Kinshasa, January 20th, 2026 (CPA) – A tribute concert by singer Reddy Amisi of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the late Papa Wemba, an iconic figure of Congolese rumba, is scheduled for May 30th at the initiative of the Quay Branly Jacques Chirac Museum in Paris, France, CPA has learned on Tuesday from the artist. ‘On May 30th, 2026, at the Quai Branly Jacques Chirac Museum, I will pay tribute to Papa Wemba, my elder, my role model, a living legend of rumba.
He has elevated our music, promoted our culture and showed the world the greatness of Congolese artists,’ has written the rumba singer Reddy Amisi on his social media page. According to the source, ten years on, Papa Wemba’s music, elegance and legacy remain alive. ‘Papa Wemba is not gone; he lives on in our voices, our steps and our songs. Eternal respect to the icon,’ he has affirmed. However, the leader of the group ‘La Casa Do Canto’ has invited the public and lovers of Congolese rumba to attend this event, promising them a show worthy of the reputation of the man nicknamed ‘Chef Coutumier (Traditional Chief) of the village of Molokaï’.
‘Come in large numbers to sing, dance and commune together to honour the man who has brought Congolese music to the top of the world,’ he has concluded. Papa Wemba, whose real name was Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba, has died on April 24th, 2016, after falling ill on stage in Abidjan at the Festival des musiques urbaines d’Anoumabo (Femua). Since then, several series of activities have been organised to commemorate the anniversary of his death, including thanksgiving masses and concerts in the capital and in several countries in Africa and around the world.