Élisabeth Tshala Muana Muidikay (13 March 1958 – 10 December 2022), known professionally as Tshala Muana, was a singer and dancer from Congo-Kinshasa. Considered the "Queen of Mutuashi", a traditional dance music from her native Kasai region, she is often called "Mamu National".[1][2]
Muana started her artistic career as a dancer for the musical band Tsheke Tsheke Love in 1977 before turning to singing.[3] She is famous for several songs such as "Karibu Yangu". She toured widely overseas, won several awards on the national, continental and global scene and recorded over 20 albums.[4] Her music has appeared in the soundtrack of the popular 1987 Congolese musical film La Vie est Belle and Aya of Yop City .[4]
Tshala Muana was born on 13 March 1958, in Lubumbashi, then part of the Belgian Congo, now the Democratic Republic of Congo.[3] She was the second of ten children of Amadeus Muidikayi, a soldier, and Alphonsine Bambiwa Tumba, a housewife.[3]
In 1964, when Muana Muidikay was 6 years old, her father was murdered.[3] She was raised by her mother, who died in 2005.
In June 2020 she was rumored to have died, but was instead hospitalized after having suffered a stroke.[5]
In November 2020, Muana was arrested by the National Intelligence Agency (ANR), reportedly for her song "Ingratitude", which was interpreted by many to be a veiled criticism of President Felix Tshisekedi, toward his former mentor and predecessor, President Joseph Kabila.[6][3] The singer was a public supporter of former President Joseph Kabila and his party, the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD).[7]
On 10 December 2022, Tshala Muana died in Kinshasa, at the age of 64.[8][9][10]
