22-year-old Congolese artist Celine Banza says she sings in her native tongue Ngbandi instead of the more popular French or English because she wants audiences to know her culture and identity
KINSHASA - Plucking the opening bars of her song “Tere Mbi” on a guitar in a dingy studio in central Kinshasa, Congolese singer Celine Banza is blinded by a spotlight propped up by a brick and a piece of folded cardboard.
In previous years the gong has gone to musicians such as Ivory Coast’s Tiken Jah Fakoly and Mali’s Amadou and Mariam who had already toured the world and earned global fame. She started singing at a young age with her school choir before moving to Kisangani, a city in the center of the country, where she met people who helped her develop a taste for music, dance, acting and cinematography.
“The work we have been doing for a while didn’t fall from the sky, we have to work hard,” Banza said.
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