Adou Elenga (1926 – 4 August 1981) was a

Congolese Congolese or Kongolese may refer to: African peoples * Congolese people (disambiguation) * Kongo people, a Bantu ethnic group who live along the Atlantic coast of Africa from Pointe-Noire (Republic of Congo) to Luanda, Angola, primarily defined by ...

singer-songwriter, composer and guitarist. Signed on the Ngoma label since 1950, during his musical career, he composed several hits such as "Mokili Ekobaluka", which is his best known. The song is considered by Congolese as a prophecy of their independence. Other hits are "Maria Tchebo", "Pyramide", "Tout Le Monde Samedi Soir". His music was covered by many artists, including

Sam Mangwana Sam Mangwana (born 21 February 1945) is a Congolese musician and songwriter. He was the frontman of his bands Festival des Maquisards and African All Stars. Mangwana was a member of François Luambo Makiadi's seminal band TPOK Jazz, and Tabu Ley ...

and Bopol Mansiamina.

Early life

Elenga was born in Watsa, Haut-Uélé in 1926. His father, Mohamed, of Zanzibar origin, was a guitarist. His mother, Amba, was a Congolese precisely from the Tetela tribe. Adou Elenga began his musical career in 1939. With the help of his brother Saidi Mambuleo, in 1947 at the age of 21, he learned to play the guitar. Later, he composed his first song, "Kumambele".

Musical career

In 1950, he joined Editions Ngoma label, run by Greek producer Nicolas Jeronimidis. The following year he recorded his first single "Pyramide/Maria Tchebo" and later "Aminatou/Tout Le Monde Samedi Soir". Elenga's French adaptation of "Bobo Waro Fero Satodeh", "Tout Le Monde Samedi Soir" was covered by several artists including Ousmane M'Baye and Sheila. Congolese guitarist Bopol Mansiamina also covered Elenga's adaptation. Congolese singer Evoloko Jocker included a short lyric from the song. Later in 1979, "Maria Tchebo" was covered by singer

as "Maria Tebbo".

Ata Ndele

In 1954, Elenga recorded several songs for the Ngoma label, including "O Likouleo" with Louis Mousaidi and the Groupe Rythmique Ngoma. The B-side of the shellac contained Elenga's timeless hit "Mokili Ekobaluka", better known as "Ata Ndele". The song was a call for

decolonization Decolonization is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby Imperialism, imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. The meanings and applications of the term are disputed. Some scholar ...

and was aimed at the Belgian colonial authorities, who censored it and sent Elenga to jail. "Ata ndele mokili ekobaluka, ata ndele mondele akosukwama",

lingala Lingala (or Ngala, Lingala: ) is a Bantu languages, Bantu language spoken in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the northern half of the Republic of the Congo, in their capitals, Kinshasa and Brazzaville, and to a lesser de ...

for "Sooner or later the world will change, sooner or later the whites will be kicked out." To this day, many Congolese consider the song to be a prophecy of the independence of the Congo, which took place in 1960.

Death

Adou Elenga died on 4 August 1981, at the Makala Sanatorium, Kinshasa, after being diagnosed with chronic tuberculosis. He was aged 55.

Partial discography

Singles * Pyramide/Maria Tchebo * Aminatou/Tout Le Monde Samedi Soir * Bandeladie Kongo/Eyaye Wantulala * Mina Kwenda Kisangani/Yolele Sika Monene * Kumambele/Eyamba * O Likouleo/Mokili Ekobaluka Contributing artist * Anthologie de la Musique Zaïroise moderne

ome 1–2 Ome or OME may refer to: Places * Ome (Bora Bora), a public island in the lagoon of Bora Bora * Ome, Lombardy, Italy, a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Brescia * Ōme, Tokyo, a city in the Prefecture of Tokyo * Ome (crater), a crater on Ma ...

(1974, Bureau du Président de la République du Zaïre)

References list

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elenga, Adou 1926 births 1981 deaths 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis 20th-century Democratic Republic of the Congo male singers Soukous musicians Infectious disease deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo singer-songwriters Democratic Republic of the Congo guitarists Democratic Republic of the Congo prisoners and detainees Foreign nationals imprisoned in Belgium Tetela people Democratic Republic of the Congo people of Zimbabwean descent French-language singers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo