Jessy Matador

Born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, and based in France, Jessy Matador emerged on the Parisian scene in the mid-2000s first as a dancer and later as a singer. He developed a project blending African musical traditions with club sounds. After his involvement with the collective La Sélésao, he quickly steered his work toward a mix of coupé-décalé, kuduro, ndombolo, dancehall, zouk and electronic pop, marked by a strong choreographic and participatory dimension. His debut album, Afrikan New Style (2008), laid the foundations for this aesthetic oriented toward Afro-Caribbean urban dances; Elektro Soukouss (2010) intensified the fusion of African rhythms, choruses sung in French or Lingala and formats close to European dance music. In the same year he represented France at the Eurovision Song Contest with "Allez Ola Olé", firmly establishing him in the francophone festive music scene. The album Authentik (2013) confirmed an approach centered on club atmospheres, chanted choruses and references to Afro-diasporic scenes, while expanding collaborations with artists from urban music and DJ networks.