Léon Bukasa
Léon Bukasa | |
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Léon Bukasa (left) with a friend | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Léon Bukasa Tsonza |
| Born | 1925 Jadotville, Katanga Province, Belgian Congo (modern-day Likasi, Haut-Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo) |
| Died | 16 January 1974 (aged 48) |
| Genres | Congolese rumba |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1940s–1970s |
| Labels | Ngoma |
| Formerly of | Jazz Mango (formerly known as Watoto wa Katanga) |
Léon Bukasa Tsonza (1925 – 16 January 1974), known professionally as Léon Bukasa, was a Congolese singer, songwriter, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist. Proficient in guitar, accordion, piano, violin, clarinet, and saxophone, he was a prominent figure in the early development of Congolese rumba and is credited with introducing the clarinet into modern Congolese music.
Born in Jadotville (now Likasi) in the Katanga Province of the former Belgian Congo, he developed an early interest in music after hearing a neighbor's phonograph. Inspired by the guitar sounds he heard, Bukasa built a three-string guitar to teach himself the instrument. While initially trained as a mechanic and working as an assembly agent at the Union Minière du Haut-Katanga, he later pursued a musical career. After moving to Léopoldville (now Kinshasa) in 1947, he was discovered by Henri Bowane, who introduced him to the Ngoma record label in 1949. Bukasa became one of the label's key figures and was notable for performing in Swahili, Tshiluba, and Lingala.