Rebo Tchulo

Deborah Tshimpaka Mulanga (born 5 December 1997), known professionally as Rebo Tchulo, is a Congolese singer-songwriter and dancer. She began her music career as a gospel singer. In 2017, Tshimpaka signed a record deal with Ferré Gola's FG Production label. She rose to prominence after releasing several hit singles including "Coeur Fragile", "Ni Nani", and "Biloko".

In 2020, she left FG Production and went on to release her debut single, "Mbote." Tshimpaka's subsequent single "Pepele", which premiered on 30 June 2021, amassed over one million views on YouTube within four months. In October 2022, she released "Contaminée" and followed it up with "Mukaji Internationale" in March 2023. She guest performed on Jules Ysok's single, "Mata Kuna Yo", which garnered over three million YouTube views in a month and debuted in the top 10 most popular Congolese videos on YouTube. Her single "Choquer", released on 15 March 2024, peaked at number two among the Congo's most-watched YouTube videos, with 446,000 views in April of that year.

Early years

Deborah Tshimpaka Mulanga was born on 5 December 1997, in Kinshasa, a metropolis situated in the western expanse of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Growing up in the challenging and unstable Barumbu commune, she developed a penchant for gospel music and often performed interpretations at a Protestant church. Between 2005 and 2008, Tshimpaka began singing in church choirs and soon gained public attention. In 2015, she became a member of another revivalist congregation, where she was noted for her extravagant outfits. However, due to her ostentatious appearance, she was repudiated and later joined Chapelle du Phare church in Kinshasa in 2016. There, she participated in several competitions that allowed her to sing with several Congolese singers.

Career

2017–present: Widespread recognition with "Coeur Fragile" and standalone releases

In November 2017, Tshimpaka made a guest appearance on Innoss'B's music video for the track "Top Model," from his five-track maxi single ''Plus''. The feature propelled her into the limelight and seized the attention of Ferré Gola, who subsequently featured her in his Congolese rumba-infused music video for the single "Ma Meilleur Chemise." Following this, Tshimpaka signed with Ferré Gola's FG Production label and released her debut single, "Coeur Fragile," which also spawned the singles "Ni Nani" and "Biloko." After the success of her singles, she ventured out as an independent artist and released "Mbote" on 5 September 2020. "Mbote" quickly gained popularity and amassed one million views on YouTube in three months.

On 28 June 2021, Tshimpaka announced that her ndombolo-infused single "Pepele" was in the conclusive phases of production and slated for debut on 30 June. To promote "Pepele," Tshimpaka released a teaser on the same day, which sparked controversy due to its depiction of lesbianism. As a result, she was mandated to remove contentious scenes by the DRC's ''Commission Nationale de Censure'' (National Censorship Commission) before the song's official release. Paradoxically, despite the reproof, the song received widespread recognition and accumulated over one million views on YouTube within four months.

On 17 July 2021, Tshimpaka made a guest appearance on Innoss'B's single "No No", which swiftly gained widespread acclaim and peaked at second place on BBC Radio 1Xtra. On 8 July 2022, she was again featured in Samarino's ndombolo-infused single "Epesi Pasi", from his album ''Chambre Noire'', which has garnered over a million views on YouTube. On 15 October, she unveiled the urban-inspired single "Contaminée," produced by Maisha Soul Records, followed by "Mukaji Internationale" in March 2023. Within three weeks of its release, "Mukaji Internationale" peaked at number seven in the top 10 most-viewed YouTube videos in Congo for March.

Tshimpaka also featured on Mputu Meya's remix of the track "Loketo" alongside Innoss'B on 28 September 2023, which has been viewed over 10 million times on YouTube. On 15 November 2023, she contributed to the collaborative single "Rumba Forever," which brought together several Congolese artists from all generations to honor Congolese rumba. She later joined Innoss'B on stage during his "Umoja" humanitarian concert at the La Madeleine concert hall in Brussels, where she performed alongside Yemi Alade and Awilo Longomba. On 15 March 2024, she debuted the single "Choquer," which quickly peaked at number two among the Congo's most-watched YouTube videos, with 446,000 views in April. She was subsequently invited to Frédéric Musa's ''Planète Rap'' on Skyrock, where she performed the "Loketo" remix. On 5 December, she dropped the dance-oriented single single "Mobambo", which quickly rose in popularity in Kinshasa and earned her the affectionate moniker "Maman Na Bango".

Discography

Singles

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{allmusic

1997 births
Living people
Luba people
Democratic Republic of the Congo songwriters
Kinshasa
21st-century Democratic Republic of the Congo women singers
Musicians from Kinshasa
French-language singers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo