CONGO DEMOCRATIC-STROMAE Stromae returns to DRC for last legs of Africa tour

Record ID: 135787

  • Title: CONGO DEMOCRATIC-STROMAE Stromae returns to DRC for last legs of Africa tour
  • Date: 12th October 2015
  • Summary: KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (OCTOBER 10, 2015) (REUTERS) STROMAE DANCING AND SINGING ON STAGE
  • Embargoed: 27th October 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA5XKOAPYVKDVYBJPGFLV1LHXA9
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Almost four months late - but worth the wait, Belgian-Rwandan musician Stromae finally made it to perform in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
    Stromae had to abandon the last two appearances of his first Africa tour in June after falling ill. Reports said he suffered side effects from anti-malarial medication and returned to Brussels for treatment.
    Saturday's concert was several hours late but his fans kept their enthusiasm - 6,000 people packed the parking lot of the Pullman Grand Hotel to watch Stromae deliver hit after hit.
    At a news conference the night before, Stromae apologized for not making it to perform the first time round and paid tribute to several Congolese artists he says have heavily influenced his music.
    "I apologize for my absence in June due to health reasons. I am obviously very happy to be here, and in any case, this time it's for good," he said.
    "I think Congolese music gave birth to many movements, especially in Nigeria currently or in Ivory Coast, etc. For me, the Congo is of paramount importance musically. I'm thinking of Koffi Olomide, Papa Wemba, Zaiko, Franco, and so on. This is music that we listened to tremendously and that African diasporans, not necessarily Congolese, at some point listened to Congolese music. It's a must, so it is understandably part of who I am," Stromae added.
    It was the first time in DRC for the 30-year-old artist born to a Rwandan father and Belgian mother. Multi-award winning Stromae says the tour of Africa was like a personal "initiation" for him.
    Stromae, who sings in French and whose witty lyrics tackle family, loneliness, drunkenness and Twitter, has just completed a successful U.S. tour but seemed to have a lot left for his African fans.
    "Yes, we were waiting for him for a long time. He came, he presented. We loved it, we saw the artist, and we're very happy to see him here in Kinshasa. Last time, we missed him and today, he lived up to it and we're grateful for that," said Ferant Mvuvu, a resident of Kinshasa.
    "The concert was amazing, so I truly loved it because it went really well. Stromae showed us his experience. I knew Stromae was very professional, and I saw that today. It was perfect, it was great," said Chadrak Tshibangila, another fan.
    Stromae had already performed in Senegal, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gabon and Congo Republic before he fell ill. His final show is in Rwanda on October 17.
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