What Is Koffi Olomide's Net Worth?
Koffi Olomide is a Congolese singer-songwriter, dancer, and producer who has a net worth of $5 million. Koffi Olomide founded the soukous band Quartier Latin International in 1986. Known as the "King of Ndombolo," Olomide is considered to be one of the most important artists in 20th-century African and Congolese music. He introduced a slower style of soukous music called tcha tcho, and he popularized La Sape, a flamboyant fashion subculture. Koffi started out as a songwriter in the Zairean music industry and gained prominence with his 1977 song "Princesse ya Synza" (featuring King Kester Emeneya and Papa Wemba). Since founding Quartier Latin International in the mid-1980s, Olomide has released seven studio albums with the group. He has also released more than two dozen solo albums as well as seven collaborative albums with artists such as Papa Wemba and Rigo Star. Koffi was the first African artist to sell out the famed arena Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, and his music was featured in the 2005 book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die." He founded the record label Koffi Central in 2013. In May 2003, 16 people died as a result of crowd crush during Olomide's performance at Benin's Stade de l'Amitié. He later honored the victims with the single "Les Martyrs du Tchatcho."
Early Life
Koffi Olomide was born Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba on July 13, 1956, in Stanleyville, Belgian Congo (which is now known as Kisangani, DRC). He is the son of a Congolese father, Charles Agbepa, and a Sierra Leonean / Congolese mother, Aminata Angélique Muyonge. When Olomide was an infant, Aminata suffered from severe health problems due to feelings of abandonment and depression because Charles was away on business when Koffi was born. Aminata was so despondent that she was unable to breastfeed her son, who also had health issues. Aminata named her newborn son Antoine after the husband of a neighbor who had supported her during this time, and because of his health issues, Koffi was called Antoine Makila Mabe, which means "Antoine bad blood." "Koffi" means "Friday," which was the day he was born, and "Olomide" came from his maternal uncle. Koffi grew up in Kinshasa in the Lemba commune until 1973 when his family moved to Lingwala. During his youth, Olomide wanted to become a professional footballer, but he later turned his focus toward music. He revealed to "Afropop Worldwide," "My father told me that I couldn't be a musician, a singer, if I didn't get a degree, a license."
Koffi earned his high school scientific baccalaureate at the age of 18, then he enrolled at the University of Bordeaux in France to study business. As a university student, he taught himself to play guitar and started composing music. When he returned to Kinshasa during school holidays, Olomide began writing lyrics for performers in the Zairean music scene and became known as "the most famous student in Zaire." He recorded his first single, "Onia," in Kinshasa, and after Papa Wemba formed the band Viva La Musica, he contributed several songs, including "Ebalé Mbongé" and "Mère Supérieure." In the mid-1970s, Koffi composed "Princesse ya Synza" and "Asso" with Papa Wemba and King Kester Emeneya, and he later released songs such as "Elengi ya Mbonda" and "Samba Samba." In 1981, Olomide graduated from the University of Bordeaux with a bachelor's degree in business economics.
(Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP via Getty Images)
Career
In 1983, Koffi collaborated with an acquaintance named Debaba in Zaire to form the Historia Musica orchestra (also known as Historia Esthétique). Olomide had conflicts with Debaba during his time with the orchestra and soon embarked on a solo career. He released his debut solo studio album, "Ngounda," in 1983, followed by "Lady Bo" in 1984, "Diva" in 1985, and "Ngobila" in 1986. Koffi formed Quartier Latin International in 1986 and went on to release the studio albums "Pas de faux pas" (1992), "Magie" (1994), "Ultimatum" (1997), "Droit de véto" (1998), "Force de frappe" (2000), "Affaire d'état" (2003), and "Danger de mort" (2006) with the group. He released three more solo studio albums, "Rue D'Amour" (1987), "Henriquet" (1988), and "Elle Et Moi" (1989), in the '80s, and he collaborated with Papa Wemba and Viva la Musica on "8è Anniversaire" (1983), with Yakini Kiese on "Olomidé et Yakini Kiese" (1985), with Fafa de Molokaï on "Olomidé et Fafa de Molokaï" (1987), and with Rigo Star on "Aï Aï Aï La Bombe Éclate" (1987). In the '90s, Olomide released six solo studio albums, including 1992's "Haut De Gamme" and 1999's "Attentat," and he teamed up with Duc Hérode for "Glamour" (1993) and with Papa Wemba for "Wake Up" (1996). Next, he released solo albums such as "Effrakata" (2001), "Swi" (2006), "La chicotte à Papa" (2009), "Abracadabra" (2012), "Nyataquance" (2017), and "Platinum" (2024), and he collaborated with Papa Wemba, Didier Milla, and Madilu System on 2005's "Sans Rature." Koffi has also released several live albums, including "Live à L'Olympia" (1998), "Bal des Vacanciers" (2014), and "Le Live" (2018).
Personal Life
Olomide has been married and divorced three times. He had two children with his first wife, Marianne Makosso, and after they divorced, he married Stephanie Godee and had three children with her. In the early '90s, Koffi began a relationship with a former French model named Aliane, and they married in April 1994. Olomide has dedicated songs such as "Miss des Miss" and "Alidor" to Aliane, and they have three children together, including Didi-Stone Naïke, a fashion model who has graced the covers of "Vogue," "Vanity Fair," and "Grazia" and has served as a L'Oréal Paris Ambassador for France. In 2021, Aliane filed for divorce, and the divorce was finalized the following year. it was alleged that Koffi had an affair with Cindy Le Coeur, a singer in his band, beginning in 2013. In 2017, it was rumored that Le Coeur had a child with Olomide.
In July 2021, Koffi was named an executive member of the political party the Alliance des Forces Démocratiques du Congo (AFDC), which was led by Modeste Bahati Lukwebo, the president of the Senate. In February 2022, he was appointed a cultural ambassador of Congo and given a diplomatic passport. In March 2024, Olomide announced that he was running for a senate seat in the Sud-Ubangi constituency, but he withdrew from the race the following month, citing fraudulent processes and saying that he didn't want to participate in a "sham vote." Koffi has dealt with many legal issues, including an indictment for the kidnapping and rape of three former Quartier Latin International dancers, a warrant for his arrest for the assault of Rwandan photojournalist Jean Nepomuscene Ndayisenga, and a suspended jail sentence for statutory rape.
Awards and Nominations
In 1994, Olomide won Africar Music Awards for Best Male Singer and Best Music Video for "V12." In 2002, he won four Kora Awards in one night: Best Male of Central Africa, the Jury Special Award, Best Arrangement of Africa (Quartier Latin International), and Best Video of Africa for "Effrakata." He received a LifeTime Achievement Award at the 2005 Kora Awards. Koffi has earned two IRAWMA Award nominations for Best Soukous Entertainer, winning in 2007, and in 2014, he received a Kundé d'Or nomination for Best Collaboration for "Devine" (shared with Lady Ponce). In 2017, he earned a Canal 2'Or nomination for Best African Artist, and in 2021, he was honored with the Legendary Award at the HAPA Awards and won a Prix Lokumu for Best Collaboration for "Ndoto" (shared with Majoos). That year, he also received six All Africa Music Award (AFRIMA) nominations, winning the Legend Award and Best Duo in African Contemporary Music for "Ndoto" (with Majoos). In 2023, Olomide received a Prix d'honneur at the Les Congolais de Lille.
