In 1971, she surreptitiously modified her birthdate, claiming to be 20 years old, to participate in Découverte des Jeunes Talents music contest organized by Gérard Madiata at the Parc de la Révolution (now Kinshasa Botanical Garden), where she secured the third position.

In mid-1972, buoyed by several relatives, she established her band, Les Ecureuils, which included her younger brother, Jean Abumba Masikini, as the lead guitarist and performed in more intimate club venues.

[23][12][13] 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.

[12][7][5] 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.

[23] The album was a fusion of blues, soul, and folk melodies but did not initially receive critical acclaim from Kinshasa's public,[12] as Masikini's Swahili-accented voice and eclectic musical influences relegated her to being classified as a "foreign singer".

[12][22] Backed by Abumba and Les Redoutables, Abeti recorded the tracks and then joined Antoinette Etisomba Lokindji for concerts in Brussels at a conference on Zairean Authenticité.

[24] 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 Redoutables and was attended by President Léopold Sédar Senghor.

[4] The subsequent month, on 11 March 1974, she wowed the audience at Carnegie Hall with Les Redoutables, accompanied by electric guitars and bass as well as modern conga drums.

[4] In September 1974, she 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.

[31][22] 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.

[12][14] In 1976, Masikini released her third studio album, Abeti à Paris, which included the original version of her song, "Mwana Muke Wa Miso.

Gérard Akueson exhorted her to perform alongside M'Pongo Love at the Palladium Cinema on Boulevard Du 30 Juin, a strategic move to reaffirm her place in Kinshasa's music scene.

[12][30] Produced under the French label Capriccio and distributed by Music Control S.A.R.L.,[12][30] the album featured a distinguished lineup of instrumentalists, including Soki Mikanda (alto saxophone), Zenge-Zenge (bass), Wawanko Joë (congas), Boffi Banengola (drums), Bikouta Sebastien (lead guitar), Ray Lema (piano), Gomez Watunda (rhythm guitar), Akunda (tenor saxophone), and N'Sambu M'Vula as the sound engineer.

[12] Despite the adult-oriented criticism of her music in Kinshasa, her fandom predominantly comprised children who regularly attended her Super Abeti Show at the Palladium Cinema and affectionately referred to her as "auntie".

[22][12] 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.

[12][43] 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.

[12][41] In 1981, to commemorate her ten-year career, Masikini debuted her eleventh studio album, Dixième anniversaire, which was arranged by Sammy Massamba and released by Dragon Phénix.

Comprising six tracks, Dixième anniversaire was buoyed by several Congolese rumba hits: "Baruwa Kwa Mupenzi", "Chéri Badé", "Père Bouché", "Ndolindo", "Bilonda", and "Zaire Oye".

[22][12][44] The breakout single "Chéri Badé" gained widespread national recognition and set a record for ten consecutive weeks at the top of the OZRT (Office Zaïrois de Radio-Télévision) chart.

[12] Featuring four tracks and arranged by Jacky Arconte, it was supported by the singles "Jalousie", "I Love You" (alternatively titled "Mwasi Ya Bolingo"), "Boyokani", and a version of "Na Pesi Yo Mboté".

[12] In spring 1986, Masikini relocated to Paris and premiered the album Je suis fachée in France through a Parisian label Bade Stars Music.

[12][47][22] The drums were handled by Denis Hekimian and Boffi Banengola, with horns played by Eric Giausserand, Jacques Bolognesi, and Alain Hatot, bass by Michel Alibo, synthesizer by Philippe Guez, and percussion by Sam Ateba and Komba Bellow.

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.

[12][22][50] The performance featured several guest artists, including Bernard Lavilliers, Manu Dibango, Nzongo Soul, Pépé Kallé, Seba, Aurlus Mabélé, and François Lougah, and was broadcast live on Radio France Internationale.

[52] Produced in France by Jimmy International Production and edited by Polygram, most of the tracks were solely written by Masikini, except for "Ousmane", co-written with Mayaula Mayoni, and "Ma Lu", co-composed with Georges Seba.

[52][12] La Reine du Soukous was supported by standout singles: "Mupenzi", "Ousmane", "Bebe Matoko", "Ma Lu", and "Je Suis Occupée," and a cover of "Mwana Muke Wa Miss".