The Congolese fraternity is mourning the death of renowned singer Tshala Muana.
Muana breathed her last on Saturday morning, December, 10. According to Congo news sources, Muana died in Kinshasa. She died at the age of 64.
Her spouse Claude Mashala confirmed her death in a Facebook post when he said, “In the early hours of this morning, the good Lord made the decision to take over the national Mamu Tshala Muana. May the good God be glorified for all the good times she has given us on this earth. Farewell Mamu,” he posted.
Mashala did not give details on the cause of her death.
The late Muana is known for several hit songs across the continent.
Her Karibou Yangu song is one of the most popular compositions that has earned her admiration across the world.
For the music world, this is a shock. Tshala Muana was, alongside Mbilia Bel, the oldest female star still active in the DRC.
While it is true that Tshala has been less visible on the big stages in recent times, her public appearances in 2022 have included short private performances.
For instance a month ago she was at a private party in Kinshasa.
Her last big media hit was her song “Ingratitude”, which was not officially released, but a track of which went viral on social media in November 2020
Elisabeth Tshala Muana was born on March 13, 1958 in Elisabethville, now Lubumbashi, in the south of the DRC.
She started her career as a dancer in Kinshasa in 1977 in the orchestra of another famous singer, Mpongo Love, then with Abeti Masikini, another female star, who was also a mentor of Mbilia Bel.
From being a dancer, Tshala became a backing singer before she left soon after to go solo. It was in Côte d’Ivoire in the 1980s that Tshala Muana revealed herself to the world.
She sings mainly in Tshiluba, the language spoken in Kasai, in the centre of the DRC, and distinguishes herself by her often suggestive and provocative dances.
She made a name for herself in the world of Rumba, which is dominated by Lingala, the language spoken in Kinshasa and the west of the DRC and in Congo-Brazzaville.
She performed in several West African countries including for Heads of State. In the early 1990s, her aura extended to Europe.
