Matonge, or Matongé (), is a notable neighbourhood in the north of the commune of

Kalamu Kalamu is a commune in the Funa District of Kinshasa, located in the western region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Covering an area of 6.64 square kilometers, Kalamu lies in the central part of the city-province of Kinshasa. It is bord ...

within the city of

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-grow ...

in the

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 t ...

. Situated between the Victoire quarter and the

Stade Tata Raphaël Stade Tata Raphaël (Father Raphael Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Originally known as Stade Roi Baudouin (Baudouin of Belgium, King Baudouin Stadium) when it was inaugurated in 1952 and Stade du ...

, Matonge is known for its nightlife, including bars. There are also several recording studios based in the quarter. It is best known as a cultural and musical center of Congolese music, from where groups such as

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 ...

Viva La Musica Viva La Musica is a popular band from Zaire (now DR Congo) founded by singer Papa Wemba in 1977. While Viva La Musica started out as a soukous band (essentially a spin-off of Zaiko Langa Langa), it eventually grew into a world music act, reachi ...

launched the musical careers of numerous figures including

Koffi Olomidé Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba (born 13 July 1956), known professionally as Koffi Olomidé, is a Congolese singer-songwriter, dancer, producer, and founder of Quartier Latin International. Often referred to as the "King of Ndombolo", he is not ...

and

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 ...

. During the colonial period, the area was called Renkin.

References

External links

Distractions Congo: A Matongé, On Ne Dort Jamais, On danse
at

Inter Press Service Inter Press Service (IPS) is a global news agency headquartered in Rome, Italy. Its main focus is news and analysis about social, political, civil, and economic subjects as they relate to the Global South, civil society, and globalization. His ...

(IPS)
Kinshasa-Brussels: From Matonge to Matonge
at

Royal Museum for Central Africa The Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) (; ; ), communicating under the name AfricaMuseum since 2018, is an ethnography and natural history museum situated in Tervuren in Flemish Brabant, Belgium, just outside Brussels. It was originally b ...

(RMAC-KMMA) {{coord, -4.3390, 15.3176, type:landmark, format=dms, display=title Populated places in Kinshasa Kalamu