Soul Bang's, whose real name is Souleymane Bangoura, is a Guinean musical phenomenon that revolutionized the art scene in his native country and beyond. Born in 1992 in Conakry, this talented singer brilliantly merged the RnB with the traditional Guinean rhythms, giving birth to a unique style called "Afro RNB". Through his powerful voice, acclaimed albums such as "Dimedi", "Evolution" and "Yelenna", as well as his legendary stage performances, Soul Bang's has risen to rank among the most influential and wealthy artists in Guinea.
A cultural ambassador of his country, he has transcended borders, winning many prestigious awards while promoting Guinea’s emerging talents through his generous collaborations. Married to Manamba Kanté, daughter of the legendary Mory Kante, Soul Bang's perpetuates the musical heritage of Guinea with authenticity and creativity.
Introduction
Soul Bang's, whose real name is Souleymane Bangoura, is a Guinean musical phenomenon that has conquered hearts across Africa and beyond. With his powerful voice and unique style merging the RnB with traditional Guinean rhythms, he inspired the music scene of his native country with new life. Since his humble beginnings as a young singer in school cultural competitions, Soul Bang's has climbed the ladder to become one of Guinea's most acclaimed and influential artists.
Enfance et Éducation
Born on October 5, 1992, in Conakry, Guinea's capital, Soul Bang's was immersed in music from an early age. Although his family was not musical, his attraction for singing was undeniable. At the age of eleven, he participated in cultural competitions at the school, allowing his new talent to prevail.
Despite initial opposition from his family about his desire to pursue a career in music, Soul Bang's remained determined. In 2008, during the school holidays, he took the opportunity to travel to Senegal to get immersed in the Dakar music scene. This four-month experience proved decisive, bringing him back with the recording of his first song, "Amassen", a sublanguage replay of Chris Brown's hit "With You".
In addition to his passion for music, Soul Bang's continued his postgraduate studies at the Higher Institute of Information and Communication (ISIC), where he received a degree in information and communication sciences.
Début de Carrière
It was from elementary school that Soul Bang's began to express his love for music, notably by imitating his favorite artists such as Craig David and R. Kelly. At the age of 11, he joined a local rap band called Micro Mega, with which he participated in his first cultural competitions, events that rhythm and structure the musical activity in Guinea.
In 2007, Soul Bang's decided to leave Micro Mega's collective adventure to pursue a more personal path. Although his family strongly disapproved of his choice to devote himself to music, he took advantage of the school vacation in 2008 to go to Senegal to take the musical pulse of Dakar. He stayed there for four months, a period that proved crucial to his artistic development, since he returned with the recording of his first song.
After being introduced to Kemo Kouyaté, a Guinean multi-instrumentalist, and supported by Abdoulaye Diabaté, another musician with whom he continued his guitar learning, Soul Bang's began to become known with the title "Amassen", a replay of American singer Chris Brown's song "With You" in the Soussou language.
A student at the Institute of Information and Communication (ISIC) in 2011, he released his first album, "Dimedi", which allowed him to win two K7 gold trophies. (Meilleur Album et Meilleure Voix Soul). The following year, he started a mixtape project, which was transformed into an album, titled "Evolution".
Succès
Soul Bang's glowing rise to fame was truly meteoric. In 2014, he participated in the collective song "Break the Silence" in Nigeria, an initiative to support young girls abducted by the Boko Haram group. The following year, he joined the concert "Ebola: All Together to Victory" in Conakry, alongside artists such as Wizkid, Kiff No Beat and Sia Tolno, to raise awareness of the fight against the Ebola epidemic.
In 2015, Soul Bang's won the "Impulse It" contest in France, a competition to promote the emerging talents of African-Caribbean culture. A year later, in 2016, he won the prestigious RFI Discovered Awards, rewarding the most promising African artists.
Over the years, Soul Bang's has accumulated successes and recognitions. In 2017, he was named Best Male Artist at the Guinea Music Awards. The following year, he was nominated for the All Africa Music Awards, an additional recognition of his talent.
His legendary stage performances have attracted fans from all over the West African region, and Soul Bang's has had the honour to perform on some of the continent's biggest stages, such as the Felabration Festival in Nigeria and the Anoumabo Urban Music Festival in Côte d'Ivoire.
In 2019, Soul Bang's entered a new stage with the release of their first international album, "Yelenna". A grand concert was organized in Conakry to celebrate the event, during which he shared the stage with his wife, Manamba Kanté, daughter of the Guinean legend Mory Kanté.
Today, Soul Bang's is considered one of the ten richest artists in Guinea, a remarkable achievement for anyone who started singing in school competitions.
Genre de Musique
One of Soul Bang's major contributions to the Guinean music scene is his ability to create new genres by skillfully merging different styles. Known as the "RnB Boss", he is credited to have combined RnB with popular traditional Guinean rhythms, giving rise to a unique sound called "Afro RNB".
This bold merger not only attracted the local audience, but also found an international echo, drawing attention to Guinea's musical wealth. The influence of Soul Bang's has encouraged other Guinean artists to experiment and diversify their sound, thus contributing to the emergence of a more dynamic and varied musical scene in the country.
Impact de sa musique
The influence of Soul Bang's on the Guinea music scene is undeniable. His unique contribution, skillfully merging traditional rhythms with contemporary influences, inspired the local music industry with new vitality.
Through its outstanding success, Soul Bang's has helped put Guinea on the world music map, attracting the attention of international audiences and industry professionals. His music has transcended borders, becoming a true cultural ambassador for his native country.
Beyond its own achievements, Soul Bang's is committed to promoting and supporting the emerging talent of Guinea. By offering collaborative opportunities and sharing his platform, he has fostered a sense of community and mutual support within the Guinean music industry.
Discographie
Albums
During his prolific career, Soul Bang's released five critically acclaimed studio albums:
- Dimedi (2011) - This 12-track opus marked the artist's promising debut and earned him two K7 d'Or trophies.
- Évolution 1 (2012) - Initially conceived as a mixtape, this 15-track project was elevated to the status of a full album, testifying to Soul Bang's growing maturity.
- Cosmopolite (2017) - With 10 songs, this album consolidated Soul Bang's reputation as an essential creative force on the Guinean scene.
- Yelenna (2019) - His first international album, consisting of 13 tracks exploring themes like love, unity and social justice. A large concert was organized in Conakry to celebrate its release.
- Évolution 2 (2022) - Fifteen songs that demonstrate Soul Bang's constant evolution as an artist, while paying homage to his musical roots.
Each of these albums contributed to the remarkable success of Soul Bang's, allowing him to establish himself as an indispensable figure in contemporary Guinean music.
Singles
In addition to his albums, Soul Bang's also released numerous successful singles that strengthened its popularity with the public. Among his most emblematic songs are "If We Love Each Other", "Happy Birthday" and "Allah Niché".
These singles resonated with audiences both in Guinea and the rest of Africa and beyond, consolidating Soul Bang's reputation as an ambassador of Guinean music on the international stage.
Collaborations
Soul Bang's is requested by other artists for featurings: Yoriken of Methodik, Takana Zion, Mamdi of Silatigui, Phaduba of MAS and Makovi of Raisonable Djelly (Guinea), but also Disiz la Peste (France/Senegal), Medal King (Sierra Leone), the crew La Section (Gabon), and many others.
Tournées
The singer participates in Femua12 in Côte d'Ivoire and performs an African tour that goes through about ten countries (Mali, Senegal, Rwanda, Benin, Ghana, Chad...).
Prix et Reconnaissances
Le talent exceptionnel de Soul Bang's n'est pas passé inaperçu, comme en témoignent les nombreux prix et reconnaissances qu'il a reçus au fil des ans :
- 2011 : Best album and Best voice of the soul at the K7 d'Or in Guinea for "Dimedi".
- 2015 : Winner of the “Impulse It” competition in France.
- 2016 : Winner of the prestigious RFI Discovery Prize, rewarding emerging talents in African music.
- 2017 : Nominated in two categories at the Guinea Music Awards.
- 2018 and 2019 : All Africa Music Awards nominations.
- 2019 : Best album of the year for “Yelenna” and Best male artist of the year at the Victoires du Monde de la Guinée (VDMG).
- 2020 : Best French-speaking artist of the year at the African Entertainment Awards.
- 2021 : Best song of the year for “Loubé” (duet with Manamba Kanté) at the VDMG.
These prestigious awards testify to Soul Bang's lasting impact on the Guinean and African music scene, as well as his invaluable contribution to the promotion of his country's culture internationally.
Vie Privée
The love story between Soul Bang's and Manamba Kanté, daughter of legendary Guinean singer Mory Kanté has caught the attention of the public. The two artists met in 2018 at a musical event in Conakry and quickly established a deep relationship.
In 2019, Soul Bang's and Manamba Kanté celebrated their union in a grand traditional ceremony in Conakry, in the presence of their families and numerous personalities from the music world. The event was widely covered by the Guinea and African media, testifying to the couple's popularity.
Since their marriage, Soul Bang's and Manamba Kanté have welcomed their first child, a daughter named Mory, in tribute to Manamba's father. The couple shared their time between Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire, where they pursued their respective careers while preserving their family life.
Soul Bang's produced the first album by Manamba Kanté, released in April 2019, testifying to their mutual support in their artistic journey. Together, they embody a powerful and talented couple, perpetuating the musical heritage of Guinea.
Conclusion
The journey of Soul Bang's is truly inspiring. Starting from modest beginnings as a young singer in school competitions, he climbed the ladder to become one of Guinea's most acclaimed and influential artists.
Through his innate talent, hard work and unshakable determination, Soul Bang's managed to create a unique sound, skillfully merging RnB with traditional Guinean rhythms. This bold merger not only attracted the local audience, but also found an international echo, drawing attention to Guinea's musical wealth.
His successful albums, legendary stage performances and numerous awards and awards testify to the lasting impact of Soul Bang's on the Guinea and African music scene.
