Congolese rumba music legend, Papa Wemba, 67, died in the early hours of Sunday after collapsing on stage in Abidjan, capital of Cote d’Ivire.
A report from a private morgue in Abidjan, where his body was taken, said Wemba was performing at the Anoumabo Urban Music Festival (FEMUA) when he collapsed on stage.
Wemba was born in 1949 in the Kasai-Oriental province, Democratic Republic of Congo.
He became a pivotal player on the continent’s music scene and lived almost all his life as a musician.
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Wemba, who started his career at the age of 20, inherited his love of song from his mother, a professional wailing woman at funerals.
The legend founded the label and group ‘Viva la Musica’ in 1977, and would later create scintillating videos while pioneering emblems of world music.
He also discovered and trained generations of African musicians such as Koffi Olomide, and created the Society of Ambianceurs and Elegant People (SAPE).
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Wemba, known as the King of Rumba Rock, won fans across Africa and Europe and worked with international stars, including former Genesis singer, Peter Gabriel.
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