Barbara Kanam

Barbara Kanam Mutund (born September 27, 1973), known professionally as Barbara Kanam, is a Congolese singer-songwriter, music producer, actress, philanthropist, and currently serves as the Director General of the Cultural Promotion Fund of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She sings in French, Swahili, Lingala, and English.

Kanam gained fame after being discovered by Alpha Blondy and producer Dodo Kone, who produced her 1999 debut studio album, Mokili. The album's gospel-influenced lead single "Mokili Ekoleka" earned Kanam a television appearance at the Koras Awards. Kanam's second studio album, Téti, released in 2003, won her Most Promising African Female Artist at the 2003 Kora Award. Téti won her many accolades, including two consecutive Best Female of Central Africa for Kunde d'Or and Tamani d'O in 2004, two consecutive Black Music Awards for Best Female and Best Video for "Bibi Madeleine" in 2005.

In 2008, Kanam parted ways with Kone's record label and established her own label, Kanam Music. Kanam debuted her third studio album, Karibu, in January 2010. It won her the Okapi Award for Best Female Artist in 2011. In July 2015, she released her fourth studio album, Zawadi, which earned her Poro Award for Best Music Video for "Jardin d'Amour" and Ndule Awards for Best Female Voice. Kanam was later nominated for the Best Female Artist at the 2015 MTV Africa Music Awards.

Kanam is the owner of Kanam Luxury shop in Kinshasa that sells her branded products, including the Barbara Luxury champagne brand.

1973–1998: Childhood, education and music debut
Barbara Kanam Mutund was born on September 27, 1973, in Bukavu, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Coming from a family of twelve children, Kanam's father was an executive for the Sheraton Hotel in Lubumbashi.

After completing her secondary studies at the Belgian private school of Kolwezi, she went to study international business at the University of Pretoria in South Africa in 1992. While in South Africa, she became involved in several choirs in Soweto and developed a passion for gospel music. However, her father faced unemployment, leaving the family financially unstable to afford Kanam's continued education. She took a short hiatus from her studies to secure a job. She procured a guitar, self-taught herself to play, and began composing music. When she returned to Lubumbashi during the holidays, she confided her musical aspirations to her father, but her father disapproved. She ultimately agreed to a sabbatical and found work in import-export to support her family.

In 1995, her family relocated to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where she became a soloist in her church choir, Réconciliation nationale/Mel Théodore à Ouattara. In an interview with Radio France Internationale, Kanam stated, "At the time, I sang a lot in choirs. I was the lead soloist." She later developed an acoustic setlist for a "One Woman Acoustic Show" tour and staged performances in South Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1977, while performing at the Hôtel Ivoire, she was spotted by Alpha Blondy and his manager, Koné Dodo. Although they wanted to sign her, Kanam's parents insisted she complete her studies before pursuing a music career. She eventually earned her BTS International Commerce later that year from the Université Tertiaire et Technologique LOKO in Abidjan.

1999–2008: Mokili and Téti
In 1999, Kanam released her debut studio album, Mokili, which was produced by Koné Dodo. The album featured the gospel-influenced single "Mokili Ekoleka" and earned her a Kora Award nomination, where she made her television debut, presenting her album at the awards ceremony.

In 2000, Kanam took a break from performing and moved to Paris due to her pregnancy. After a two-year hiatus, she resumed her music career with the release of her second studio album, Téti, on January 1, 2003. The record, consisting of 12 tracks, was produced by Nouvelle JAT Music, a label owned by Koné Dodo. Téti achieved remarkable success in the Burkinabè market, particularly in Ouagadougou, where it received airplay on Radio Télévision du Burkina for five months. The album's popular single, "Bibi Madeleine," was a tribute to her grandmother and contributed to establishing her as a prominent figure in world music. In April 2003, Kanam was nominated during the 3rd edition of Kundé d'Or and subsequently performed at the Palais des Sports de Ouaga 2000 to promote Téti. Additionally, she graced the stage at the Culture Palace of Abidjan, sharing the platform with Aicha Koné, Tiane, Mawa Traoré, Joelle Séka, Tigress Sidonie, and Chantal Taïba to further support Téti. She returned to Burkina Faso to partake in the Wuïré festival from October 29 to November 1 in the Imasgo Department.

Kanam's success with Téti earned her the Kora Award for Most Promising African Female Artist on December 6, 2003, at the Sandton Convention Center in Sandton. Subsequently, Téti was reissued by producer Kiki Touré with Edgard Yonkeu and Awilo Longomba. On April 30, 2004, Kanam was honored with the Best Female of Central Africa at Kunde d'Or in Burkina Faso. She later performed at the Culture Palace of Abidjan alongside Senegalese singer Coumba Gawlo, the Reine du Matiko, Chantal Taïba, and Tigress Sidonie.

In 2005, with producer Kiki Touré and producer-arranger Edgar Yonkeu, Kanam released a cover of the song "Bibi Madeleine L'argent" (translation: "Money attracts money"), which also featured her fiancé Awilo Longomba. This song was a massive success in Africa, the Caribbean and Europe—especially France. At the end of the year, in December 2005, she gained recognition at the Black Music Awards in Cotonou, Benin, for Best Female Video. In 2006, Kanam appeared on Fally Ipupa's album Droit Chemin, in a song entitled "100% Love".

2009–2014: Karibu and "Africa Stop Ebola"
In 2008, Kanam terminated her contract with Koné Dodo and founded her own record label, Kanam Music. She commenced the production of her third studio album, Karibu (Swahili for "welcome"), in Paris during the same year. Subsequently, she relocated to Ivory Coast in July 2009 to focus on the album. An event was organized by the King Production record label in Abidjan, which involved approximately thirty journalists to broadcast the album's impending release. Kanam returned to Lubumbashi in November to oversee the production of music videos for the album and also conducted several concerts. Karibu was officially released in January 2010 and was produced by Kanam Music. It blends Congolese rumba and features Fally Ipupa on the track "Noir & Blanc." The album achieved critical success, with journalists and broadcasters such as Claudy Siar and Yves Robert Brazza Kambala declaring it one of the best releases of 2009. Kanam became a "standard-bearer" for female African musicians. Kanam later performed at Venus Hotel in Kinshasa during the 2nd edition of the Ndule Awards and received a nomination for Best Female Artist at the 3rd edition of MTV Africa Music Awards. She also performed at the Obelisk Square in Dakar as part of the 3rd edition of the World Festival of Black Arts.

In October 2014, Kanam was featured on "Africa Stop Ebola," a song promoting awareness about Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Africa. The song features singers Tiken Jah Fakoly, Amadou & Mariam, Salif Keita, Oumou Sangaré, Kandia Kouyaté, Mory Kanté, Sia Tolno, and rappers Didier Awadi, Marcus, and Mokobé Traoré. The song includes instructions from experts on how to respect health and hygienic precautions such as not touching the sick, not to get close to the dead, not to have contact with the sweat of the infected person, not to have sexual relations with the sick, not to eat game meat, do not handle dead animals, do not kiss or greet the sick.

2015–2023: Zawadi, "Mela Mayi" and standalone releases
Kanam began recording her fourth studio album, Zawadi, in 2014. She explained in an interview with La Prospérité that "Zawadi" is a Swahili word for "gift" and symbolizes a precious divine gift bestowed on Earth. The album features a choreographed dance known as the "danse du président." While working on Zawadi, Kanam also served as a jury member in the Jeunes Talents music contest and later toured Paris to negotiate distribution deals for the album's forthcoming release.

Zawadi was released digitally on July 1, 2015, and on compact disc on July 12. The album blended Congolese rumba and includes collaborations with Bana C4 and zouk singer Marvin. Kanam described it as her "most accomplished" album, artistically and vocally richer than her previous works. She later supported the album with a concert at the Roméo Golf in Kinshasa on November 28. In August 2016, Kanam received the Best African Female Artist award during the 2nd edition of the Afroca Music Awards in Brazzaville. Back in Kinshasa, she gave an interview to La Prospérité expressing her gratitude to the people who had supported her throughout her 15-year musical career. Zawadi also won her the Jury Special Award at the 11th edition of the Canal d'Or, held at the Palais des Congrès de Yaoundé in the presence of the Cameroonian First Lady, Chantal Biya.

In June 2017, Kanam announced to Forum des As her plans for a forthcoming single, "Mela Mayi." Initially recorded in 2016, a preview of the single's video was released on YouTube in June. Kanam subsequently relocated to Kinshasa towards the end of June 2017 to oversee the single's production. The official video was launched on August 19, 2017, featuring an emphatic and exuberant performance. In support of the single, Kanam held a VIP concert at the SHOWBUZZ performance hall in Kinshasa on December 15, 2017. She was later nominated for Best Female Artist of Central Africa at the 2018 African Music Industry Awards.

In March 2018, Kanam premiered her single "Lisanga Ya Ba Mbanda," a cover of M'bilia Bel's 1980s song of the same title. In an interview with La Prospérité, she articulated, ".....I pay a deserved and living tribute to mother Mbilia Bel, the Cleopatra. Because I love her so much." The music video features Kanam adorned in a sublime African outfit, showcasing dance moves, including the distinctive hip-swaying ndombolo dance.

Albums

 * Mokili (1999)
 * Téti (2003)
 * Karibu (2010)
 * Zawadi (2015)