Soukous (also known as rumba, lingala or congo) is a musical genre that originated in the two neighbouring countries of Congo during the 1930s and early 1940s, and which has gained popularity throughout Africa. Soukous (from the French word secouer, to shake"African on your street: Glossary (BBC)") was originally the name of a dance popular in the Congos in the late 1960s, and danced to an African version of rumba. The word soukous became synonymous with African rumba, and has come to refer to its subsequent developments.

Soukous is called congo music in West Africa, and lingala in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania - referring to the Lingala language of the region from where it originated. In the 1980s and early 1990s, a fast paced style of soukous known as kwassa kwassa – named after a popular dance, was popular. A style called ndombolo, also named after a dance, is currently popular.

Origins

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In the late 1930s and early 1940s in the Congos, musicians fused African rhythms with Afro-Cuban and other Caribbean and South American sounds - rhythms that were not entirely foreign to Congo, having been founded to varying degrees on musical traditions from the area. This music emerged in the cities of Leopoldville, as Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was called then, and Brazzaville, then capital of the French Congo, now capital of the Republic of the Congo"Rumba in the jungle, The Economist, December 18, 2003". Most of the musicians performed in Lingala language, but some also used Swahili, Tshiluba and Kikongo.

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In 2010 Africa will return to the streets, watch out for the Kenge LV backpack and soukous electro block parties in your neigbourhood :).
Amalistique (Amal) Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:02:35 -0000
In 2010 Africa will return to the streets, watch out for the Kenge LV backpack and soukous electro block parties in your neigbourhood :).
#StrangeThingsAboutAngryJoe I Listen to Soukous: http://cli.gs/t9B6GE The Guitar is Soothing In between my Heavy Metal CD's >=P
AngryJoeShow (Joe Vargas) Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:35:45 -0000
#StrangeThingsAboutAngryJoe I Listen to Soukous: http://cli.gs/t9B6GE The Guitar is Soothing In between my Heavy Metal CD's >=P
Radio Africa Online - Soukous,... - African Caribbean Arabi... - (96 kbps) http://www.musicgoal.com/radio-station/id/1000031123/
musicgoal (Music Goal) Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:27:39 -0000
Radio Africa Online - Soukous,... - African Caribbean Arabi... - (96 kbps) http://www.musicgoal.com/radio-station/id/1000031123/
Radio Africa Online - Soukous,... - African Caribbean Arabi... - (96 kbps) http://www.goldmusic.de/internet-radio/id/1000031123/
GoldMusic (Gold Music) Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:27:28 -0000
Radio Africa Online - Soukous,... - African Caribbean Arabi... - (96 kbps) http://www.goldmusic.de/internet-radio/id/1000031123/
Loving Soukous: http://www.lala.com/#album/1657606139594539152/Diblo_Dibala/Méchant_Garçon
mcudich (Matias Cudich) Thu, 24 Dec 2009 18:21:58 -0000
Loving Soukous: http://www.lala.com/#album/1657606139594539152/Diblo_Dibala/Méchant_Garçon

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