Mose Se Sengo (Mose Fan Fan)

Mose Se Sengo, universally known as Mose Fan Fan, was a celebrated Congolese guitarist, composer, and bandleader whose career spanned over five decades, making him a key pioneer of the Soukous sound. Born in Léopoldville (now Kinshasa) in 1945, his exceptional guitar skills earned him a place in Franco Luambo Makiadi's legendary TPOK Jazz in 1968, where he served as second lead guitarist and contributed to hits like his own composition, "Dje Melasi." Fan Fan eventually sought creative independence, leading him to leave TPOK Jazz and subsequently form his own band, Somo Somo (meaning "Double Trouble"). He spent much of the 1970s spreading the infectious joy of Congolese Rumba across East Africa, living and performing in Zambia, Tanzania (where he played with Orchestre Makassy), and Kenya. His move to London in the early 1980s marked a new phase, where he continued to record and tour with new incarnations of Somo Somo, blending African rhythms with Western influences and helping to popularize African music on the global "world music" stage. A master of acoustic guitar, he later returned to the roots of the Rumba style, as heard on his critically acclaimed 1999 album Congo Acoustic, and is remembered for signature tracks like "Papa Lolo" and "Hello Hello." Mose Fan Fan remained actively engaged in his music, frequently visiting East Africa, and passed away suddenly from a suspected heart attack in Nairobi, Kenya, in May 2019, just a day before the burial of his former bandmate, Lutumba Simaro.