Called the King of rumba, packed with awards and accustomed to prestigious featurings, Fally Ipupa continues to string together successes. Since his debut in the 1990s, followed by his remarkable stint in the Latin Quarter, the orchestra of his mentor Koffi Olomide, the native singer of Kinshasa has been able to stand on his own feet. Last year, Jeune Afrique magazine even named him in the list of the “50 most influential Africans” of the moment.
On February 28, 2020, Fally Ipupa gave a concert at the Accor Hotel Arena (Paris, France) in front of 20,000 spectators. The event, marked by the presence of guests from the French and world scene, was sold out despite the strong tensions caused by opponents of Congolese power who criticize him for his “proximity to the regime”.
With all due respect to his detractors, the man who calls himself “Eagle” is now, at 43, an international star who flies very high. MOYI had the great pleasure of meeting him for a fashion photo shoot and a conversation around the release of Tokooos II.

by Françoise Diboussi and Lize Moudouthe

More on this in our Anniversary issue of MOYI, the Excellence issue.