Louis Albert William Longomba[2][3][4] (born 5 May 1962), known professionally as Awilo Longomba, is a Congolese soukous singer, composer, drummer, songwriter, dancer, and producer.[5][6][7][8] William is known for pioneering the techno-soukous genre,[9][10][7] a variant of soukous that blends techno music with ndombolo, often incorporating elements of electro, dance music, and zouk.[11]
Between 1980 and 1995, William made his music debut as a drummer for Viva La Musica, Stukas, Loketo, Nouvelle Génération.[12][6][13][14] He rose to fame in 1995 with the release of his debut solo studio album Moto Pamba, which catapulted him to stardom in Africa and Europe.[15][6][16][17]Moto Pamba won him two consecutive Best Artist of Central Africa at the 1996 and 1997 Kora Awards.[18] In 1998, William unveiled his second studio album, Coupé Bibamba. The album's eponymous single, which featured Martinican singer Jocelyne Béroard, became a chart-topper in Africa and gained a considerable following in Europe and America. It is often often regarded as one of Africa's most acclaimed Lingala songs.[18][10][19][20][21] William became the first artist to sold-out the Lagos National Stadium for three consecutive days.[22] The song was later featured in the "World Tribute to the Funk" compilation by Sony Music, featuring a new funk remix version with James D-Train Williams.[6][23]
William is the first Congolese artist to have performed in São Tomé and Príncipe, as well as the only Sub-Saharan African, along with Miriam Makeba, to have performed in Libya during the creation of the African Union.[23][24][25] His third studio album Kafou Kafou, debuted in July 2000, later won him the Judges' Special Awards at the 2001 Kora Awards for his contribution to African music.[7][12] In 2009, William clinched the accolade of Best Soukous Entertainer at the IRAWMA Awards.[26] In September 2003, he issued his fourth studio album, Mondongo.[27] In August 2008, he published his fifth studio album, Superman.[28] William is one of Africa and Europe's "most wanted" Congolese artists.[29][6][30]