science student in 1977, King Kester joined the band Viva La Musica. After achieving success with several popular songs, he became one of the most popular African singers in the 1980s and created his own band, called "Victoria Eleison", on 24 December 1982.[4][5]

Career and contributions

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Widely considered an innovator, Emeneya broke new ground in Sub-Saharan African music by being among the first to use music programming and synthesizers, as featured on his Nzinzi album, which sold millions of copies worldwide in 1987.[6][7][8] Its title song became a hit, offering social commentary on men (married, single, or divorced) who adopt Don Juan–like tactics to seduce other men's partners. Favoring wealth and gifts over emotional commitment, they create discord and instability in relationships and homes.[9] He introduced African music to an international audience by combining African motives with programming and contemporary R&B.[6]

After being successful for several years, in 1993 he released Everybody distributed by Sonodisc. "Everybody" achieved international success, reaching a wide audience.[6]

In 1997, after 7 years of absence, King Kester returned to the Congo. Nearly 80,000 people attended the first concert after his return, which was a record-setting feat according to the Congolese media. [citation needed]

Emeneya is considered by many to be one of the greatest African singers. He recorded more than 1000 songs and performed on all continents.[10]

He promoted LA SAPE, a subculture centered on fashion, and designers like Gianni Versace, Masatomo, JM Weston, etc. Emeneya was also an actor in the movie "Les habits neufs du Gouverneur".[11]

His interest and innovation were not confined to music, as Emeneya was an advocate for the African people and a civil rights fighter. He repudiated Apartheid in South Africa and released a song supporting Nelson Mandela while praising his cause and morale in his album Success Fous.

During his last tour in the United States, while performing in Los Angeles in 2007, he praised the United States for making significant progresses on justice, equality, and race.

Emeneya was involved in charitable activities through his foundation. He was concerned about the level of poverty in the continent and wanted to make sure that governments in different African nations made enough efforts to improve the social lives of their citizens.

King Kester Emeneya was a supporter of Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, John F. Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower, Franklin Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Emeneya praised President Obama in a multiple number of his interviews for being an advocate of the poor.

Emeneya performed a concert in Kinshasa in 2009 to help celebrate Obama's inauguration as the first US black president. As a friend of the United States, he helped the US Embassy in Kinshasa celebrate July 4 several times, especially during the tenure of U.S. Ambassador Aubrey Hooks. King Kester Emeneya was also grateful to President Bush for his HIV and malaria initiatives in Africa. He released his album Le Jour Le Plus Long D-Day (The Longest Day) in 2007 to praise the US invasion of Normandy during World War II in France.

Late life, death and recognitions

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From 1991 until his death in Paris in February 2014, King Kester Emeneya lived mostly in France with his family. Emeneya's funeral was grandiose and is remembered in the history of Congo. It was broadcast live on multiple channels in Congo and relayed to many others around the world to his fan base.

On 6 April 2014, Pope Francis welcomed Emeneya's family to Vatican City to express his support.[12] On 2 March 2014, Emeneya was awarded the presidential civic medal posthumously by President Joseph Kabila for his service and extraordinary contribution to Congolese nation and music, the highest civilian award to be bestowed by a Congolese president.[13]

King Kester Emeneya was also awarded the title of Ambassador of Peace posthumously by the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom on 21 February 2015.

On 25 April 2014, a tribute concert was held in his hometown of Kikwit, which ended in disaster, and at least forty people in the stadium lost their lives in a stampede following a power failure.[14]

Discography

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References

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  1. ^ "Le roi de la musique congolaise, King Kester Emeneya, est mort" (in French). France24. 13 February 2014. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  2. ^ Diala, Jordache (14 February 2014). "Congo-Kinshasa: Suite à un problème de cœur, King Kester quitte la scène à 57 ans!" [Congo-Kinshasa: Following a heart problem, King Kester leaves the stage at 57!]. Laprosperiteonline.net (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  3. ^ Kokolo, Deo; Kivuila, Cinardo (19 January 2019). "King Kester Emeneya, 5 ans déjà dans l'au-delà sans mausolée" [King Kester Emeneya, 5 years already in the afterlife without a mausoleum]. Eventsrdc.com (in French). Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  4. ^ White, Bob W. (2008). Rumba rules: the politics of dance music in Mobutu's Zaire. Duke University Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-8223-4112-3. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
  5. ^ Kiese, Mboka (17 February 2014). "A Emeneya, les voix de velours reconnaissantes" [In Emeneya, the grateful velvet voices]. Congopage (in French). Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Kayumba, Arthur (12 February 2021). "King Kester Emeneya ou la face caché d'un intellectuel aguerri" [King Kester Emeneya or the hidden face of a seasoned intellectual]. Agence Congolaise de Presse (ACP) (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  7. ^ Badibanga, Walter (15 February 2017). "King Kester Emeneya: 3 ans déjà" [King Kester Emeneya: 3 years already]. Music In Africa (in French). Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  8. ^ Mafina, Frédéric (13 February 2020). "Afrique: Les immortelles chansons d'Afrique - « Nzinzi » de King Kester Emeneya" [Africa: The Immortal Songs of Africa - "Nzinzi" by King Kester Emeneya]. Agence d'Information d'Afrique Centrale (in French). Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  9. ^ Luka, Michel (25 March 2008). "Congo-Kinshasa: Tenues de scène - les danseuses tirent les moeurs en-dessous de la ceinture" [Congo-Kinshasa: Stage Outfits – Dancers Drag Morals Below the Belt]. Le Phare (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  10. ^ "AFS239onMWR: The Afro-Fusion Show". Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  11. ^ The Governor's New Clothes (2005) - IMDb. Retrieved 2 November 2024 – via IMDb.
  12. ^ Florence Emeneya au Vatican pour le 40ème jour de King Kester [Florence Emeneya at the Vatican for the 40th Day of King Kester] (in French), YouTube, 21 June 2014, retrieved 9 January 2024
  13. ^ "La Prospérité: "Sur ordre de Kabila: Emeneya immortalisé et médaillé!"" [La Prospérité: "On Kabila's orders: Emeneya immortalized and awarded a medal!"]. Radio Okapi (in French). 3 March 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Deadly stampede at tribute concert in Democratic Republic of Congo". Deutsche Welle. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
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