- Source: RJ Kanierra
Joé Ngoie Mwema (born 9 August 1984), known professionally as RJ Kanierra, is a Congolese singer-songwriter, rapper, and dancer. He is regarded as one of the most significant figures in 21st-century Katangese music. His music is a blend of Congolese rhythm and harmony with rap, a synthesis he calls "Rotatam Style".
Born and raised in Kolwezi, Ngoie began his recording career in the late 1990s and later released his debut studio album, Les treize lois de la jungle, in 2006. Ngoie's single "Aina Lawa", premiered in 2008, gained significant acclaim in Katanga. In March 2011, he issued his second studio album, 99. Ngoie went on to publish his third studio album, titled 622, in 2013, followed by -243 (2016) and 99×9 (2019). In August 2022, Ngoie unveiled his sixth studio album, 13.
Ngoie gained widespread recognition and mainstream attention following the release of his 2023 single "Tia", which quickly amassed over two million views within two weeks on YouTube and peaked atop the Congo's most-viewed YouTube videos, garnering 805,000 views in October of that year. It also sparked the "Tia dance challenge", a trend that quickly gained momentum on social media and was embraced by various personalities.
Early life and career
= 1984–2021: Early life, music debut, and releases
=Joé Ngoie Mwema was born on 9 August 1984, in Kolwezi situated within the Katanga Province (now Lualaba Province), in what was then Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). As a teenager, Ngoie participated in various activities such as football, karate, and athletics. He was a junior champion in the 100-meter event, organized by the Kolwezi athletics league. In the late 1990s, with the emergence of popular music in Kolwezi, Ngoie clandestinely began performing street music and debuted the single titled "Chère Maman" to seek his mother's authorization to pursue his musical aspirations. In 1998, he formed his backing band called Casse-Tête and later released the demo C'est-à-dire, which included tracks such as "Je Confirme," "Tinss", and "Coliba". Despite venturing out for productions, he remained devoted to his city, where his shows consistently pulled in large crowds.
In January 2006, Casse-Tête won the Best Group at the Nzenze Ngoma Ya Kwetu festival held in Lubumbashi. Later that year, he dropped his debut studio album, Les treize lois de la jungle, which fused hip-hop with R&B. In 2008, he premiered the single "Aina Lawa", which garnered significant acclaim in Katanga, with lyrics delving into success, triumph, and dismissing superstition and fetishism. Following "Aina Lawa's" success, Ngoie released his second studio album, 99, in March 2011, which included critically acclaimed hits "Salem" and "Bikelele". In 2013, Ngoie published his third studio album, titled 622, which consisted of six tracks.
In 2014, Ngoie made a guest appearance on Mjoe Zuka's album Rien que l'amour. Ngoie debuted his fourth studio album -243 in 2016 which included hits like "Winner", "Djaso", "Je Suis Béni". -243 was produced between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which allowed Ngoie to do his debut major concert at the Lupopo stadium. During the same year, Ngoie performed a major concert in Kenya alongside JB Mpiana and Davido. In 2019, he published his fifth studio album, titled 99×9, which included hit singles like "Bae Bae" and "Danza". Ngoie released the single "Get Down" featuring Mink's on 25 March 2019, followed by the single "Bina Vuya", which included a guest performance by Kisangani-born rapper Alesh and amassed over 500,000 streams on all streaming platforms.
On 10 October 2020, Ngoie debuted the single "Vula Vwala" (alternately known as Longola Lata), which peaked at number-one in Lubumbashi music charts and received praise from Barbara Kanam, Lokua Kanza and Alesh. Ngoie was subsequently awarded the Honorary Prize at the Tshota Awards in Likasi and received a nomination for Song of the Year at the City Awards. In early February 2021, he launched fellow Congolese singer Eric Flash under his label Shutuka Musique and debuted the single "Baby Sugar" on 6 February 2021. Collaborating with Christian Bella, Ngoie produced "Don't Judge" in Tanzania on 25 June 2021.
= 2022–present: 13 and "Tia"
=Ngoie's sixth studio album, titled 13, was released on 13 August 2022; it comprises 13 singles and includes guest appearances by Gally Garvey, Anita Mwarabu, Yo Maps, Ramythologie, Madame Cooper, and Ntosh Gazi. To further promote the album, Ngoie announced a series of concerts known as the "13 Tour Dragon". The tour commenced on 2 April in Dar es Salaam and concluded on 16 July 2023, at the Afrodisiac Festival in Brussels. It encompassed performances in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, France, and Belgium.
On 22 September 2023, Ngoie released the single "Tia", which was directed by Petit Fils and produced by Shutuka Musique. The song tells the story of a worker who went unpaid for several months and decided to go into debt so that the state would come and pay him. "Tia" quickly garnered over two million views within two weeks, reaching the top of Congo's most-viewed YouTube videos with 805,000 views in October of that year. It was also a top-5 record on Shazam's worldwide music category and topped the rankings in Cameroon and Ivory Coast. It achieved a number-four position on Boomplay's most consumed titles and also spawned the "Tia dance challenge" trend on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, which was embraced by celebrities such as fellow Congolese professional boxer Martin Bakole and comedian Herman Amisi. The Congolese digital media outlet Mbote.cd named "Tia" the "Song of the Year". Fellow Congolese singer Majoos lauded its "sweeter" melodies. Saint Hervé M'Buy of Ouragan described the song as "urban music juggles with different artistic assets such as irony, humor, satire, and sometimes derision to fully furnish his work."
On 24 November 2023, Ngoie announced on Instagram and Facebook he signed a record deal with Sony Music Entertainment Africa (SMEA), whose French-speaking division is based in Ivory Coast, under the supervision of the famous Congolese patron Elvis Adidiema. Ngoie's contract with SMEA allowed him to benefit from the network and augmented his international appeal. On 25 November, Ngoie joined Fally Ipupa on stage during his concert at Paris La Défense Arena, where he performed alongside Aya Nakamura, SDM, Mokobé, KeBlack, Naza, Dadju, Tayc, Singuila, Youssou N'Dour, and Petit Fally. He then appeared at the Sana Weekend of the Foyer Culturel de Goma on 20 July 2024. On 9 August, Ngoie issued "Lela", a single performed in both Swahili and Lingala, with production by ML Beatz through Shutuka Musique. The music video was co-directed by Mr Tcheck, also known as Sky Star and Derek Simba. The song calls for God's mercy and urges the authorities to take action to extricate the Democratic Republic of the Congo from its turbulent political, security, economic, and social situation.
Discography
Awards and nominations
References
External links
RJ Kanierra at AllMusic
RJ Kanierra at IMDb
