Nkossi Konda’s Quick Snapshot
Alain Nkossi Konda is a singer, songwriter social activist, and producer from Congolese origins. He was born in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Alain is usually referred to as Nkossi Konda. Coming from a Congolese Diplomatic family, Nkossi spent a big part of his early life in New York, in the United States. His family moved in the U.S. around 1976. He developed a taste for music very early in his life, surrounded by parents and other members of the Salvation Army. They are indeed reputed of heavily relying on music for their religious ceremonies.
Nkossi developed a style on his own, singing in English, and his country’s language Lingala. He also created a music genre that he coined as “Tri-Cultural Pop”; more on that later. But here is a little taste of Nkossi’s music, in case you’re curious what tri-cultural pop could sound like.
Tambula Malembe, By Nkossi Konda, from Africa-Pella.
Early Carrer
In 1998, Nkossi released his first album title Adiyoyo Mona Lisa, co-produced by Lubangi Muniania’s label Tabilulu Productions and Freedomzone. The following year, he became the first artist to sign for Harry Belafonte‘s new label venture Niger Records/Palm Pictures. Below is his take on the iconic Jamaica Farewell, with some Lingala spices inside.
In 2001, Nkossi launched a production company called Afrikool Entertainment, along with associate Jim Savitt. The production company’s overall objective was to “facilitate the cultural exchange between African artists and their American counterparts”. He collaborated with promoter Rick Garson who produced Michael Jackson’s Thriller Tour. They work on an 18-song coproduction under Afrikool label.
Nkossi releaser the Africa-Pella (Limited Edition) album in 2002 under their Afrikool label, in collaboration with NetmusicZone.
Around 2015, Alain Nkossi created D4w Consulting Services LLC, a company that offers consultancy services. Based in Delaware in the US, the company’s motto was “Helping Africa …. to help itself”. Through the D4w Consulting Services firm, Nkossi worked as a consultant for many various types of companies beyond just the entertainment universe.
Among his very successful projects, Nkossi Konda launched the “I Am Somebody”. The initiative’s goal is to “to assist young talents to become more versatile Musicians thereby allowing their Artistry to pour out their soul uninhibited from all rules”. More concretely, I Am Somebody will allow diverse artists mostly from African origin to produce themselves in big cities like Cannes, Paris, Lisbon, Munich, etc. in the next 5 years from 2019.
Music Style
As mentioned above, Alain coined his own style as Tri-Cultural pop. It is, in fact, a combination of his three most used genres, funk, soukous, and reggae. Alain usually sings in English, Lingala, and French, often combining some of these languages in the same songs. He also released may instrumental songs. On the later, there is a full instrument album co-played with guitarist Jim Savit on the Afro Sphere series. Like many diaspora Congolese artists, Alain did not actually conceal himself into any particular music genre. He constantly explored different types of arrangements. Have a listening to the following lion-king-like song snapshot for instance.
Awards And Recognitions
In 2001, Nkossi reached the final stage of the United States Songwriting Contest. He then won the John Lenon Songwriting Contest’s first and second prize in 2002 for his songs Unconditional Love and Story Teller. The following year, Nkossi won the Nashville Christmas Song competition with “Bells Ring”. He also ended semi-finalist of the International Songwriting Competition with the song Foot of the Hill.
Unconditional Love, by Nkossi Konda
In 2004, he was a finalist of U.K. Songwriting Competition and won the honorable mention of the International Songwriting Competition. Nkossi even managed to have his creation feature on the official Adidas website’s homepages at some points. Alain also won a silver medal from the Academic Society of Arts, Sciences & Letters in Paris. He was honored for his hard work in favor of African Arts & Culture promotion.
More recently
The now more socially engaged Nkossi leaves in Germany and tries through his projects, to help African diaspora musician express themselves, among other goals.
In 2011, Alain released the album Fololo, meaning flower in Lingala. The album was a collaboration between his Afrikool Entertainment and the “Goin’ Native Records” label. Then around 2016, Alain started recordings for “An African Original”, an album that apparently missed its planned 2018 release.
Nkossi means “Lion” in Lingala. By the way.
I hope you appreciated learning about this much ignored Congolese pearl.
We will, of course, update this post when
— Mbonda
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