Jolie Detta
Jolie Detta in 2019
Jolie Detta in 2019
Background information
Birth nameJolie Detta Kamenga Kayobote
Also known asEvangeliste Myriam
BornKinshasa, Belgian Congo
(modern-day Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Origin Congolese
GenresCongolese rumba, soukous, and gospel
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
  • dancer
  • evangelist
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals
Years active1980s–present
Labels

Jolie Detta Kamenga Kayobote, professionally known as Jolie Detta or Evangeliste Myriam, is a Congolese singer-songwriter, dancer, and evangelist. She made her music debut as a member of Choc Stars between 1983 and 1984.[1][2][3][4][5] Detta later joined Tabu Ley's Orchestre Afrisa International in 1985[6][7][8] and then Franco Luambo's Ok Jazz in 1986, where she garnered national acclaim as the lead vocalist in the band's Extended Play (EP) Le Grand Maitre Franco et son Tout Puissant O.K. Jazz et Jolie Detta, in collaboration with Franco and Simaro Lutumba.[9][10][7] The EP featured hit singles "Massu," "Cherie Okamuisi Ngai," "Layile," and "Likambo Ya Somo Lumbe," catapulted her into the limelight with a debut tour to Kenya with OK Jazz the same year.[9][3] She later rejoined Choc Stars and recorded successful releases before joining Bozi Boziana's newly established ensemble Orchestre Anti-Choc in 1988 after Choc Stars disbanded.[11][12] Anti-Choc's album La Reine de Sabah, released at the end of 1988, and its eponymous lead single, composed by Boziana, was named the Best Song of The Year and earned her The Best Voice of the Year for her performance.[13][10] From the 1990s to the 2000s, Detta devoted herself to Christian music, switching to gospel, and relocated to Luanda, Angola.[3][9]

Early life and work

While the exact date of Detta's birth is uncertain for many musicologists, the Daily Nation reports that she was born to a Greek father and a Zairean mother.[3][14] In 1983, Detta joined the soukous band Choc Stars in Kinshasa and contributed to the band's tracks as a chanter and leading vocalist. She caught the attention of Tabu Ley Rochereau and Franco during her performances when the duo were recording their two albums under Choc Stars label (Choco Choc Choc). She joined Tabu Ley's Afrisa International in 1985 and took the sobriquet "Samantha Ley."[6][15][7][8] Following her successful stint with Afrisa, she went on to join Franco's OK Jazz.[8][16][17][4] In mid-1986, she was featured in Franco's EP Le Grand Maitre Franco et son Tout Puissant O.K. Jazz et Jolie Detta, which is a blend of Congolese rumba and soukous and includes collaboration with Simaro Lutumba.[9] The EP features four tracks: "Massu," "Cherie Okamuisi Ngai," "Layile," and "Likambo Ya Somo Lumbe," and was produced by Franco's Edipop Production and Disques Espérance, a subsidiary of SonoDisc.[9][18] "Massu" lyrics prominently features Detta's mellow voice with Franco's backing her up in the line "Matongi elekaki biso mbeka eh," followed by a more rhythmic sebéne segment characterized by swirling guitars and substantial brass percussion sections.[9][19] "Layile," also composed by Franco, incorporated Franco's and Malage de Lugende's vocal input. Malage married into Detta's indispensable vocals.[9] The two songs are considered amongst "the most memorable" within OK Jazz's discography.[2]

Detta's association with the band concluded following the release of the two songs with some attributing her "premature" departure to a disagreement over remuneration issues with Franco. Franco, however, attributed her departure to her inability to handle the fame that came with the songs.[9] She rejoined Choc Stars, made a few contributions, and later joined Boziana's newly established ensemble Orchestre Anti-Choco in 1988 after Choc Stars disbanded.[11][12][4] Detta went on to do a number of duets with Boziana and later won The Best Voice of the Year for her performance on the Band's album La Reine de Sabbat, released in 1989.[9][10] She later found her footing as a solo in the 1990s and 2000s as a gospel artist.[3][10]

Famous songs

  • Fatou (with Roxy Tshimpaka and Bozi Boziana)
  • Bola Bola
  • Massu (with Franco Luambo and OK Jazz)
  • Cherie Okamuisi Ngai (with Franco Luambo and OK Jazz)
  • Layile (with Franco Luambo and OK Jazz)
  • Likambo Ya Somo Lumbe (with Franco Luambo and OK Jazz)
  • Superstar
  • Pot Pourri 18 Ans De Succés (with Bozi Boziana and Anti-Choc)
  • Evelyne (with Bozi Boziana and Anti-Choc)
  • La Reine de Sabah (with Bozi Boziana and Anti-Choc)

References

  1. ↑ Lengo, Paulka Hassan (2012-07-13). "Jolie Detta Kamenga Kayobote: Chanteuse auteur-compositeur interprète (Congo RDC)". Universrumbacongolaise.com (in French). Retrieved 2023-11-06.
  2. 1 2 Musica (2014-06-10). "Layile by Franco feat Jolie Detta (translated)". Kenya Page. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "The rise and fall of TP OK Jazz". Nation. 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
  4. 1 2 3 Diop, Jeannot Ne Nzau (March 12, 2005). "Congo-Kinshasa: La femme dans la musique congolaise de 1960 en 2005" [Congo-Kinshasa: Women in Congolese music from 1960 to 2005]. Le Potentiel (in French). Retrieved 2023-11-06.
  5. ↑ Musica (2022-05-21). "TPOK Jazz Band members who are still alive". Kenya Page. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  6. 1 2 African Concord, Issues 110-113. Lagos, Nigeria: Concord Press of Nigeria. 1986. pp. 38–40.
  7. 1 2 3 Afrique magazine, Issues 220-232 (in French). Paris, France: Jeune Afrique. 2004. p. 67.
  8. 1 2 3 Maisha: revue zaïroise des arts, Volume 2, Issues 2-3 (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Presses universitaires du Zaïre. 2008. p. 9.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 MB, Harry (2021-06-16). Arianda, Jimmy (ed.). "The Female Vocal Experiment in T.P O.K Jazz: Hit or Miss?". Hakika News. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Biographie de Jolie Detta Kamenga Kayobote/Sœur Myriam". Kin kiesse (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 2021-10-01. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
  11. 1 2 Drum Magazine. Nairobi, Kenya: Drum Publications (East Africa). February 1990. p. 17.
  12. 1 2 Stewart, Gary (2003-11-17). Rumba on the River: A History of the Popular Music of the Two Congos. London and New York: Verso. p. 340. ISBN 978-1-85984-368-0.
  13. ↑ Stewart, Gary (2020-05-05). Rumba on the River: A History of the Popular Music of the Two Congos. London and New York: Verso Books. ISBN 978-1-78960-911-0.
  14. ↑ Musica (2016-11-26). "Massu by Jolie Detta and TPOK Jazz (Lyrics and Translation)". Kenya Page. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
  15. ↑ Musica (April 12, 2015). "The concept of Nzonzing in Congolese Music". musica1662.rssing.com. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
  16. ↑ Blues & Soul, Issues 461-473. Napfield Limited. July 1986. p. 34.
  17. ↑ Stewart, Gary (2020-05-05). Rumba on the River: A History of the Popular Music of the Two Congos. London and New York City: Verso Books. ISBN 978-1-78960-911-0.
  18. ↑ Le Grand Maitre Franco Et Son Tout Puissant O.K. Jazz et Jolie Detta - Le Grand Maitre Franco Et Jolie Detta (in French and English), Beaverton, Oregon, United States: Discogs, 1986, retrieved 2023-11-06
  19. ↑ Seck, Nago (2007-05-15). "Franco - Simaro - Jolie Detta et le TP OK Jazz". Afrisson (in French). Retrieved 2023-11-06.
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