Rodriguez Vangama
Guitarist and bassist, arranger and producer; co-songwriter, musical director and conductor
Biographie
Rodriguez Vangama was born in Kinshasa. Guitarist and bassist, he is a musician, arranger and producer by Papa Wemba, Werrason, Jean Goubald, Monik Tenday and Lexxus Legal. He played in jazz band J'AFROZZ and worked with Pierre Vaiana and Baloji, notably for the album "Kinsinki Branche". With Fabrizio Cassol, he is the musical director of "Coup Fatal", created in 2014 and presented in particular at the Festival d'Avignon, and then continues his collaboration with Alain Platel in "Requiem pour L.", of which he co-signs and directs music. He has made a lot of films with Lexxus Legal in Africa and Europe.
With his band Les Salop'arts, he mixes Congolese pop music, jazz and rock. In 2016, he founded the Guez Arena in Kinshasa, to train and produce artists with his label Arena Music. In 2019, he founded in Avignon, with Lydie Toran, the Compagnie Artères. L'AfricaMuseum presents him in residence to prepare his album "Empire Kongo" and on international tour with Ray Lema for the project "Hommage à Franco".
Distinctions and benchmarks
2014: co-composer of "Coup Fatal", a show originally produced by the KVS and ballets C of the B · 2016: foundation of the Guez Arena in Kinshasa · 2019: foundation of the Compagnie Artères in Avignon, with Lydie Toran
On the Poster — Festivals
- 2026 — Festival Afropolitain Nomade — Montreal: On the Post of the 12th Edition, series "Traces et Héritages" — Saturday, May 30, 2026, Le Ministère, Montréal (RDC) — See the festival entry