Awilo Longomba
Louis Albert William Longomba (born 5 May 1962), known professionally as Awilo Longomba, is a Congolese soukous singer, drummer, songwriter, dancer, and producer. William is known for pioneering the techno-soukous genre, a variant of soukous that blends techno music with ndombolo, often incorporating elements of electronic dance music and zouk.
Between 1980 and 1995, William made his music debut as a drummer for Viva La Musica, Stukas, Loketo, Nouvelle Génération. He rose to fame across Africa and among the continent's diaspora in Europe after releasing his debut solo album Moto Pamba, which won him two consecutive Best Artist of Central Africa at the 1996 and 1997 Kora Awards. In 1998, William released his second studio album, Coupé Bibamba. The album's eponymous single (featuring Jocelyne Béroard on vocals), became a chart-topper in Africa and gained a considerable following among the African diaspora residing in Europe and America. It is often regarded as one of Africa's most acclaimed Lingala songs. The song was later featured in the World Tribute to the Funk compilation album by Sony Music, featuring a new funk remix titled "Comment Tu T'Appelles" with James D-Train Williams.
His third studio album Kafou Kafou, debuted in July 2000, later won him the Judges' Special Awards at the 2001 Kora Awards for his contribution to African music. In September 2003, he issued his fourth studio album, Mondongo. In August 2008, he published his fifth studio album, Superman. In 2009, William clinched the accolade of Best Soukous Entertainer at the IRAWMA Awards.
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