Continental breakthrough · 1998
Coupé Bibamba
A continental breakthrough packed with dancefloor anthems that defined the late-90s Ndombolo wave.
- Artist
- Awilo Longomba
- Released
- 1998
- Language
- Lingala
- Style
- Soukous · Ndombolo
The story of the record
Coupé Bibamba turned Awilo Longomba from a respected Congolese artist into a continental name. Released in 1998, it arrived at the height of the Ndombolo dance wave and quickly became one of the sound's defining records.
The title track is still the song most people name first when they think of Awilo: an irresistible, up-tempo groove built for dancing, carried by his instantly recognisable voice and the sharp guitar lines of the Kinshasa tradition.
The album travelled far beyond Congo — through West and East Africa, and into African communities in Europe and North America — and it remains the natural place to start for anyone discovering his catalogue.
More on the career behind this record on the music page and in Awilo's life story.
Hear the whole catalogue
Every official video in one place — subscribe for each new release.