Fally Ipupa

Congolese singer-songwriter and guitarist Fally Ipupa spent several years in celebrated soukous group Quartier Latin International, before he struck out on his own. ∙ Defying those who warned him not to leave Quartier Latin, he released his debut solo album, 2006’s Droit chemin, which went Gold. ∙ Ipupa teamed up with R&B singer (and former G-Unit member) Olivia on “Chaïse électrique,” the lead single from his 2009 album, Arsenal de belles mélodies. ∙ Nominated three times for the BET Awards’ Best International Act, he has won MTV Africa Music and African Muzik Magazine awards. ∙ In 2014, he was one of a dozen artists invited to the White House as part of a Barack Obama-hosted event to strengthen ties between the US and Africa. ∙ Looking beyond the Congolese market, he collaborated with with Afrobeats star Wizkid and French rappers Booba and MHD on his 2017 album, Tokoos. ∙ For years, protestors opposing the Congolese regime prevented Ipupa from performing in France, but after more than a decade away, in 2020 he played to a Parisian crowd of 20,000.