Pépé Kallé

Pepe Kalle (born: Kabasele Yampanya) was musically and physically huge. Blessed with a multi-octave vocal range and a dynamic stage presence, the six foot three inch, three hundred pound, vocalist recorded more than three hundred songs and twenty albums during his two decade-long career. Known affectionately as "the elephant of African music" and "La Bombe Atomique", Kalle thrilled audiences with his robust performances. Learning to sing in a church choir, Kalle was mentored by Joseph Kabasele, "Le Grand Kalle", in whose home he lived and worked in exchange for music and voc...