Ferré Gola

Their double album, Miracles, garnered continental acclaim, and Les Marquis de Maison Mère received a nomination at the Kora Awards.

[20][16][21][22] In 2005, Bataringe joined Koffi Olomidé's Quartier Latin International before venturing into his solo career in 2006 with his debut studio album, Sens Interdit.

[23][24][15][25] In 2009, he released his second studio album, Qui est derrière toi?, which gained widespread popularity across Africa and earned a gold record from SACEM, selling over 110,000 copies.

[41][42] On 25 March 2022, he released his fifth studio album, Dynastie Volume 1,[43][44] which amassed over one million streams on Spotify within 21 days of its debut[45] and peaked at number-one on the Best Sellers category on French Amazon Music.

[55][54] From a tender age, Gola harbored dreams of becoming a professional musician, drawing inspiration from Franco Luambo, OK Jazz, Carlyto Lassa, Tabu Ley Rochereau, Simaro Lutumba, King Kester Emeneya, Papa Wemba, Youssou N'Dour, and Salif Keita.

[57][61][62] In 2001, Gola became Wenge Musica Maison Mère's director after the departure of Christian Mabanga and founder Didier Masela, and took on a bigger role after Adolphe Dominguez left.

The band released their debut 18-track double album, Miracles, which included Ferré Gola's internationally acclaimed hits "100 Kilos", "Amour Intérêt", and "Papitcho Nyanx".

[60][63] In 2005, he joined Koffi Olomidé's Quartier Latin International as a singer and composer and contributed significantly to Olomide's maxi-single Boma Nga N'Elengi and solo studio album Danger de mort, notably on tracks such as "Sisi Silvie" and "Insecticide.

[66][57] Sens Interdit's success helped expand Gola's fanbase across Africa, leading to performances in France, Belgium, and various Schengen Area states alongside his collective, Jet Set, in January 2008.

[57][70][58] In August 2008, he hosted a sold-out concert in Cabinda Province, Angola,[71][72] and made a guest appearance on Nsimba Lufwankenda's studio album Contre Mur later that year.

[79] In May 2010, he took the stage at the Zénith de Paris with Jet Set, accompanied by music columnists Tshitenge from Radio Télévision Groupe Avenir and Hélène Kalemba from Raga TV.

[31][32] In February 2011, during an interview with host Marc Tabu in Paris, aired on TVS 1 in Kinshasa, Gola revealed that his forthcoming double album Boite noire was in the conclusive phases of production.

[86] Boite noire success augmented his visibility, leading to invitations for collaborations on the compilation Les Chroniques du Wati Boss featuring the French rapper Dry on the track "J'ai tout donné".

[88][89] In October 2013, Gola served as a member of the jury for Battle Afro, alongside artists like Alicia Fall, Phil Darwin, Mokobé, Lino Versace, and Serge Beynaud.

[98][55] In September 2014, Gola participated in the Francofolies festival in Kinshasa, sharing the spotlight with Lokua Kanza, Youssoupha, Fally Ipupa, Werrason, Lexxus Legal, La fouine, Johnny Clegg, and Passi.

[100][101] Gola took the stage on 27 November 2015 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi,[102][103] followed by a performance in Kisumu at Club Buccaneers alongside Dola Kabarry and Prezda Bandasson on December 5.

[107] He teamed up with Kenyan singer Victoria Kimani on the single "Tucheze" and later made a guest appearance on J. Martins' album Authentic on the track "Ekelebe".

[41][42] The event was attended by the First Lady of Cameroon, Chantal Biya, and Gola was subsequently honored by the DRC's Ministry of Culture and Arts, Sylvain Maurice Masheke.

[122] On 28 July, he headlined the "QQJD Evening" in Brussels[123] before returning to Kinshasa to perform at Espace Amaryllis in the Ngaliema commune[124] and receiving a nomination at the HAPA Music Awards.

[134][135] In January 2021, Gola announced his upcoming double album, Dynastie Volume 1, which he said would feature his former bandmates from Wenge Musica Maison Mère, as well as several collaborations with Jet Set musicians.

[44] Within 21 days of its debut, Dynastie Volume 1 amassed over one million streams on Spotify[45] and peaked at number-one in the top Best Sellers category on French Amazon Music.

[151][152] After a brief stint in Paris, Gola hosted a VIP live concert at the Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire in Ivory Coast before returning back to Kinshasa on 10 November 2022.

[47] During an interview with musical pundits of Elengi Ya CongoTV on 30 November 2022, Gola revealed that the first volume of his sixth studio album, Dynastie 2, was almost finished and would include collaborations with South African amapiano artists and former Wenge Musica Maison Mère bandmates.

[174] On 6 August, he performed a quick playback at the closing ceremony of the 2023 Jeux de la Francophonie, offering an a cappella tribute to the victims of the ongoing Kivu conflicts in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

[179] Shortly after its debut, it experienced commercial success, peaking at the top of sales on major Congolese platforms such as iTunes, Spotify, and Deezer, as well as number one on African Amazon Music charts.

[186] It includes guest appearances by JDT Mulopwe, Celeo Scram, Aimélia Lias, Papy Kakol, Deplick Pomba, Michel Basse, Charlie Solo, Thierry Finite, Buffalo, Eboa Lotin, Ali Mbonda, and Cappucino.

[189] The tour kicked off on 4 November in Dallas and wrapped up on 24 March 2024 in Champaign, encompassing performances in cities like Washington, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Charlotte.

[197] On 23–24 June, he staged two consecutive concerts in Bukavu, starting with the VIP charity event "Dîner de bienfaisance" at Hôtel Résidence, aimed at raising funds for humanitarian projects in eastern DRC.

[201] Gola's ndombolo-inspired single "Mobondo", featuring Tanzanian singer Rayvanny, teased fans with a short snippet at the end of October 2024 through social media.

[202] On 6 November, both artists shared another preview on their social platforms, fueling excitement for "Mobondo", which went viral on TikTok before its official release on 20 December, with users enthusiastically replicating the song's accompanying dance and challenging others to join.

Ferré Gola performing the closing act of the 15th edition of the Anoumabo Urban Music Festival .
Ferré Gola at Anoumabo Urban Music Festival
Ferré Gola in 2023
Ferré Gola performing in Abidjan
Ferré Gola