Cover of Tshala Muana in Paris
It is in the euphoria and the madness of the party that this part – the most popular of the dance – takes over . No one can deny Tshala Muana for having deployed treasures of energy to popularize Mutuashi while promoting it . » But Tshala Muana has done much more : undisputed guardian of traditions , she has managed to make this return to basics trend by installing the Luba folklore not only in the very cosmopolitan Kinshasa and in a Congo rich with 80 national languages and a multitude of dialects , but also throughout Africa . For Yoka Lye , the talent , respectability and accessibility of Tshala Muana have made her a special being , adored by all , and whose music has imposed itself in all social strata . “ I remember photos of the artist in the company of Sankara ,
Houphouët-Boigny , and , quite recently , Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé …” In June 2020 , she was rumored to have died , but was instead hospitalized after su ering a stroke .
On December 10 , 2022 , Tshala Muana died in Kinshasa , at the age of 64 , leaving a dense musical repertoire . Artists never die the work of Tshala Muana will forever mark an era of African joie de vivre and brotherhood between peoples , as no one in Africa has ever tried to find out why she was Congolese or Kasaian , she was accepted everywhere in Africa and in the African diaspora spread to the 4 corners of the globe like an African who through her music transcended di erences .
Flashmag ! Issue 136 December 2022
35