Tshala Muana: Remembering the Queen of Mutuashi

Late Tshala Muana dances on stage during a past performance [Courtesy]

Born Elizabeth Tshala Muidikayi in 1958, Congolese music icon Tshala Muana passed away on December 10, 2022, in Kinshasa, bringing to a close a career that helped define Mutuashi music and dance in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

She began her artistic journey as a dancer before rising to become one of the most respected female vocalists in Congolese rhumba.

At the height of her career, Tshala Muana held her own against established songstresses such as Mbilia Bel and the late Mpongo Love, carving out a distinctive space in a male-dominated industry.

Over time, she produced several acclaimed albums whose melodies and lyrics remain popular today, frequently featuring on weekly rhumba charts across the region.

Paris-based Congolese musician Ballou Canta describes her as the Queen of Mutuashi and the Queen of Tshiluba music in the DRC.

Mutuashi is both a musical genre and a traditional dance style, while Tshiluba is one of the country’s four national languages, alongside Lingala, Kikongo ya Leta and Kiswahili.

Tshala Muana was fluent in Tshiluba and used it extensively in her music, helping elevate the language on national and international stages.

Canta said Tshala Muana was a formidable presence during her heyday, producing hit songs that rivalled, and at times surpassed, those of her male contemporaries.

“She was a tough lady on stage, admirable in her work. That is why she rose from being a dancer to becoming a popular singer whose melodies we still cherish,” he told The Standard from Paris.

The former Soukous Stars legend said her creativity drew him to collaborate with her during her 1995 tour of Uganda, a journey that later extended to Kigali, Rwanda.

“It was a good opportunity working with Tshala Muana both in Kampala and Kigali, where we made inroads and attracted many fans in the two countries,” said Canta, who was part of the now-defunct Soukous Stars alongside Yondo Sister, Lokassa ya M’bongo, Shimita, Dally Kimoko and Diblo Dibala.

Among Tshala Muana’s most popular songs are Kizounguzoungu, Karibu Yangu, Tshibola, Nasi Nabali, Seli Pere and Bena Moyo.

Rhumba enthusiast and promoter Jacob Owiyo believes Tshala Muana died just as her work was beginning to receive wider international recognition.

“She was a legend by her own standards. As someone who rose from grass to grace, she deserves respect even posthumously,” Owiyo said.

Last week, Congolese legend Nyboma Mwandido reflected on the festive season as a difficult period for rhumba musicians and fans, marked by memories of departed artistes.

“This is a time we are always mourning, remembering our fallen colleagues, whom we believe have gone to dance with the Almighty God,” he said, noting that loss is an inevitable part of life.

At the height of her career in the 1990s, Tshala Muana made three visits to Kenya, further cementing her influence across East Africa.