Congolese singer Lulendo Matumona, better known as General Defao, is dead. He was 62 years old.
Defao died at the Laquintinie Hospital in Douala, Cameroon, where he was admitted on Monday.
He was famed for his hit Sala Noki.
Born in Kinshasa on December 31, 1958, General Defao started singing in 1978 as part of Orchestre Suka Movema.
He also had a stint with Fogo Stars and Somo West before joining Grand Zaiko Wawa and later becoming an integral part of Choc Stars.
It was during this period that Defao honed his singing and songwriting skills, working with household names at the time like Ben Nyamabo and Bozi Boziana.
During the mid-90s, Defao was already threatening to dislodge renowned names like Koffi Olomide and Bozi Boziana from their perch but he did not enjoy the same popularity abroad.
He went on to release a number of albums in 1999 but inconsistency and problems with the powers that be in his home country worked to his disadvantage.
Defao sought to kickstart his career in Kenya but his bid was cropped by financial troubles and lack of proper management.
After more than a decade of exile in Kenya, Defao made his big return to his country the DRC on August 4, 2019.
One of his first gestures was to go to the Necropolis to bow to the Graves of Papa Wemba, Tabu Ley, King Kester Emeneya, Madilu System and Pépé Kalle.
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