Renowned Congolese musician Fally Ipupa is slated to perform in London for the first time in his career. The concert is scheduled for December, coinciding with elections back home.
The 45-year-old singer and his management says they have now reached an agreement with skeptical Congolese communities, and he is also scheduled to perform again in Paris and Brussels.
For the past decade, members of the diaspora have sought to prevent Congolese musicians from performing in Europe as a way to express their opposition to politicians in their home country. They have accused prominent artists of being too closely aligned with those in power and of not speaking out against abuses occurring in DR Congo.
“Most of the people know now that I don’t do political things, I am just a musician and they have realised that you cannot punish your child all his life,” he said.
Ipupa does have some sympathy for those who boycotted his concerts but he feels it is time to move past politics and support DR Congo’s music industry.
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“I agree that things were happening politically which were not correct in DR Congo, and I’ve always told them that I agree with certain of the protesters who wanted to get the message across and raise awareness in people.
“But now the time has come to say look guys, we have punished the artists, we have slowed down Congolese culture, it’s time to show the world that we have very, very strong music.”
He feels that Congolese music has really suffered, losing its place in Europe to music from Nigeria, Ghana and Jamaica. Nigerian Afrobeats artists are now filling the major venues that Congolese artists used to fill 10 years ago. But he is confident that this can change.
“Congolese music is one of the most beautiful and rich, we have many talented artists, so if our brothers and sisters in Europe say no more blocking of Congolese music in Europe trust me we’re going to take our place in the world,” he said.
Fally Ipupa stands as one of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s most prominent stars. His track "Un Coup," featuring Congolese-French singer Dadju, has garnered over 80 million views on YouTube, and his live shows draw crowds of thousands.
In fact, the demand to see him perform in the capital city of DR Congo was so high last year that Kinshasa’s Stadium of Martyrs became overcrowded, leading to a stampede at the end of the event.
Initially, the government reported that 11 people had lost their lives. However, both Fally Ipupa and the BBC’s Kinshasa reporter pointed out that this figure was never definitively confirmed.
This is not the first time one of Ipupa’s concerts made headlines. During his performance in France in 2020, riots erupted outside the venue in Paris, with protesters setting fire to bins and motorbikes.
