Lukuss (Belgium)

Un mélange de la soul, de l'Afro-beat et du zouk Africain. Bonne écoute!

Born in DR Congo 11 april 1980. In a family of six childreen. Two sisters and three brothers.
His father Lukusa Kalala and mother Rwakabuba Ndihano were modest people in the small town of Goma in the East Side of DRC in the 80s.
He went to school at " Ecole Communautaire du Lac" where he did his primary studies. He lost his dad in 1989. His life become painful.
His mother worked hard to pay his school fees.
In 1994, he went to a school of priests,far from his town Goma, in the mountains of Jomba (a small village between DRC,Rwanda and Uganda). That's where he discovered his talent and fall in love of instruments such as piano and guitar.
He became an appreciated singer in the community and joined the main chorus of the school.
In 1996 he came back to his town and met Icy, Ben Vundji and Ben Sambu at the college "Mwanga" where he had been transferred; the people with whom he created his first group of playbacks and dancing" "B.I to Soul" which means by Inspiration toward the Soul Music
But in the same year he lost his big sister.
However those people will change a part of his life !
In 1996 in DRC, Ben Sambu left with his father and mother to Kinshasa then to Belgium due to the first congo war.
In 1997 after the war, the three members of "BI to Soul" remaining recruted a new member " Depa Lova" a cousin of Lukuss who joined the group.
They decided to change the name of the group and become "DAMANY'Z" that comes from " AMANI" which means "peace" in reference to the need of changing the atmosphere of their country through music, that was boiling into killings and atrocities.
A new inspiration was entering in the group...
" At that time, we were inspired too much by R&B, Slow jam and soul music. We started singing in public just accappela.
"I remember everytime our collegues in class were asking us to sing for them. Most of the time we were singing Boyz II men, Shy, Keith Sweat or Marvin Gay songs ;-) and all these was done accapella . It was marvellous...;-)" Said Lukusa
"DAMANY'Z" became very influent in the region. Most of the time they were choosen by their school to represent it in many R&B, Hip-Hop competitions. Such as "Télé événement", one of the best events of schools entertainments of Goma, where they won twice; "Galaxy fm" of Hubert Furuguta, the most respected journalist in the region and who did a lot of promotion for the group; and also in many Fashion show of the town,etc...
However , it came the time where the group felt the hardest sorrow.
Ben Vundji fall seriously sick. A need for traitment took him to Dubaï . Lukuss, Icy and Depa lova will not see him again.
"... it was very strange, it was very painful, I remember, I remember!
And Ben Vundji had a very good place in the group. The role he was playing was very crucial. Look, he was the one to arrange our poems before putting them into songs, His voice was leading hooks of various songs of the group. Beside that he was our brother, our freind, our struggle companion. And more over he was the pacifier of the group. Ben was the Key of our union." said Lukuss.
In earlier 1998, a businessman called Nono Koulage took the management of the group .
"...You know Nono was the guy we were needed since longtime. He covered many financial needs and made us VIPs in his restaurant " Palma Village" and Club "Coco Jambo" which was the best club of the town..." Argued Lukuss.
Actually! Nono became the manager of the group.
They started producing some concerts in "Palma Village" in 1999. Then later, Nono called a group of his cousin from USA to come to Goma for a concert with the" DAMANY'Z" in a view of promoting them in the region. That was their first big concert.
Nevertheless, the political conflict of DRC made Goma to become slowly a "farwest". Tribalism was pushing people to Killings and terror.
In 2000, Lukuss decided to get out of the town and went to Rwanda, in Kigali.
In 2002, he started his "Bachelor of Business Admnistration" degree at the KIST( Kigali Institute of Science, Technology and Management).
In 2003 Lukuss produced his first solo, single of two songs " Ghetto" and "Toli" that he calls himself "a marvelous."
In 2006, He got his degree in Accounting and left to Brussels where he is doing a masters in "International management" and producing his first solo album "THE SOLD LAND".

Patrick Lukusa does believe that music is power. The way music talks inside of him is the same way it use to talk inside of super stars like Michael Jackson, James Brown, Elvis Presley and all other new users of this tool such as Seal, D.Angelo, Neyo, John Legend, Lenny Kravitz, Wyclef Jean, Lokua Kanza,Youssou N'dour, Passi, and all musicians that keep hope alive in music. Today he is convinced that music is a valuable key in his existance. He said to me once this:"... I cannot stop music! Who am I to do so? As far as I'm concerned being part of talented people in this world is the best present that God has given to me. I always think ( may be I'm wrong) that someone who doesn't use his talent by his or her own wishes is equal to a sinner who doesn't care about his/ her sins" This world citizen, as he calls himself, makes world music. He wants his music to catch various cultures' attention. That's why his product is a mix of differences. Today I trust in him and I wish him all the best in his carreer. By Jenny

Plus d'infos : http://www.myspace.com/patr...