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Kwassa Kwassa
Kwassa kwassa (or kwasa kwasa) is a dance created by Jeanora, a mechanic in Kinshasa from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that started in the 1980s, where the hips move back and forth while the hands move to follow the hips. It was very popular in Africa. The dance was popularized by soukous music videos, as well as the videos of Kanda Bongo Man, Pepe Kalle, Viva La Musica, and other Congolese musicians. For the first time in Congo, all the groups adopted these dance steps. This had not happened before because bands preferred to have their own specific dance. Etymology According to Jeanora, the words ''kwassa kwassa'' comes from the Kikongo language, meaning "I'm working".Jeanora teaching how to dance "Kwassa kwassa", with Zaïko Langa Langa's Nippon Banzai as background music. Origins In 1986, the neighborhoods of Kinshasa were contested by leading Congolese rumba artists and groups such as Zaïko Langa Langa, Papa Wemba and Viva La Musica, King Kester Emeneya and many ot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kinshasa
Kinshasa (; ; ), formerly named Léopoldville from 1881–1966 (), is the Capital city, capital and Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-growing Megacity, megacities, with an estimated population of 17 million in 2024. It is the List of cities and towns in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, most densely populated city in the DRC, the List of cities in Africa by population, most populous city and List of urban areas in Africa by population, third-largest metropolitan area in Africa, and the world's List of largest cities, twenty-second most populous city and List of national capitals by population, fourth-most populous capital city. It is the leading Economy, economic, Politics, political, and cultural center of the DRC, housing several industries including manufacturing, telecommunications, List of banks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, banking, and entertainment. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Congolese Rumba
Congolese rumba, also known as African rumba, is a dance music genre originating from the Republic of the Congo (formerly French Congo) and Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire). With its rhythms, melodies, and lyrics, Congolese rumba has gained global recognition and remains an integral part of African music heritage. In December 2021, it was added to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. Emerging in the mid-20th century in the urban centers of Brazzaville and Léopoldville (now Kinshasa) during the colonial era, the genre's roots can be traced to the Bakongo partner dance music known as ''maringa'', which was traditionally practiced within the former Kingdom of Loango, encompassing regions of contemporary Republic of the Congo, southern Gabon, and Cabinda Province of Angola. The style gained prominence in the 1920s–1940s, introducing the advent of the " bar-dancing" culture in Brazzaville and Léopoldville, which incorporated distinctive elements suc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend are an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 2006 and currently signed to Columbia Records. The band was formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, drummer Chris Tomson, and bassist Chris Baio. Batmanglij departed the group in early 2016 but has continued to occasionally contribute to subsequent albums as a songwriter, producer, and musician. The band's debut album, ''Vampire Weekend (album), Vampire Weekend'' (2008), incorporated elements of indie pop, Afropop, and chamber music. Featuring charting singles and "Oxford Comma (song), Oxford Comma", it was acclaimed by critics and has been hailed as one of the greatest debut albums. Their second album, ''Contra (album), Contra'' (2010), was similarly acclaimed and garnered strong commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200, and featuring well-received singles including "Holiday (Vampire Weekend song), Hol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
"Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" is the fourth single by indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released 18 August 2008. The song was rated 67th best song of 2008 by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Background In 2005, Vampire Weekend vocalist Ezra Koenig travelled through London en route to India and said that the trip got him "thinking a lot about colonialism and the aesthetic connections between preppy culture and the native cultures of places like Africa and India." This inspired Koenig to write a short story exploring those connections, and called it "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", after which the song was named. " Kwassa kwassa" refers to a dance from Congo (DRC). Music video The video, directed by British comedian Richard Ayoade (who had also directed the band's video for " Oxford Comma") and set in the 1980s, was filmed in Spring Lake, New Jersey at Kaitlin Files' shore house. It is the first video where Vampire Weekend consciously decided to use a narrative with the band becoming characters, unl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kongo Central
Kongo Central (), formerly Bas-Congo, is one of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Matadi. History At the time of independence, the area now encompassing Kongo Central was part of the greater province of Léopoldville, along with the capital city of Kinshasa and the districts of Kwango, Kwilu and Mai-Ndombe. Under Belgian colonial rule, the province was known as Bas-Congo (as in "Lower Congo River") and was renamed Kongo Central after independence. Under the regime of Mobutu Sese Seko from 1965 to 1997, the Congo river was renamed as ''Zaire''. The province was named as Bas-Zaïre. The name was later reverted to Bas-Congo. It was subsequently renamed as Kongo Central in 2015. Geography Kongo Central is the only province in the country with an ocean coastline; it has narrow frontage on the Atlantic Ocean to the west. It borders the city-province of Kinshasa to the north-east, the province of Kwango to the east, and the Republic of An ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gearshift
A gear stick (rarely spelled ''gearstick''), gear lever (both UK English), gearshift or shifter (both U.S. English), more formally known as a transmission lever, is a metal lever attached to the transmission of an automobile. The term ''gear stick'' mostly refers to the shift lever of a manual transmission, while in an automatic transmission, a similar lever is known as a gear selector. A gear stick will normally be used to change gear whilst depressing the clutch pedal with the left foot to disengage the engine from the drivetrain and wheels. Automatic transmission vehicles, including hydraulic (torque converter) automatic transmissions, automated manual and older semi-automatic transmissions (specifically clutchless manuals), like '' VW Autostick'', and those with continuously variable transmissions, do not require a physical clutch pedal. Alternative positions Gear sticks are most commonly found between the front seats of the vehicle, either on the center console (sometim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
King Kester Emeneya
Jean Baptiste Emeneya Mubiala Kwamambu (November 23, 1956 – February 13, 2014) was a Congolese singer. Early life 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 December 24, 1982. Career and contributions Emeneya was thought to be innovative with his music. He was one of the first musicians in Sub-Saharan Africa to initiate music programming and used synthesizers in his ''Nzinzi'' album, copies of which were sold worldwide in 1987. He introduced African music to an international audience by combining African motives with programming and Rhythm and Blues. After being successful for several years, in 1993 he released ''Everybody'' distributed by Sonodisc. "' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Papa Wemba
Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba (14 June 1949 – 24 April 2016), known professionally as Papa Wemba (), was a Congolese singer and musician who played Congolese rumba, soukous, and ndombolo. Dubbed the "King of Rumba Rock", he was one of the most popular musicians of his time in Africa and played an important role in world music. He was also a fashion icon who popularized the Sape look and style through his musical group Viva la Musica, with whom he performed on stages throughout the world.Margalit Fox (25 April 2016). Musical career Papa Wemba's road to fame and prominence began when he joined the music group Zaiko Langa Langa in 1969. This was followed by his success as a founding member both of Isifi Lokole and then Yoka Lokole,"Both groups used the lokole, a hollow tree trunk played with two sticks, as a rhythmic foundation" along with a short stint as a member of Afrisa International for a few months. During these early stages of his career, he was establishi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nippon Banzai
Nippon Banzai is a 1986 studio album by Congolese band Zaïko Langa Langa, released on their ProZal label. The album followed band's pioneering tour of Japan in October 1986, positioning them as the second Congolese musical collective to perform in the country, after Papa Wemba and his band Viva La Musica, who had toured Japan earlier that same year. ''Nippon Banzai'' is widely regarded as Zaïko Langa Langa's most significant artistic and commercial success, propelling the band to unprecedented international recognition across regions including Europe and the West Indies. The tracklisting of ''Nippon Banzai'' serves as an auditory representation of the band's live performances during their Japanese tour. In 1987, Zaïko Langa Langa was awarded the Georges Delerue Award for Best Music at the Flanders International Film Festival in Ghent following the inclusion of their breakout tracks "Muvaro" and "Sandra Lina" in the 1987 film '' La Vie est Belle''. Background In October 1986 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Democratic Republic Of The Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is the List of African countries by area, second-largest country in Africa and the List of countries and dependencies by area, 11th-largest in the world. With a population of around 112 million, the DR Congo is the most populous nominally List of countries and territories where French is an official language, Francophone country in the world. Belgian French, French is the official and most widely spoken language, though there are Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, over 200 indigenous languages. The national capital and largest city is Kinshasa, which is also the economic center. The country is bordered by the Republic of the Congo, the Cabinda Province, Cabinda exclave of Angola, and the South Atlantic Ocean to the west; the Cen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zaïko Langa Langa
Zaïko Langa Langa, also known as Zaïko Langa Langa Nkolo Mboka, is a Congolese Congolese rumba, rumba band formed in Kinshasa, in December 1969. Established by D. V. Moanda, D.V. Moanda, Henri Mongombe, Marcellin Delo and André Bita, the band evolved from the Orchestre Bel Guide National, which is seen as Zaïko's predecessor. Listed as part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's cultural heritage, Zaïko Langa Langa is one of Africa's most influential band and has contributed to the evolution and innovation of Congolese rumba during the 1970s, popularizing distinctive elements including variances in Percussion instrument, percussive Tempo, pacing, snare drum utilization (cavacha rhythm), the Sébène, sebene guitar technique, and a performance assemblage comprising atalaku, a harmonized choir, and a soloist. The band has been a breeding ground for prominent artists like Papa Wemba, Félix Manuaku Waku, Bozi Boziana, Dindo Yogo, and Evoloko Jocker, who went on to establish s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kikongo
Kongo or Kikongo is one of the Bantu languages spoken by the Kongo people living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Angola. It is a tonal language. The vast majority of present-day speakers live in Africa. There are roughly seven million native speakers of Kongo in the above-named countries. An estimated five million more speakers use it as a second language. Historically, it was spoken by many of those Africans who for centuries were taken captive, transported across the Atlantic, and sold as slaves in the Americas. For this reason, creolized forms of the language are found in ritual speech of Afro-American religions, especially in Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Suriname. It is also one of the sources of the Gullah language, which formed in the Low Country and Sea Islands of the United States Southeast. The Palenquero creole in Colombia is also related to Kong creole. Geographic distribution Kong ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
