Congolese music star Papa Wemba passed away on April 23. (Photo : Getty Images / STR)
Closely after the tragic death of music icon Prince, Papa Wemba, one of Africa's most flamboyant and popular musicians, died on April 23, Saturday after collapsing onstage during a concert in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He was 66.
The singer, whose real name was Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba, was performing at the Urban Music Festival, the first major cultural event in the country since a terrorist attack on a beach resort last month. Viral videos from the concert show him slumping on the stage behind a group of dancers as they rushed to his side.
The late performer was taken to a nearby medical centre but he died on the way to hospital. Although the exact cause of death is still unknown, festival promoter told ABC that a journalist who interviewed him earlier in the day told him that the great singer appeared unwell and even showed signs of fatigue.
Papa Wemba was considered a Congolese icon in the world music and was best known for merging his Central African heritage with Western pop, rock and rap. His unique style earned him the nickname "King of Rhumba Rock."
Born in June 1949 in what was then Belgian Congo, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, Papa Wemba had won international acclaim when his music gained immense popularty in 1980s after which he went on to record with British rock star Peter Gabriel, appearing on his album "Secret World Live."
Apart from his popular music, Papa Wemba was also known for trademark fashion sense. He was considered a forerunner of Africa's so-called Sapeur culture, which is marked by its dedication to extravagant fashions like stylish suits and fedora hats.
Papa Wemba had a brief brush with the law when he was suspected of being involved in a network that has allegedly smuggled hundreds of illegal immigrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo into Europe. He was arrested from his home in Paris after which he admitted that he had taken part in a plot to smuggle immigrants into France, but argued that he played a very minor role, New York Times reported.
Check out Papa Wemba's music below:
