Syran M'Benza

Syran M'Benza, born Mingiedi M'Benza on May 31, 1950, in Léopoldville (now Kinshasa), is one of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's most renowned guitarists, whose career has spanned over five decades. He taught himself the guitar around age eleven, heavily influenced by the style of Franco Luambo, and also learned from the legendary "Docteur Nico." M'Benza honed his skills in a variety of local bands throughout the 1970s, including La Banita, Dynamic Jazz, and Vicky Longomba's Lovy du Zaire, before deciding to become a professional musician. His search for musical adventure led him to West Africa, where he recorded his first solo album, Kouame, in 1980, while playing with his cousin Sam Mangwana's influential African All Stars.

Around 1981, M'Benza relocated to Paris, which became his base for prolifically recording and touring the world. His status as a highly sought-after session musician allowed him to shape countless albums for other artists, but he is best known as a key member of two significant groups. In 1982, he co-founded the immensely popular soukous "supergroup" Les Quatre Étoiles (The Four Stars) with Nyboma, Wuta Mayi, and Bopol Mansiamina, becoming one of the genre's leading exponents. Later, in 2000, M'Benza co-founded the acoustic rumba revival band Kékélé as a conscious return to the slower, more melodic styles of the 1950s and 60s, a project he undertook with other veteran musicians to combat what he saw as the decadence of 1990s Congolese music. M'Benza's guitar playing is characterized by fast, sparkling runs that circle a theme, establishing him as one of Africa's finest and most influential guitarists.