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Bébé Atalaku

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Congolese musician (born 1962)
Bébé Atalaku
Bébé Atalaku (left) with Nono Monzuluku in 1982Bébé Atalaku (left) with Nono Monzuluku in 1982
Background information
Birth nameFaustin Mangituka Ntaminimo
Born (1962-07-07) July 7, 1962 (age 62)
Léopoldville, Republic of the Congo
(modern-day Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Genres
Occupations
Years active1980–1995
Musical artist

Faustin Mangituka Ntaminimo (born 7 July 1962), known professionally as Bébé Atalaku, is a Congolese songwriter and musician whose work with Nono Monzuluku has significantly shaped Congolese music, mainly through his role as an atalaku in Zaïko Langa Langa.

Life

Faustin Mangituka Ntaminimo was born on 7 July 1962 in Léopoldville (now Kinshasa), in what was then the Republic of the Congo (later known as Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), to a family of Humbu ethnicity. His older brother is Ditutala Mbuesa. Both siblings were members of the folkloric group Bana Odéon, which was based in the Kintambo commune and included Nono Monzuluku and percussionist Djerba Manzeku.

In August 1982, Bébé became part of Zaïko Langa Langa alongside his colleague Djerba Manzeku. His entry into the band initiated the introduction of the atalaku role in the Congolese rumba section called sebene, a role he pioneered with Nono Monzuluku, who had joined Zaïko Langa Langa shortly before him. Atalaku, performers who sing and shout during dance segments in sebene to inspire and energize audience to dance, gained immense popularity across Africa, with nearly every band incorporating atalaku in their music.

Bébé toured Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Asia as part of Zaïko Langa Langa and contributed to several of the band's well-known albums, including Nippon Banzai (1986), Pusa Kuna… Serrez! Serrez! (1986), and Subissez les Conséquences (1987). He departed Zaïko Langa Langa in 1988 after one of the band's splits to join the offshoot Zaïko Langa Langa Familia Dei, where he performed until 1995.

References

  1. Peek, Philip M.; Yankah, Kwesi (1 March 2004). African Folklore: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 528. ISBN 978-1-135-94873-3.
  2. Matanda, Alvin (12 January 2024). "RDC: Nono Atalaku, ancien du groupe musical Zaiko, tire sa révérence" [DRC: Nono Atalaku, former member of the musical group Zaiko, bows out]. Music In Africa (in French). Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  3. ^ White, Bob W. (27 June 2008). Rumba Rules: The Politics of Dance Music in Mobutu's Zaire. Durham, North Carolina, United States: Duke University Press. pp. 60–64. ISBN 978-0-8223-4112-3.
  4. ^ Tsiehela, Guy Francis (21 November 2020). "Musique: les Atalakus et Vous" [Music: The Atalakus and You]. Adiac-congo.com. Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  5. White, Bob Whitman (1998). Modernity's Spiral: Popular Culture, Mastery, and the Politics of Dance Music in Congo-Kinshasa. McGill University. pp. 124–148.
  6. White, Bob W. (1999). "Modernity's Trickster: "Dipping" and "Throwing" in Congolese Popular Dance Music". Research in African Literatures. 30 (4): 156–175. ISSN 0034-5210. JSTOR 3820759.


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