Singer Tabu Ley Rochereau of Congo — now the Democratic Republic of Congo — died Saturday, leaving behind a lifetime of music.
Tabu Ley, as he's often known, was one of the innovators of the Congolese rhythm called soukous.
A few years ago, a friend of mine and a guitarist, Chris McCarus, was on a personal mission to learn Congolese-style soukous guitar and meet the stars of soukous. And he ended up at the home of Tabu Ley, in a neighborhood in Kinshasa.
McCarus describes the house as having quite a bit of space, and there was a yard, which meant wealth.
Inside, Chris says there were adult kids and little kids. He couldn't tell where all the kids came from, so he asked someone how many children does Tabu Ley have? Someone in the family asked someone else, who then replied, "about 70."
"He had it all," McCarus said.
In addition to his children, McCarus says Tabu Ley left his musical mark in that "hundreds of singers around Africa wanted to be like him and still do."
At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.
Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!