Why The Congolese Soukous (African Rhumba) Superstar Koffi Olomide Has West African Names

Koffi OLOMIDE, August 10, 2019
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Total # of views for this YouTube video as of October 7, 2022 at 6:31 PM = 33,307,489

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on Congolese superstar Koffi Olomide.

Both posts showcases Koffi Olomide's official YouTube video entitled "Papa Ngwasuma". 

This post also presents some information about Koffi Olomide and  information about the meaning of his name. This pancocojams post also presents information the meaning of Koffi's Olomide's nickname Mopao along with information about the meaning of the word "ngwasuma" in the title of his 2019 song "Papa Ngwasuma".

The pancocojams comment section that is found below this post features a few comments from that discussion thread about what Koffi Olomide's song means. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/10/fans-of-congolese-superstar-koffi.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post presents selected comments from the discussion thread of that showcase video. Most of these comments are from long time fans of Koffi Olomide, including some who remember listening to his music during their childhood. 

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Koffi Olomide for his musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who are featured in this video and thanks all those who are quoted in this post. And thanks to the producer of this video and the video's publisher on YouTube.
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The Wikipedia excerpt that is given in this post includes a section entitled "Allegations" that details some very disturbing information about Koffi Olomide. By including that section I acknowlege that information while still recognizing Olomide's cultural legacy. 

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INFORMATION ABOUT KOFFI OLOMIDE
Excerpt #1
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koffi_Olomide
"Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba (13 July 1956),[1] known professionally as Koffi Olomidé, is a Congolese Soukus singer, dancer, producer, and composer. He has had several gold records in his career. He is the founder of the Quartier Latin International orchestra with many notable artists, including Fally Ipupa and Ferré Gola.

Background

Olomide was born on 13 July 1956 in Kisangani, DRC. His mother named him Koffi because he was born on Friday. He grew up in a middle-class family, without any musical background. During his youth, Olomide improvised by singing popular songs with his own lyrics and altered rhythms until a neighbor taught him how to play the guitar.[2][3]

[...]

Koffi ..mostly refers to himself as "Mopao"...

Allegations

In 2012, Koffi Olomide allegedly assaulted one of his producer for abuse and no respect of contract and received a suspended three month sentence.[5]

In July 2016, while on a concert trip to Kenya,[6] Olomide was filmed making a kicking move towards one of his dancers. The action was widely condemned and caused the suspension of the concert as the video went viral. On his return to his home country, he was arrested five days later in Kenya Airport, allegedly for the same unpunished action. He was subsequently jailed for 4 days without judgement and released with no explanation. However, it was later revealed that the former Congolese president's wife, Mrs Olive Lembe Kabila, was behind the arrest because of her association for women's protection against violence and rape.[7]

In, 2018 he was ordered for arrest of a photographer in Zambia,[8] he left the country before arrest.

In 2019, He was found guilty by a French court of statutory rape of one of his former dancers when she was 15 years old.[8] He was handed a two-year suspended jail sentence in absentia, as he did not attend court in France.

Legacy

Koffi Olomide is among the greatest Congolese and African musical artists of all time."...

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Excerpt #2
From https://www.last.fm/music/Koffi+Olomide/+wiki

"Antoine Koffi Olomide (born August 13, 1956), is a Congolese soukous singer, producer, and composer.

Born in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo to a Congolese mother and Ghanaian father, Koffi grew up in Kinshasa.

He went to France to study, while in Paris, he began playing the guitar and writing songs. On his return to Congo he was a member of Viva la Musica, Papa Wemba's band. Koffi repopularized the slower style of soukous, which had fallen out of fashion. He dubbed this style Tcha Tcho, and it gained popularity outside Congo. Koffi's music can be quite controversial, taking on current events and topics considered taboo in some conservative societies. He has also participated in the salsa music project Africando.”…

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Excerpt #3
https://kenyapage.net/koffi/bio.php
"Koffi Olomide was born Antoine Christophe Agepa Mumba in Kisangani ,Democratic Republic of Congo on July 13 1958. His father Charles Agbepa is Congolese (from the Gbandi tribe) while his mother Amy is of Sierra Leonean and Congolese descent (Songye tribe from Kasai region).  His mother named him Koffi which means Friday as is the tradition in parts of West Africa where children are named based on the day of the week they are born.

At the time of his birth, Koffi's mother was in poor health, a condition that was triggered by depression caused by loneliness and isolation. Koffi's father had abandoned her and was considering leaving his wife and children altogether. She was so depressed that she could not breastfeed newly born Koffi. To make matters worse, Koffi was in poor health and most people thought he would not survive beyond infancy. He was nicknamed Antoine Makila Mabe (Antoine bad blood).

Even in childhood, he showed signs of being passionate about music. At age 7 he would go around singing a song "Soso ameli Ngando" which means The Chicken has swallowed a Crocodile. He would sing it so often that it became his nickname. Nobody knows the origin of that song, not even Koffi. By his teens he would simulate songs by famous musicians but add his own spin on them. He was especially enamored with the music of Tabu Ley.

He soon became adept at writing his own songs. One neighbour was so impressed by Koffi's songwriting skills that he offered to teach him how to play the guitar. Koffi would soon be borrowing the guitar often to practice on his own.

Meanwhile Koffi also excelled in the classroom. He was born into a family where education took precedence above everything else. He has earned a bachelors degree in Business and Economics from Bordeaux University and a masters in Mathematics from the University of Paris.

His father was not keen on Koffi's musical career. It was his elder brother Johnny Ko who encouraged Koffi to pursue a career in music and even convinced their father to let Koffi pursue his musical dreams.   He commenced his musical career as a songwriter. In the late 1970s sung with Papa Wemba's band Viva La Musica. Here He learned his vocal and stage techniques. He launched his solo career in the mid 80s and has turned out to be one of the biggest success stories in African music."...
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The words in italics were written that way in that article. 

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Excerpt #4
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kofi
"Kofi is an Akan masculine given name among the Akan people (such as the Ashanti and Fante) in Ghana that is given to a boy born on Friday. Traditionally in Ghana, a child would receive their Akan day name during their Outdooring, eight days after birth.[1][2]

According to Akan tradition, people born on particular days exhibit certain characteristics or attributes.[1][2] Kofi has the appellation "Kyini", "Otuo" and "Ntiful" meaning "wanderer" and "traveller."[1][2]"...

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Excerpt #5
From https://www.name-doctor.com/name-olumide-meaning-of-olumide-10474.html Meaning Of Olumide
"AFRICAN (YORÙBÁ)

NAME ROOT: OLUMIDE

MEANING: This name derives from the African (Yorùbá) “Olumide”, meaning “God has come”. Main body of the name is composed of “Olú-Ọ̀rún” (God, master, lord, our God). Olú or Olòrún is the Yorùbá name given to one of the three manifestations of the Supreme God in the Yoruba pantheon. Olorun is the owner of the heavens and is commonly associated with the Sun. The vital energy of Olorun manifests in humans as Ashé, which is the life force that runs through all living things."
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I believe that Koffi Olomide gave himself this last name just as he gave himselves multiple nicknames, including "Mopao". 

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WHAT KOFFI OLOMIDE'S NICKNAME "MOPAO" MEANS
From https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/lifestyle/2016/04/07/kenya-music-africa-koroga-festival-koffi-olomide-footsteps-le-grand-mopao/ Koffi Olomide: In The Footsteps Of  "Le Grand Mopao", by editor April 7, 2016  

“Mopao means Boss, Le Chef and Grand Mopao means The Big Boss”, Koffi explained."

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WHAT "NGWASUMA" MEANS
"Papa Ngwasuma" is another nickname that Congolese Soukous (African  Rhumba) superstar Koffi Olomide (probably) gave to himself.  Koffi Olomide has given a number of other superlative nicknames to himself (such as Mopao) and used a few of them as the titles of his songs.  

Click https://www.ghafla.com/most-of-you-know-him-as-koffi-olomide-but-did-you-know-that-this-man-has-created-some-35-other-crazy-nicknames-that-he-likes-to-call-himself-here-are-his-other-names-warning-theyre-very-weird/ for the 2016 article entitled "Most Of You Know Him As Koffi Olomide. But Did You Know That This Man Has Created Some 35 Other Crazy Nicknames That He Likes To Call Himself? Here Are His Other Names. WARNING: They’re Very Weird.

Here's the only online information that I've found to date about the meaning of the word "ngwasuma":
From https://www.herald.co.zw/rhumba-group-bana-ngwasuma-gains-ground/ Rhumba Group Bana Ngwasuma Gains Ground, 24 May 2019

..."The group has seven Congolese members and four Zimbabweans...

"Bana Ngwasuma" is a Lingala phrase that means "children of good things"."...
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"Bana" is a Lingala word that means "children" [Google translate from Lingala to English.]

"Papa Ngwasuma" means something like "papa (father) of good things or "Great father".

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This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.

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