Antoine Wendo Kolosoy (25 April 1925 to 28 July 2008), affectionately known as Papa Wendo or Wendo Sor, was the foundational singer-songwriter, guitarist, and bandleader universally revered as the Father of Congolese Rumba. Born in Mushie Territory and raised partly in a missionary orphanage after losing his parents at a young age, he spent his youth working as a boxer and an OTRACO riverboat mechanic, composing songs on deck inspired by the vocal traditions of riverside communities along the Congo River. In 1943, he transitioned to band leadership by forming Victoria Kin, and in 1948 achieved widespread stardom with "Marie-Louise" (co-written with guitarist Henri Bowane). The song became a massive pan-African hit and popularized the sebene (rhythmic instrumental break), though its overwhelming popularity and overnight cultural impact caused such an uproar among conservative colonial and religious authorities that Wendo was briefly arrested and exiled to Stanleyville. Following the 1961 assassination of his friend Patrice Lumumba, Wendo withdrew from the music scene for decades to protect his artistic integrity from political exploitation. He experienced a remarkable global revival in the late 1990s, fronting the veteran lineup Victoria Bakolo Miziki on European and American tours, proving until his passing that the true soul of Rumba resides in human-led, acoustic storytelling.