Ntesa Dalienst
Daniel Ntesa Zitani (30 October 1946 – 23 September 1996), known professionally as Ntesa Dalienst or Dalienst, was a Congolese singer-songwriter. Known for his high-pitched mezzo-soprano vocal range, he is regarded as a significant figure in the evolution of 20th-century Congolese and African popular music. His hits include "Jarria", "Maria Mboka", "Tokosenga na Nzambe", "Obotama Mobali Ndima Pasi", "Biki", "Muzi", "Bina na ngai na respect", "Tantine" and "Mulele".
Born in Kinsiona, Kongo Central, Ntesa began his career in 1956, at the age of ten, when he formed a youth band called Motema Jazz. After completing his secondary education, he briefly pursued a teaching career at the junior secondary level before committing fully to music in 1966. The following year, he relocated to Kinshasa, where he joined Vox Africa, the orchestra led by Jeannot Bombenga. In 1968, he became a member of Festival des Maquisards before it disbanded a year later. Later in 1969, Ntesa co-founded Les Grands Maquisards with Dizzy Mandjeku, under the patronage of Verckys Kiamuangana Mateta's label, Vévé Éditions. In 1976, he joined Franco Luambo's TPOK Jazz, where he served as bandleader for several years and contributed to some of the band's most breakout hits. Following Franco's death in 1989, Ntesa briefly performed with Les Champions du Zaïre, a collective of TPOK Jazz veterans based in Brussels, having earlier revived Les Grands Maquisards in 1988. In 1994, he co-founded Afri-Jazz, a band that brought together seasoned musicians from Orchestre Afrisa International and TPOK Jazz alongside younger Congolese performers.
Ntesa died in Brussels on 23 September 1996, at the age of 49, following complications from brain surgery for a tumor.
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