Abeti Masikini

Elisabeth Finant (9 November 1954 – 28 September 1994), cognomenously known as Abeti Fina‐Masikini or simply Abeti Masikini, was a Congolese singer, composer, bandleader, and philanthropist. With a nearly three-decades-long career, she was a significant figure in 20th-century Congolese and African popular music. Often referred to as the "Queen of Soukous", she is noted for advocating gender equality, modernizing Congolese music, and inspiring successive generations of musicians. Her band, Les Redoutables, was a launching pad for numerous female artists.

Born in Kisangani, then part of the Belgian Congo and now the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Abeti Masikini made her public debut in 1971 after being discovered by Togolese producer Gérard Akueson, following her feat in the Découverte des Jeunes Talents music contest organized by singer Gérard Madiata. Her debut album, Pierre Cardin Présente: Abeti, released in 1973, propelled her into the limelight, earning televised prominence and selling out numerous concert venues in Europe and the US, including Olympia Hall and Carnegie Hall. In the ensuing year, she shared the stage with James Brown, Tabu Ley Rochereau, Miriam Makeba, Franco Luambo, among others, during the opening show of the Rumble in the Jungle in October 1974. Her sophomore album La voix du Zaire, l'idole de l'Afrique, released in 1975, earned her numerous European performances.

Throughout her 20-year career, Abeti Masikini has recorded a succession of 21 studio albums for a variety of record labels including Aziza, RCA Records and Polygram Records among others. She died of uterine cancer on 28 September 1994, in Villejuif, Paris.

She was the first Congolese female artist to lead her own band as well as the first Central African female artist to perform at major venues in Europe and America, such as Zénith Paris, Carnegie Hall, Olympia Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Arena, and Appollo Theater.

Early life and career
Abeti Masikini was born on 9 November 1954, into a Finant family, an upper-middle-class Congolese family of eight children in Stanleyville (now Kisangani), Belgian Congo. Her father, Jean-Pierre Finant, served as the first native Congolese governor of the Orientale Province in the then-Republic of the Congo. Abeti Masikini's mother, Marie Masikini, was a church's choir-leading vocalist at Institut des Prêtres du Sacré-Coeur (or Collège du Sacré-Coeur; now Institut Maele). Abeti Masikini began singing as a chorister in her mother's church at an early age.

In 1961, Masikini's father, a Lumumbist party adherent, was assassinated in Bakwanga (now Mbuji-Mayi). The family went into exile in Kinshasa, where Masikini matriculated at the Lycée Sacré-Cœur (now Lycée Bosangani). After completing her secondary studies, she worked as a secretary in the office of the Minister of Culture, Pierre Mushete.

While working as a secretary, Masikini's devotion to music swelled. In 1971, she surreptitiously modified her birthdate, claiming to be 20 years old, to participate in the "Découverte des Jeunes Talents", a music contest organized by Gérard Madiata at the Parc de la Révolution (now Kinshasa Botanical Garden), securing the third position. At the end of 1971, Togolese manager and producer Gérard Akueson, then overseeing singer Bella Bellow, spotted her during a performance in Kinshasa and became her manager. In mid-1972, buoyed by several relatives, she established her band, Les Ecureuils, which included her younger brother, Jean Abumba, as the lead guitarist and performed in more intimate club venues.

1972–1974: Pierre Cardin Présente: Abeti, Olympia Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Zaire 74
Pursuant to the Authenticité doctrine promulgated by President Mobutu Sese Seko, Masikini moved to West Africa to advance her upcoming album, embarking on tours in Benin, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger, Guinea, Ghana, and Nigeria. During her time in Nigeria, she crossed paths with Fela Kuti and collaborated with him in the same recording studio. After her return to Zaire, she gradually faded from prominence due to the absence of releases in the Zairean market.

During a recital in Kinshasa at the Palladuim Theater, Masikini announced that her debut album, Pierre Cardin Présente: Abeti, was nearing its release. Launched in 1973, the album was produced by Les Disques Pierre Cardin, an eponymous label owned by French fashion designer Pierre Cardin. It included hit singles such as "Mutoto Wangu", "Bibile", "Aziza", "Fulani", "Miwela", "Safari", and "Papa Yaka". The lead single, "Bibilé," told a folk tale about a river guarded by malevolent spirits that had to be appeased before people could cross it and venture into the forest for hunting. "Fulani" narrated a more urbanized story of two young girls gossiping about prospective husbands. The album was a fusion of blues, soul, and folk melodies but did not initially receive critical acclaim from Kinshasa's public, as Masikini's Swahili-accented voice and eclectic musical influences relegated her to being classified as a "foreign singer". Despite the skepticism, the album gained significant attention through television appearances, with her newly renamed group Les Redoutables, as well as her dance troupe Les Tigresses. Backed by Abumba and Les Ecureuils, Abeti recorded the tracks and then joined Antoinette Etisomba Lokindji for concerts in Brussels at a conference on Zairean Authenticité.

Before her scheduled concert at Paris's Olympia Hall on 19 February 1973, Masikini premiered the "Soleil à Dakar" show in Senegal, where she rehearsed with Les Ecureuils and was attended by President Léopold Sédar Senghor. She subsequently performed at Olympia Hall alongside Mireille Mathieu and Hugues Aufray, becoming the first African artist to do so since Tabu Ley Rochereau in 1970. However, according to British musicologist Gary Stewart, she was unwell during the performance and played discreetly. The concert's proceeds were dedicated to a relief fund to combat drought.

Following her stint in Paris, Masikini leased a residence at Shelburne‐Murray Hill Apartment Hotel in preparation for her upcoming concert in New York. The subsequent month, on 11 March 1974, she wowed the audience at Carnegie Hall with Les Alouettes and Les Tigresses, accompanied by electric guitars and bass as well as modern conga drums. She became one of the "few female African vocalists" to have performed in the US, following Miriam Makeba and her protégée, Letta Mbulu. In an interview with the New York Times, Masikini conveyed that the fundamental rhythm of her music is African and that African youth are "revolutionizing their music". Following her performance, plans were set in motion for a nationwide tour across the US.

In September 1974, Masikini participated in Zaire 74, a promotional musical festival event for the heavyweight boxing championship match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, billed as The Rumble in the Jungle. She shared the stage with James Brown, Miriam Makeba, Franco Luambo & OK Jazz, Zaïko Langa Langa, Tabu Ley Rochereau, Bill Withers, B. B. King, the Spinners, among others.

1975–1979: Abeti Masikini, Abeti à Paris, Visages, and Kupepe Suka
After her successful debut, Masikini released her second self-titled debut studio album Abeti Masikini in 1975, which was supported by eight singles such as "Likayabo", "Ngele Ngele", "Ngoyaye Bella Bellow", "Kiliki Bamba", "Yamba Yamba", "Naliku Penda", "Sungula", and "Acha Maivuno". Produced by Pathé Records, a subsidiary of Pathé Marconi EMI, the album was distributed in various countries such as France and Mozambique. It intricately encapsulated Zairean societal intricacies, cuisine, amorous entanglements, sexual turbulence, and women's emancipation. The track "Ngoyale Bella Bellow" paid tribute to Bella Bellow, while "Kiliki Bamba" critiqued Mobutu's Authenticité while championing the cause of young girls against sexual predators. "Likayabo" praised the Zairean dish of salted fish, vegetables, and regional seasonings, while "Yamba Yamba" lamented men's deceit juxtaposed with women's enduring love. The album brought Masikini acclaim in West Africa and led to an invitation by Bruno Coquatrix to perform on the Olympia Hall stage for two consecutive days in April 1975. She was dubbed "the tigress with the golden claws" due to numerous rings adorning her fingers, and she performed at the Stade de Lomé later that year. Les Ecureuils was later rebranded as Les Redoutables in the 1980s.

In 1976, Masikini released her third studio album, Abeti à Paris, which included the original version of her song, "Mwana Muke Wa Miso." The album was recorded and produced in Paris by Pathé and captures Masikini's musical journey and her connection to the city. She subsequently took the stage in Amsterdam in 1977 and performed at the Cinéma Vog in Brazzaville the same year.

While working on her forthcoming album, Visages, Masikini released the album's promotional single "Motema Pasi" (alternatively known as "Bilanda-Landa"). In 1978, Masikini toured Paris for the album's productions. She teamed up with arranger and producer Slim Pezin for the album's production, which debuted that year in Parisian markets. The album was produced by the French record label BBZ Productions, created by Michel Fugain, and was distributed by RCA Records. Pezin also produced and arranged all the songs on the album. Visages departed from her previous works as it incorporated disco but maintained its Congolese rhythms with some select tracks sung entirely in Swahili, Lingala, and French. Despite criticism for straying from the traditional Congolese sound, Visages garnered some recognition in West Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean, where it topped all Afro-Caribbean hits of the time. During a promotional tour in West Africa, Masikini seized the attention of Radio Netherlands and filmed Abeti en Holland, which featured songs from Visages in 1978. Upon her return to Kinshasa, an extensive advertising campaign was launched to support Visages.

In late 1978, she released her fifth studio album, Kupepe Suka. The album was arranged and produced by Slim Pezin. Masikini offers her gratitude to her fanbase in the track "Ngblimbo" and pays homage to her hometown Kisangani with the track "Singa Mwambé". The album's eponymous lead single, "Kupekusa", became the anthem of the Zairean national football team. She performed at the Stade in Luanda in 1978 and later took the stage at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1979.

Leveraging on the success of her two preceding albums, Masikini sought, after her return to Kinshasa, to broaden her audience. Collaborating for the first time with Kinshasa's prominent musical band, the OK Jazz of Franco Luambo Makiadi, she contributed two singles: "Na Pesi Yo Mboté" and "Bifamuri", which featured Congolese music arrangements. "Na Pesi Yo Mboté" achieved widespread success in Kinshasa and Brazzaville, allowing her to establish her rage across the twin capitals.

1980–1989: from Mokomboso to Soukous Parfumé
In 1980, Masikini released her sixth studio album, Mokomboso, an eclectic mix of disco, pop, and African rhythms. In March 1980, during an official visit by President Mobutu to the People's Republic of China, singer Chu Mi Yun of the Chinese National Theater troupe replicated Masikini's style by performing two of her preceding hits from Visages: "Bisuivra Suivra" and "Motema Pasi", describing it as "the new Chinese Abeti". In 1981, to commemorate her ten-year career, Masikini debuted her eleventh studio album, Dixième anniversaire, a six-track album arranged by Sammy Massamba, which included several Congolese rumba hits: "Baruwa Kwa Mupenzi", "Chéri Badé", "Père Bouché", "Ndolindo", "Bilonda", and "Zaire Oye". Dixième anniversaire 's lead single, "Chéri Badé", gained popularity within the Congolese community.

Transitioning to the Congolese rumba, Masikini issued the single "I Love You" (Mwasi Ya Bolingo) in 1982, followed by a performance in Copenhagen. At the end of the year, she published her twelfth studio album, Abeti, which featured standout hits "Jalousie" and a rendition of "Na pesi Yo Mboté". Abeti earned her a gold record, with over 300,000 copies sold in Africa. In 1984, she resided in Lomé with her musical ensemble until January 1986.

In spring 1986, Masikini relocated to Paris and released the album Je suis fachée. The album's eponymous lead single was written, arranged, and produced by Cameroonian singer Georges Seba, with "Lolo" composed by Nyboma. It gained popularity in the Caribbean during a phase when the West Indian group Kassav dominated the Afro-Caribbean music scene. Je suis fachée attained gold certification. Masikini later performed at the Wembley Arena and participated in the Mama Africa Festival in Utrecht.

In 1987, Masikini released En colère, which included collaboration with Mpise Thezenas and Seba. Midway through 1987, she released the Soukous Parfumé. The album's lead single, "Scandale De jalousie", became a hit in the West Indies and West Africa. She promoted Soukous Parfumé at Ouagadougou Stadium and took part in the Champs alizés show in Martinique, where she received the Maracas d'Or for Soukous Parfumé.

In 1988, with the support of her international fan club led by Berthrand Nguyen Matoko, Masikini performed at the Zénith de Paris in front of 5,000 people on 24 September. The performance featured several guest artists, including Bernard Lavilliers, Manu Dibango, Seba, and François Lougah, and was broadcast live on Radio France Internationale. The success of this show led to a contract with Polygram. In 1989, Masikini toured China, delivering 17 galas alongside Yun in the country's major cities. She later performed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

1990–1993: La Reine du Soukous
In 1990, Masikini released her final album, La Reine du Soukous. The album includes standout singles: "Mupenzi", "Ousmane", "Bebe Matoko", "Ma Lu", and "Je Suis Occupée", and a rendition of "Mwana Muke Wa Miss". She performed in Kinshasa at Palais du Peuple in December 1990 and concluded her final performance in the LSC hall in La Plaine Saint-Denis on New Year's Eve in 1993.

Illness and death
Abeti Masikini was diagnosed with uterine cancer while working on her final album, which eventually progressed during her time in Paris. The illness kept her away from the public in the subsequent months, leading her to take a short hiatus from music.

Finant died on 28 September 1994, in Villejuif, France, due to the progression of uterine cancer. Her body was repatriated to Kinshasa on 9 October of the same year. She was posthumously honored with a medal of the National Order of the Leopard and was laid to rest on 10 October at the Gombe cemetery. The funeral ceremony was attended by several personalities, her family members, and devoted fans.

Legacy
Abeti Masikini is one of the most prominent figures in contemporary African music. She is one of the Congolese female artists who carved a professional niche in the male-dominated music scene. Her ensemble Les Redoutables is considered to be one of the greatest "musical schools" as many notable artists have passed through it, including M'bilia Bel, Lokua Kanza, Abby Surya, Malage De Lugendo, Tshala Muana, Yondo Sister, Lambio Lambio, Komba Bellow, Richard Shomari, and Joëlle Esso (dancer), among others.

Her style of makeup, fashionable hairstyles, and clothing had a significant influence on several African women. In West Africa, the straight skirt with a slit is known as the "Abeti skirt", and a wax fabric was named after her hit song "Scandale De Jalousie".

In 2014, a documentary film titled Abeti Masikini: Le Combat d'Une Femme was released, which traces Abeti Masikini's life and artistic journey. The film was directed by Laura Kutila and Ne Kunda Nlaba.

Albums

 * 1973: Pierre Cardin Présente: Abeti (Les Disques Pierre Cardin/Sonafric) Ref: SAF 93501
 * 1975: Abeti Masikini (Pathé Marconi/EMI) Ref: 2C O64 15741
 * 1976: Abeti à Paris (Pathé Marconi/EMI) Ref: 2C06215.772
 * 1977: Abeti (Capriccio) Ref: 37014
 * 1977: Visages (BBZ productions/RCA) Ref: BZL 7014
 * 1978: Abeti: Kupepe Suka (BBZ productions/RCA) Ref: BZL 7019, RCA – BZL 7019
 * 1979: Na Pesi Yo Mboté (45 rpm)
 * 1979: Bifamuri (45 rpm)
 * 1979: Mbanda Na Ngai (45 rpm)
 * 1980: Mokomboso (Eddy'son/ Sonics Records) Ref: 79398 / 79398
 * 1981: Dixième anniversaire (Dragon Phoenix) Ref: DPX 829
 * 1982: Abeti (Iris production) Ref: IRS 001
 * 1983: Abeti: Naleli (Zika Production)
 * 1984: Amour Ya Sens Unique (IAD/African Record Industry) Ref:IAD/S 0015
 * 1984: Abeti & Eyenga Moseka: The Duo Of The Century (IAD/ African Record Industry) Ref: IAD/S 0016
 * 1985: Ba Mauvais Copiste (Win Records/Africa New Sound/Tabansi) Ref: WNL 403, ANS 8402
 * 1985: Samoura (Bade Stars Music) Ref: AM 030
 * 1986: Je suis fachée (Bade Stars Music) Ref: AM 033
 * 1987: En colère (Bade Stars Music) Ref: AM 035
 * 1988: Scandale de jalousie ( maxi 45 rpm ) (Polygram/ LAB) Ref: LAB 101
 * 1990: La Reine du soukous (AMG/Polygram)

Reissue

 * 2013: Le Tube Chéri Bade (Biobionava/ G.Akueson). Reissue of the Tenth Anniversary album.