Tabu Ley Rochereau

Pascal-Emmanuel Sinamoyi Tabu, better known as Tabu Ley Rochereau, was a Congolese singer, songwriter, bandleader, and record executive who shaped Congolese rumba for more than five decades. His clear baritone voice and enormous output—over 3,000 songs and 250 albums—earned him nicknames like "Le Seigneur Rochereau," "Vieux Maze," and "King of Congolese rumba."

Born on 13 November 1940 in Bagata, Kwilu, in the Belgian Congo, he attended the École Moyenne Saint Raphaël in Limete and later worked in the secretariat of the Athénée de Kalina. He became interested in singing as a student, performing as an amateur with classmate Joseph Mulamba "Mujos" and with a small band called Afric'Ambiance. He took the stage name "Rochereau" from French General Pierre Denfert-Rochereau, whose name he liked from his school lessons. He made his official debut with Le Grand Kallé's African Jazz on 6 June 1959 at the Vis-à-Vis dance hall in Kinshasa, singing "Kelya" as a duet with Le Grand Kallé. He became a permanent member after the band returned from Brussels in 1960.

In 1963, Tabu Ley and guitarist Nico Kasanda co-founded African Fiesta. Disagreements between the two leaders caused the band to split in 1966; Kasanda formed African Fiesta Sukisa, while Tabu Ley created African Fiesta National. In 1969, he founded International Service Artistic (ISA), a company that also operated as a record label, and formed the female dance troupe Les Rocherettes. The following year, he established Orchestre Afrisa International, which became a leading force in Congolese and African popular music. On 12 December 1970, he began a series of performances at the Olympia Hall in Paris, becoming one of the first sub-Saharan African artists to play that venue.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Tabu Ley introduced innovations to Congolese rumba, including the soum-djoum style. He founded the record label Genidia, collaborated with or promoted many musicians, and recorded several albums with his longtime rival Franco Luambo. Singer Mbilia Bel joined Afrisa in the early 1980s and became one of its most prominent vocalists.