Quick Snapshot of Barbara Kanam
Barbara Kanam is an artist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Famous singer Alpha Blondy and producer Dodo Kone helped Barbara make her first steps in the professional music industry. Since then, she achieved a lot of success and received many music trophies. In 2009 for instance, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) made Barbara a “militant for peace and children education”. Barbara is also the owner of her label Kanam Music, created in 2009. She also created Kanam luxury, a shop in Kinshasa that sells her derived products, including a Barbara Luxury champagne brand. Another major point, she is known for her relationship with Awilo Longomba, another famous musician. The two that met outside the DRC, their native country and seemingly fell deep in love. The couple released a very famous song title “L’Argent appelle l’Argent”. The couple finally broke later after. Overall, Barbara is a very popular, talented and educated artist with a clear vision, humility and a show of humanity.
Brief Background
Barbara Kanam was born on September 27, 1973, in Bukavu, a town of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), then called Zaïre. Barbara came from a middle, perhaps an upper-class family of 12 children. Kanam practiced classical dance and horse riding and studied in top Congolese schools. Her father was an executive for a top hotel branch in Congo, so Barbara’s family traveled around the country. After completing her studies in Kolwezi, a mining town of the Congo, Barbara went to study international business in South Africa in 1992. She developed an appetite for music during that time. While in South Africa, her interest in Gospel increased. Barbara offered herself a guitar and started composing some songs. She also started receiving some formal guitar lessons.
During her vacation, Barbara’s father, unhappy with her leaning towards music and neglecting her studies, decided she would no longer return to Pretoria. She then had to strike an agreement to find a job and started even helping the family. Her love for music, however, kept growing. At this point, Barbara is already musically active and even sang for a band called Devotion.
Exile and Career Launch
In 995, still, for economic reason, Barbara and her family had to migrate to Ivory Coast. Her parents insisted on not seeing their daughter pursue a formal singer career. However, she kept practicing her music and joined some local gospel choirs. At one event where Barbara was soloing, she captured the attention of stars Alpha Blondy and producer Kone Dodo. The latter painfully managed to get her to sign her first contract in 1999. Indeed, her parent insisted she complete her studies first, and she had to complete her international business degree prior to signing any contract.
Still, in 1999, she released her first album title Mokili (Lingala for the world). The album is heavily influenced by a gospel style, both in sonorities and messages. The song Mokili Ekoleka, meaning the world will end one day is a clear example. Success started rolling quickly. The year 2000 was prolific for Barbara. Teti, her second album was released in 2003 and won her a Kora Award. The doors of success were open. Barbara collected many trophies and award nominations the following years. She also collaborated with other famous musicians like Jacob Devarieux and Awilo Longomba.
More Recently
In 2009 saw the creation of Kanam Music, her own label. Kanam Music first produced Karibu, Barbara’s third album. The label is also giving a hand to young and talented artists so they can live their own dreams. Barbara also manages Kanam Luxury as said earlier. In the en-2018, Barbara postulated for a member of parliament position in DRC’s Kolwezi town. In a local news article, she motivated her choice by her ambition to develop the country through its rich culture.
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