Rice Limungu to launch debut album in Kenya

Unlike most of his peers who launch their albums in Kinshasa and Europe, Rice Limungu, a fast-rising Congolese musician, has decided to launch his debut album in Kenya.

The star, who jetted into the country recently for the first time from the Democratic Republic of Congo for a performance, reveals that Kenyans will be the first to get a taste of his six-track album Paradoxe (Paradox) set for release in October in Nairobi .

The Kinshasa-based musician who honed his skills with Werasson Ngiama Makanda for a period of eight years before joining Ferre Gola for four years, describes his album as different from what other Congolese singers have released in the past.

He says Kenyans top the list of Lingala music lovers in Africa and hence his decision to launch the album, being recorded in Paris, in Nairobi.

A single from the album, Paradoxe, is already taking the local and international music industry by storm.

The song recorded in Paris barely two weeks ago has already garnered more than 15,000 views on You Tube and received immense airplay locally and back in his home country, the DRC.

“Unlike most musicians who are in a hurry to release songs, I take time to ensure I do enough planning and preparation before I embark on the recording which I believe is a delicate process,” he says

So what should Kenyans expect from the singer who owes immense gratitude to Werasson and Ferre Gola?

“My fans should brace themselves for the best of rumba,” says the musician. “They are going to love it.”

On why he choose to go solo even after his immense contribution in Werrason’s Maison Mere and Ferre Gola’s Boite Noire albums that saw the latter win an Afrimma award in 2017, Limungu explains he needed to move on.

"However, I am still in good terms with both musicians. At one point someone has to grow. Werrason and Ferre Gola had paved way for their ‘lion child’," he says, adding that given a chance he is willing to work with any of the Congolese artistes upon request.

Limungu also has a philanthropic side and is known to rehabilitate street children in the DRC.

Unwilling to go into details he simply says, "Once you give out something with the right hand, don’t let the left one know."

Given his charming looks and sharp sense of fashion, Limungu says he always has many female admirers.

"Well, I try to be nice to them because they are my fans who make me who I am," says the musician who is visiting Kenya for the first time.

And as to why his music is not found in Kenya, he apportions blame on distributors and promoters but says he is rectifying that.

He says he believes in maintaining high standards of fashion, something he learnt from his music mentors.

The musician who has staged shows in various countries, including Angola, Belgium, France, Holland, Guinea, Congo Brazzaville, US and Canada, describes Congolese musicians as some of the best but believes the likes of Werrason, Koffi Olomide and Ferre are more industrious and wise.

So what is his take on the notion that original rumba music has been diluted by the current generation of Congolese musicians?

Rumba will always be rumba and no one can change that. The fact is music is evolving it is important and one has to move with the times in order to be able to appeal to new audience and stay relevant,” he says.