Pépé Kallé

Pépé Kallé, sometimes written as Pepe Kalle (November 30th 1951 – November 28th 1998) was a soukous singer, musician and bandleader from the Democratic Republic Of The Congo. Pépé Kallé was born Kabasele Yampanya in Kinshasa (then Léopoldville) in the Belgian Congo, but later assumed his pseudonym in hommage to his mentor, Le Grand Kallé.

With a multi-octave vocal range and a dynamic stage presence, the 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) and 136 kg (300 lb) vocalist recorded more than three hundred songs and twenty albums[citation needed] during his two decade-long career. Known affectionately as "the elephant of African music" and "La Bombe Atomique,"[citation needed] Kallé entertained audiences with his robust performances.

Links To Peel
Peel started playing Pépé Kallé's music in the late 80's and after the success of the Cameroon football team in the 1990 World Cup in becoming the first African team to reach the quarter finals, Pepe released a record called Roger Milla, named after the Cameroon football player, which became one of Peel's favourite football songs. In an interview with the Telegraph before his death, Peel mentioned that Pepe Kalle's Roger Milla would be one of his songs he would like to be played in his funeral:

"'There's one record, called Roger Milla, which is by Pepe Kalle - he's from the country that once was called Zaire but is now called one of those Monty Python-esque names such as the People's Republic of Congo, or Congolese People's Republic, or something - that I would buy straight away. Rogar Milla was a Cameroon footballer - a great World Cup hero about 20 years ago. It is the other song I want played at my funeral, along with Teenage Kicks by the Undertones because it's such an uplifting, glorious record. I would need to have something like that at my funeral.'"

Shows Played
1989 1990 1992
 * 06 April 1989 (Rockradio): Nina (album - Moyibi)
 * 03 March 1990 (BFBS): Atinze Muana Popi
 * 08 February 1992: Garonne (album - Larger Than Life) Sterns

1993
 * 21 March 1992: 'Gerant (CD-Larger Than Life)' (Stern's Africa)
 * 29 January 1993 (& Rochereau): Forgive Me (album - Lisanga Ya "Banganga") Sonodisc


 * 14 February 1993 (BFBS) (& Rochero): Forgive Me
 * 14 May 1993 (& Empire Bakuba): 'Soso Ya Tongo (Various Artists CD: Super Guitar Soukous)' (Hemisphere)
 * 17 September 1993: Vengi (L'Argent Ne Fait Pas Le Bonheur!) Gefraco


 * 24 September 1993 (BFBS): L'Argent Ne Fait Pas Le Bonheur (album - L'argent Ne Fait Pas Le Bonheur!) Gefraco
 * 01 October 1993 (BFBS): Bolimbisa (album - L'argent Ne Fait Pas Le Bonheur!) Gefraco

1994 1996 1999 2000 2001
 * 04 October 1993 (Ö3): Bolimbisa (album - L'Argent Ne Fait Pas Le Bonheur!) Gefraco
 * 08 October 1993 (BFBS): Famo (album - L'argent Ne Fait Pas Le Bonheur!) Gefraco
 * 22 October 1993 (BFBS): L'Argent Ne Fait Pas Le Bonheur (album - L'argent Ne Fait Pas Le Bonheur!) Gefraco
 * Peel Out In The States: Vengi (L'Argent Ne Fait Pas Le Bonheur!) Gefraco
 * 02 April 1994: Amour Vie Dure (album - Dieu Seul Sait) 18th March
 * 02 April 1994 (BFBS): Love And A Long Life
 * 30 November 1996: ‘Roger Milla (12 inch)’
 * 24 June 1999: Roger Milla [John Peel ('Fat Boy') and Steve Lamacq ('Slim') Mix]
 * 20 July 2000 (& Rigo Star): Naji (CD – Rough Guide To Congolese Soukous) Rough Guide
 * 21 June 2001: Roger Milla (John Peel Live Set)

2002 2004
 * 08 November 2001: Roger Milla (LP – Lightning Over The River: The Congolese Soukous Guitar) Nascente
 * 12 June 2002 (& Dali Kamoko): Shikamo Seye (album - Larger Than Life) Stern's Africa
 * 11 March 2004: Roger Milla (12") Stern's (JP: "Tragically, listeners, whilst that was playing I seem to have blown the speakers here at Peel Acres. It is such a great record. I've just decided that along with Teenage Kicks, I want that one playing at my funeral as well, because I do suspect that the two played back to back could raise the dead and I'm kind of counting on that.")
 * 11 November 2004: 'Roger Milla' (LP- Lightning Over the River: The Congolese Soukous Guitar Sound) - (Nascente)