🇨🇩 Lucie Eyenga - Yaka Mama (1956) 🇨🇩

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One of the very first singers of Congolese music, she eclipsed all her predecessors to establish herself as the queen of Congolese song thanks to her performances alongside talented musicians such as Tino Baroza, Jhimmy de l'hawaiienne, Grand Kalle, Rossignol, etc.
Born in 1934 in Bandaka, then Coquelathville – Belgian Congo – she was predestined to become a singer; because she came from a family of the “Mongo” ethnic group steeped in the rhythms of “Zebola”, “Odemba”, and the joy of singing and dancing.
Since childhood, Lucie Eyenga hummed folk, modern, popular songs, etc. on the way to school or home.
It was later in 1954 that she was discovered in Leopoldville (Kinshasa) by the virtuoso "Hawaiian" guitarist, Zacharie ELENGA "Jhimmy", who at the time was accompanied by TSHILUMBA WA BALOJI "Tino Baroza", his student. They will enlist her in the "Opika" editions which lacked a top singer, unlike the "Loningisa" editions which at that time shone brightly with the tender singer of romances, Marie KITOTO accompanied by the guitarist Henri BOWANE, and who is especially known for her two legendary songs "Yo kolo ye kele" - "Ya bissu se malembe" released in September 1951.
Lucie EYENGA will quickly assert herself more than ever as the original, expressive, most accomplished singer, like no one, or almost, who knows how to improvise like a great instrumentalist and who gives with a particular spontaneity, the weight that is needed to each expression.
She was admired by the great singer Joseph KABASELLE, and by the best arrangers and instrumentalists of the OPIKA editions, who adopt her with great happiness.
It was in 1954 that she acquired a well-deserved reputation, thanks to her very first song on record "Bolingo ya la Joie " dedicated to the Kinshasa women's association, " La Joie ". She was accompanied by guitarists BALOJI "Tino Baroza", Charles MWAMBA "Dechaud", bassist Albert TAUMANI and saxophonist Isaac MUSEKIWA. From this song, the real authentic Lucie EYENGA of African Jazz was truly born, impressive in strength, roughness and conviction.
In addition to the AFRICAN JAZZ orchestra, where she acquired her greatest national and international reputation between 1954 and 1956, the best of her work can be found in the ROCK-A-MAMBO orchestra between 1957 and 1958, where her contribution was enormous, notably through her great hits such as "Brigitte", "Mabe na yo moko", "Dit moninga", "Nasepeli mingi", "Zozo moke", etc. which made her one of the most gifted singers of her generation, one of the only ones not to get bogged down in the concessions fashionable at that time.
The closure of Editions ESENGO in 1960 followed by the breakup of ROCK-A-MAMBO in 1961, gradually began the interruption of her professional career. But not forever, because three years later, Lucie EYENGA reappeared in Brazzaville in 1962 in the NEGRO BAND orchestra. She recorded with this group two superb songs "Adoula" and "Georgette" which brought her back to life. At the same time, she further enhanced the rating of the NEGRO BAND orchestra.
In 1973, Lucie EYENGA was selected to be part of the memorable group "BAKOLO MIZIKI" composed of the great names of Congolese music of the 50s, around an "Anthology of Zairian music" (Congolese) recommended by the presidency of the Republic of Zaire (D.Congo). She forged, under the artistic direction of Antoine NEDULE "Papa Noël", a repertoire including her great successes at OPIKA editions, absolutely marvelous.
Immediately after, she dropped out once more, to resurface in 1983 in Dr Nico KASANDA's AFRICAN FIESTA SUKISA, before joining forces in 1984 with her younger sister Abeti MASIKINI. Two golden voices that united around two albums produced at the IAD (African Record Industry) in Brazzaville, for a reissue of the pieces from Lucie EYENGA's great period of glory in Joseph KABASELLE's African Jazz and Nino MALAPET's Rock-a-Mambo (1954-1959)
When this immense singer died on December 12, 1987 in Kinshasa, at the age of 53, all of Congolese music lost its greatest female voice, and her figure, several years after her death, remained present both with the public and with musicians.