Based: Cape Town
His artist’s story is one that reminds us of the power of fate and the fruits in determination. His music has taken him around the world from over a dozen African countries to the recent tour of North America where he performed in Puerto Rico, USA and Canada. An impressive story for an artist who came from very humble and fairly conservative beginnings that discouraged his love for music. Arriving in Cape Town from the Congo DR with no knowledge of what it takes to be a professional musician; Mapumba had never been in a band or a recording studio before, and had no clue as to how the music industry operates.
Today Mapumba is an acknowledged singer and musician who is sharing stage with some the giants of Afro-World Music like Amadou and Mirriam, Ismaelo and Lady Smith Black Mambazo to name a few. His performances constantly keep his audience in ore. A great achievement for an artist who is not signed to a major record label and is knowingly part of this highly saturated music industry.
Born Dieu Merci Mapumba Cilombo in a small town of Kolwezi in Congo DR, Mapumba’s childhood was one filled with political and social instability. Around the age of thirteen when a deadly tribal conflict broke out, Mapumba was sent to Zambia by his family where he finished his higher education. With such an uncertain life Mapumba found refuge in music by teaching himself in voice, guitar and piano throughout college. Eventually Mapumba embarked on a quest to find a place that could let him make music his career. In the year 2000 he arrived in the city of Cape Town South Africa with a guitar as his only companion. Here Mapumba exposed himself to various styles of music and performances to learn as much as he could in becoming an inspiring singer, song writer, composer, producer and a multi instrumentalist whose creativity evolves with every single performance… Not only has he achieved what he has set out to do but this humbling muso is also one of the presenters for Studio 53 and starred in Russ Shapiro boy bands “Oh What a Night” and “Blame it on the Boogie”.
Singing in French, English, Chiluba and Swahili, Mapumba’s debut album has been described by the Cape Times as..”a brilliantly self produced and self composed album with a fantastic combination of beautiful ballads and some groovy upbeat African themes. All Diversely blended by his rich soothing velvet voice…” His music is a simple sound inspired by different styles from his ethnicelements to funk, Afro-pop, Reggae and soul music. All blended by his rich velvet voice and a unique style of musical arrangement. Mapumba sings about personal stories of his life and moral issues most of all portraying the message of love and unity.
Mapumba is about to release another dozen of beautiful music Full of colorful blends and diversity.
