Английская Википедия:Ferré Gola

Содержание

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Hervé Gola Bataringe (born March 1976), known professionally as Ferré Gola or Ferre Gola, is a Congolese singer, songwriter, dancer, and record producer. He is known for his "lyrical and symphonic" Congolese rumba, as well as his vocal prowess, stage presence, and compelling musical compositions. Ferré Gola is widely regarded as one of the best fifth-generation Congolese artists. His lyrics frequently explore themes of love, support, and interpersonal relationships.

Early life and musical career

1976–1993: Early life, education and music debut

Ferre Gola was born as Hervé Gola Bataringe on March 3, 1976, in Kinshasa's Ngiri-Ngiri commune in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). He is the seventh of nine children with a mixed Teke and Yombe parentage. From a tender age, Gola harbored dreams of becoming a professional musician, drawing inspiration from Franco Luambo, OK Jazz, Carlyto Lassa, Tabu Ley Rochereau, Simaro Lutumba, King Kester Emeneya, Papa Wemba, Youssou N'Dour, and Salif Keita. He frequently attended local musicians' rehearsals after school and began composing music. The family later relocated to Bandalungwa commune, where Gola joined the Youth Rumba ensemble (Rumba des Jeunes) and began learning the Congolese rumba.

1994–1996: Wenge Musica

In 1994, during a talent fair in Bandalungwa, he was spotted and recruited by Werrason into the soukous band Wenge Musica. In 1996, Gola was henceforth named Ferré by Adolphe Dominguez in reference to the Italian stylist Gianfranco Ferré, which contributed to his full stage name "Ferré Gola".

1997–2003: Wenge Musica Maison Mère (WMMM)

Following the band split in 1997, he became a constituent of the newly formed Wenge Musica Maison Mère (WMMM), which was led by Werrason, Didier Masela, and Adolphe Dominguez. Ferré Gola gained prominence in 1999 after releasing his single "Vita Imana" from the band's album Solola Bien. "Vita Imana" debuted as the Best Song of The Year 2000 by the Congolese press and achieved widespread success in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, and Kenya.

Файл:Ferré Gola au FEMUA 15 - 02.jpg

Ferré Gola performing at the Anoumabo Urban Music Festival in 2023

In 2001, Ferré Gola became the band's conductor after the departure of Christian Mabanga and founder Didier Masela, and took on a bigger role after Adolphe Dominguez left. In 2002, WMMM released their third studio album, A la Queue Leu-Leu, where Ferré Gola was the sole artist to compose two songs ("Chetani" and "Victime d'amour") and later performed "Nostalgie" by Elliot Mondombe in a duet with Héritier Watanabe.

2004–2005: Les Marquis de Maison Mère and Quartier Latin International

In 2004, WMMM toured Europe, but disputes materialized during their stay in the UK. Following these occurrences, Ferré Gola co-founded Les Marquis de Maison Mère with Bill Clinton Kalonji and JDT Mulopwe. The band released their debut 18-track double album, Miracles, which included Ferré Gola's internationally acclaimed hits "100 Kilos", "Amour Intérêt", and "Papitcho Nyanx". Miracles received widespread acclaim and further catapulted Ferré Gola into the spotlight.

In 2005, he joined Koffi Olomidé's Quartier Latin International as a singer and composer and contributed significantly to Olomide's solo studio album Danger de mort and maxi-single Boma Nga N'elengi on songs like "Insecticide" and "Sisi Silvie".

Solo career

2006–2012: Sens Interdit, Qui est derrière toi, Zénith de Paris, and Avant-goût

In 2006, Ferré Gola established his solo career and released his debut studio album, Sens Interdit, the following year. Shortly after album's debut, he obtained a sponsorship deal with the DRC's Bralima-Primus beer brand. Sens Interdit was produced by Obouo Music and gained recognition in Africa, leading him to performances in France, Belgium, and various Schengen Area states with his ensemble Jet Set in January 2008. Upon his return to Kinshasa, he released Lubukulukumu, a 2-track compact disc which contains the ndombolo-infused theme song "Lubukulukumu" for Primus and a remixed version of "Vita Imana" to present the musicians of his orchestra. In March 2008, he performed at the Elysée Montmartre in Paris. In August 2008, he hosted a sold-out concert in Cabinda Province, Angola, and made a guest appearance on Nsimba Lufwankenda's studio album Contre Mur later that year.

Файл:Concert de cloture du FEMUA15 à Bouaké 54.jpg

Ferré Gola performing at the closing of the Anoumabo Urban Music Festival

In May 2009, during an interview with Radio Okapi, Ferré Gola announced that his forthcoming 16-track third studio double album, Qui est derrière toi, was nearly complete. He embarked on an American tour and later toured Paris for music video production with some finishes in Abidjan. Qui est derrière toi was released in October 15, 2009, in Paris and Kinshasa markets, blending Congolese rumba, R&B, and ndombolo. It garnered popularity in Central Africa and East Africa and attained gold certification from SACEM with over 110,000 copies sold in Africa, America and Europe. In November-December of that year, he participated in the cultural programming of the Wallonie-Bruxelles Center in Kinshasa, alongside Lexxus Legal, Mantuila, and Félix Manuaku Waku.

In May 2010, he took the stage at the Zénith de Paris with his group Jet Set, accompanied by music columnists Tshitenge from Radio Télévision Groupe Avenir and Hélène Kalemba from Raga TV. He sold over 4,500 tickets and performed several hits from his album, including "Maboko Pamba", "3ème Doigt", and "Zazou".

On September 12, 2011, Ferré Gola won four French Afro-Caribbean Arts Awards (Trophées des Arts Afro-Caribéens) for Best African Singer, Best Central African Male Voice, Best Song for "Zazou" and Best Clip.

In December 2011, he released the maxi-single titled Avant-goût, containing three tracks: "Tchekele Pete", "Porte-Monnaie", and "Leke Leke". On December 30, 2012, he was nominated for Best Central African Male Artist for his song "Tchekele Pete" at the Kora Awards.

2013–2015: Boite noire, collaborative ventures, Battle Afro, Francofolies Festival, and Dérangement

In February 2011, during an interview with host Marc Tabu in Paris, aired on TVS 1 in Kinshasa, Ferré Gola revealed that his forthcoming 22-track double album Boite noire was in the conclusive phases of production. Boite noire was initially slated for release in 2012, but its release was postponed to July 19, 2013. Produced by Diego Music, it blended Congolese rumba, kudoro, and ndombolo. Boite noire sold 10,000 copies in five hours in Paris. Three days later, it debuted first and second place on the iTunes bestsellers in the World Music category in France, Canada, and Belgium. It also clinched ninth and twelfth spots in South Africa. Boite noire success augmented his visibility, leading to invitations for collaborations on the compilation Les Chroniques du Wati Boss featuring the French rapper Dry on the track "J'ai tout donné". He also collaborated with Black Bazar and Izé Teixeira on the song "Songa Flesh", produced by Alain Mabanckou.

In October 2013, Ferré Gola served as a member of the jury for Battle Afro, alongside artists like Alicia Fall, Phil Darwin, Mokobé, Lino Versace, and Serge Beynaud. Boite noire official presentation took place on November 9, 2013, at the Grand Hôtel in Kinshasa.

On February 13, 2014, Ferré Gola was a featured guest at the 7th edition of the Anoumabo Urban Music Festival (FEMUA) in Abidjan, hosted by Magic System at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, and subsequently earned two nominations for Best Central African Artist at Kundé d'Or and Best Francophone Artist at the 2014 MTV Africa Music Awards. In June 2014, he performed at the Bralima-sponsored Primus Fete de la Musique at the Theatre de Verdure in Mont Ngaliema. He was later nominated for two consecutive Best Central African Artists for the Kora Awards and AFRIMMA.

In September 2014, Ferré Gola participated in the Francofolies festival in Kinshasa, sharing the spotlight with Lokua Kanza, Youssoupha, Fally Ipupa, Werrason, Lexxus Legal, La fouine, Johnny Clegg, and Passi.

Recorded simultaneously with Boite noire since mid-2013, Ferré Gola released a 5-track maxi-single titled Dérangement at the end of 2014, featuring the flagship song "Vieux Jaloux". In May 2015, he was nominated for Best Rumba Artist at the Afroca Music Awards in Brazzaville. In June 2015, he released the ndombolo-infused single "Seben" on the Kinshasa market, which was met with great success. On July 11, 2015, he won the Best Male Clip at the Bilily Awards in Kinshasa and was subsequently nominated for Best Central African Male Artist at African Muzik Magazine Awards. Later that year, he made a guest appearance on French rapper Gradur's mixtape ShegueyVara 2 on the track "Motema".

2016–2017: QQJD

In March 2015, Ferré Gola announced his forthcoming double album, Qu'est-ce que j'avais dit (What did I say?), acronym QQJD. The double album comprised 33 tracks distributed across three compact discs (Red, Blue, and Gold), symbolizing his country's flag's colors, with each disc containing eleven tracks. QQJD blended Congolese rumba and ndombolo. The three volumes peaked at No. 1, 2, and 3 in the iTunes world music category on its release day. Before the album's release on June 9, 2017, Ferré Gola collaborated with Kenyan singer Victoria Kimani on the single "Tucheze" and later made a guest appearance on J. Martins' album Authentic on the track "Ekelebe".

On September 30, 2016, he released the successful single "ManiX", announcing its inclusion in his forthcoming double album, and on December 18, 2016, he released the ndombolo-infused dance theme "Boss". The Congolese rumba-infused "Jugement" was released on his birthday on March 3, 2017, and achieved great success in the bars and nightclubs of the DRC. "Jugement" debuted first in the Congolese charts and amassed over a million views on YouTube within three weeks. On March 4, 2017, Ferré Gola won the Best African Artist during the eleventh edition of Canal 2'Or organized by the Cameroonian channel Canal 2 International during its presentation evening at the Palais des Congrès in Yaoundé in the presence of the First Lady of Cameroon, Chantal Biya, and was subsequently feted by the DRC's Ministry of Culture and Arts, Sylvain Maurice Masheke.

In support of QQJD, Ferré Gola performed in Lagos in April 2017 alongside J. Martins to commemorate his decade-long musical career. He embarked on several concerts in Kenya, Angola, and Bangui. On June 30, 2017, he performed in Moscow, Russia, and later received a nomination for Best Central African Artist at the All Africa Music Awards on July 22. On July 28, he headlined the "QQJD Evening" in Brussels before returning to Kinshasa to perform at Espace Amaryllis in the Ngaliema commune and receiving a nomination at the HAPA Music Awards. Ferré Gola concluded his tour with performances in Abidjan and Kisangani, followed by a show in Hawaii on January 1, 2018.

New releases

In March 2022, Gola signed with Sony Music, coinciding with his album "Dynastie." The album's single "Alita" debuted at number fifty-fifth on Top100: Rumba on Africacharts, a decentralized African music streaming platform.

His music

Ferré has made an exceptional artistic journey which has earned him his current success. His songs resonate with emotion, addressing themes of love, social issues, and personal experiences. He is considerably conceded for his exceptional work and surrounded by a talented team of women and men who play key roles in his admiration and in his orchestra. Among them are Chikito, Kunzardo, Charly Solo, Mark House, Guy Digital, De Gaulle, and others. Before embracing the solo career, Ferré Gola produced five songs including "Vita Imana," "Victime d'amour," "100 Kilos," "Amour Intèret," "Insecticide," and many more.

Discography

Since the debut of his solo career, Gola released 6 full-length albums:

• Sens Interdit (2006)
• Qui Est Derrière Toi (2009)
• Avant Goût – EP (2011)
• Boîte Noire (2013)
• Dérangement – EP (2014)
• QQJD (2017)
• Dynastie (2022)
• Dynastie 2.1 (2023)
• Dynastie 2.2 (2023)

With WMMM

• Force D'Intervention Rapide (1998)
• Solola Bien (1999)
• Terrain Eza Miné (2000)
• Kibuisa Mpimpa (2001)
• À La Queue Leu-Leu (2002)
• Tindika Lokito (2003)

With Les Marquis

• Miracles (2004)

With Quartier Latin

• Boma Nga N'Elengi (2005)
• Danger de Mort (2006)

Awards

WatsUp TV Africa Music Video Awards

Шаблон:Awards table |- |2016 |Tucheze |Best Central African Video |Шаблон:Won |- |}

Canal 2'Or

Шаблон:Awards table |- |2017 |Himself |Best African Artist |Шаблон:Won |- |}

See also

• Koffi Olomide
• Fally Ipupa
• Cindy Le Coeur
• Bouro Mpela
• Gibson Butukondolo
• Kasaloo Kyanga
• Quartier Latin International

External links

• Ferre Gola Discography