Saurimo - The musician Rei da Costa, co-founder of the musical group Sassa Tchokwe Internacional, died from an illness this Sunday in Saurimo, eastern Lunda Sul Province.
According to a family source, the artist, who had been suffering from diabetes since 1992, died in hospital.
After splitting from the group in 1999, he recorded a dozen albums, including "Chance Jami" in 2020 and "Khosso Lia Buaza" in 2021.
Ilunga Mabanza da Costa was born in the municipality of Cuilo, north-eastern Lunda Norte Province on 2 December 1956. He began his musical career at the age of nine in a Protestant church choir.
He learnt to sing and play instruments in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where he had taken refuge with his family.
With the group Sassa Tchokwe, the musician produced the works "Lunda A Sokoloke", "Garimpeiro", "Soni Mandvunbu", "Txisela", "Sinergia", "Muno Ukalu Kuyuka", "Celestino Kahona", "David Txifumani", "Kufua Txa Muat Yav" and "Palancas Negras", the last one dedicated to the national senior men's football team.
JW/SC/VM/MRA/jmc
