Singer, Composer, Cultur Manager from Kngo
High-Life, Soukouss, Rumba, Reggae,
Salsa, Zonk, N-dombolo
Line-up: “L’Universal Grand-Lokito”
Ruffin Nkoy Loola – Vocal
Dino Kolombo – Vocal
Amuri Ntambwe – Guit
Israel Dude – Guit
Kakol Manzaka – Drums
DV Kazai – Congas
Jose Ngoma – Bass
The home of Ruffin Nkoy Loola is in Motangé, a district in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo). Kinshasa has been known for many decades for its vibrant diversity of musical styles and artists and is considered a major magnet for African musicians from various countries across the continent. Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango, for example, were inspired by Kinshasa’s music scene. The Matongé district, in particular, is considered a musical hub for ideas and a space for networking between artists. Large bars packed with people characterize the district, and not only in the evenings. Soukous, the typically Congolese, rhythmically gentle entertainment and dance music, originated in this environment and has since enjoyed great popularity throughout Africa – including its faster variations, which are particularly popular in West Africa, and in modified form in the form of highlife in Ghana. Rumba, another musical trademark of the Congo, was also born in Kinshasa and, as a sensual, slow, and soul-stirring rhythm, has been woven into the diverse musical worlds of Africa, as well as South and Latin America.
Ruffin Nkoy Loola stands in this musical tradition of Kinshasa, but has also been inspired by other African musicians such as Kalle Jeff, Franco, Tabu Ley, Miriam Makeba, and Manu Dibango. Emulating his idol Papa Wemba and making authentic Congolese music known beyond the borders of the Congo became the driving force behind his artistic work.
At just ten years old, with his mother’s lullabies ringing in his ears and the local Congolese music stars as neighbors, Loola formed his first band. With the support of his first loyal fan, his own father. Apart from the beaters and the drum, which the children built from a large tin can covered with the rubber of a car tire, the instruments they used were not functional at all, but mere dummies. The boys created the specific sounds of the instruments with their voices, rather than guitar strings and piano parts – “like gospel,” the musician said. In the children’s band, Ruffin Nkoy Loola particularly stood out as a singer and composer, and musicians in the neighborhood took notice.
In 1983, Loola founded his first band, “Sophistica de Matongé” with which he also toured Congo. The first recordings were made in Kinshasa between 1983 and 1985. Initially, these were vinyl singles, known in Congo as “45s.”
At the age of 21, Loola moved to Gabon, and just a year later, with the support of Mavuela Somo and Sec Bidens, he produced his first LP.
Since 1987, Ruffin Nkoy Loola has lived between Berlin, Paris and Kinshasa.
At that time, he founded the band “Les Safaris” in Berlin, and since 1995 he has worked continuously with his band “L’Universal Grand-Lokito” consisting of seven musicians. In Paris, he recorded his first solo album “Ursula,” in 2000, fulfilling a personal dream – alongside Kester Emeneya, Papa Wemba collaborated with Ruffin Nkoy.
As a DJ and promoter at the Berlin nightclub “Mandingo” he also organized African concerts and was involved in cultural exchange. In this sense, he sees Europe as a space for his artistic development, but the Congo remains the source of his musical inspiration. He considers himself an ambassador of “true Congolese music,” and the Congolese congas and the large tam-tam drum are essential components of his arrangements. The artist is also committed to further developing and enriching the country’s typical music through dialogue with Congolese people in Europe and the Congo. His latest CD, “Mystique”, therefore features several innovations. Souleymane Touré from Ivory Coast plays the talking drum, unusual in Congolese music. The West African djembe can also be heard on the new CD—another instrument uncommon in the Congo.
Ruffin Nkoy Loola works on this CD with Papa Wemba & Koffi Olomide, the Congolese soukous superstar, and the accompanying DVD features an Arab belly dancer alongside German and Congolese dancers. He sings primarily in Lingala, the most widely spoken of the five languages of Congo, but also in the language of the former colonial power, France.
He sings of friendship, love, and the beauty of life—typical themes of soukous music. However, with regard to the Congolese audience and the strict censors in his homeland, caution is advised in his choice of words. Erotic allusions are taboo. From the harshness of Congolese culture Ruffin talks less about everyday life and the repressive politics in his homeland. He also sees himself more as an entertainer than as a critic of his society.
Ruffin Nkoy Loola never attended music school.
He composes, writes lyrics, and arranges by ear—and with considerable success.