Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique: Reddy Amisi

Frank Bessem's
Musiques d'Afrique:

Reddy Amisi
(Congo-Kinshasa)

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Reddy Amisi is a talented singer form the Viva La Musica stables. Amisi sung as a child in the curch choir, and as he continued singing, his talent was spotted and he started singing in a group called Le Juvénile. Already in 1977, at age of 17, Papa Wemba who was impressed by his voice, asked him to join Viva La Musica but Amisi felt too young yet and preferred to continue his school education first.

Finally in October 1982, after Kester Emeneya left Viva la Musica with 12 other musicians, Reddy Amisi joined Viva la Musica. He became a principal singer and composed various popular songs, but he was also able to record albums in his own name, backed by Viva la Musica. When several musicians left Viva la Musica in 1992 to create La Nouvelle Génération de la République Démocratique, he remained loyal to Papa Wemba. At one occasion (in 1994), he established his own band (with which he recorded the CD Prudence), but Papa Wemba was not happy with this initiative, and took over the band and renamed it into Nouvelle Ecriture.

Reddy Amisi stayed with Viva la Musica until 2002, when he created his own band Casa do Canto. A first album came out early 2003.

Born: 2 September 1960, as Namwisi Ngoy Amisi Mela
Style: soukous.

Discography:

Title	Year	Label	Remarks
Ligne droite	2005	Media Diffusion	With Casa do Canto
Compteur à zero	2003	Sonodisc CDS 8988	With Casa do Canto
Fin d'exil	2000	JPS Production CDJPS 080	A co-production with Stino
Etoile	1998	Ets. N'Diaye ND062CD
Best of Reddy Amisi	1997	Sonodisc CDS 8830	Compilation
Ziggy	1996	Galaxie GP9710
Prudence	1994	Blue Silver 50380-2
L'injustice	1993	Editions Mayala / FDB 300104
Queen Lina	1996	FDB300046	Compilation CD of the first two LPs
Queen Lina	1990	Mayala 4046 (LP)	With Viva la Musica
Salakeba	1987	Mayala 4031 (LP)	With Viva la Musica