Singer and composer Joseph Kabasele, aka Le Grand Kallé, is widely credited with the creation of "Congolese rumba," the most popular style in Central and East Africa during the 1960s and 1970s. In ...

Joseph Kabasele Tshamala was born 1930, in Matadi, Zaire. Considered as the father of modern Zairean music, Kalle's earliest musical experiences were as a member of the church choir in his home town ...

Bandleader, songwriter and singer Joseph Kabasele, known by his nickname "Le Grand Kalle", was one of the pioneers of Congolese popular music. He certainly blazed a trail for Congolese rumba, the most ...

In modern Congolese music lies the fascinating tale of how a culture was transmitted around the world. By 1840, 300 years of Spanish slave colonies in the sugar plantations of Cuba had produced a 50 ...

If Franco was the finest musician in the Congo, and indeed Africa, then his rival Joseph Kabasele was the most influential band leader. Known as Le Grand Kallé, he was a singer, songwriter and ...

In the Sixties and Seventies, Le Grand Kallé remapped an entire continent’s music. He adopted Cuban rumba and became the first Congolese musician to record with an electric guitar. His “Independance ...