Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique: Jessy Matador & la Selesao

Frank Bessem's
Musiques d'Afrique:

Jessy Matador & la Selesao
(Congo-Kinshasa/France)

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Jessy 'Matador' Kimbangi is a dancer an singer from the Democratic Republic of Congo, based in France. In 2001, he started his dancing career, influenced by hip hop and Congolese ndombolo music. He later joined the band Les cœurs brisés, lead by Danny Engobo and started a singing career. Together, they toured in several countries. In 2005, Jessy set up his own band, called La Selesao with fellow members Docteur Love, Général Benkoff and Linho. They performed in various Paris venues, such as the Bataclan, the Palais des Congrès, but also as a supporting act of Magic System's concert in the Élysée Montmartre in late 2005.

In 2008, a first single « Décalé Gwada » and a first album « Afrikan New Style » were released, the single encountered a success among young people in Paris. Jessy's sunny mix of coupé-décalé, hip hop and ndombolo apparently captured the attention of the French television authorities, and in 2010, he was selected to represent France at the Eurovision Song Festival. The song « Allez ola olé » was initially written as a song accompanying the FIFA soccer world championship in South Africa and became a summer hit at least in France. At the Eurovision Contest it ended in 12th position.

Sources:
http://selesao.skyrock.com.

Video clip Allez ola olé:

Born: 27 October 1982, as Jessy Kimbangi
Style: Coupé décalé, Ndombolo, zouk, hip hop, dance hall, kuduru.

Discography:

Title	Year	Label	Remarks
Elektro Soukouss	2010	Wagram Music / Wasabi
Afrikan New Style	2008	Wagram Music