Jungeli

Joel Ungeli Shinga (born 6 October 2008), known professionally as Jungeli, is a Congolese singer, songwriter and television personality. Raised in Sevran, he began his recording career in mid-2023 and later introduced his debut single, "À moi" on 12 July of that year, which went relatively unnoticed.

Ungeli received widespread mainstream recognition following the release of his second single, "Petit Génie" (featuring Imen Es, Alonzo, Abou Debeing, and Lossa), which debuted on 4 August 2023 and achieved commercial success in France, topping SNEP's Top Singles chart for 18 non-consecutive weeks. It became the fastest song of the year in France to achieve platinum certification and earned the Best African or African-inspired Music award at Les Flammes, as well as a nomination for Best New International Artist at the BET Awards. The song later appeared on his 2024 debut studio album, En attendant pour le peuple, which was certified gold by SNEP.

Early years Jungeli was born Joel Ungeli Shinga on 6 October 2008, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and moved to France at the age of nine. He was raised in Sevran, a commune located in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, part of the northeastern suburbs of Paris in Île-de-France. In an interview with the French weekly television magazine Télé-Loisirs, Jungeli revealed that he is currently a high school freshman working toward his Baccalauréat while balancing his studies with his music career. The song was officially released on multiple music platforms on 12 July, and its accompanying music video on YouTube accumulated over 620,000 views.

Jungeli commenced work on his second single "Petit Génie" shortly after "À moi" debut. Excerpts of the single were prematurely leaked and extensively shared on TikTok, leading to a surge in popularity even before its official release on 4 August 2023. In an interview with Ivorian Life TV on the WAM show, hosted by Willy Dumbo, he revealed that "Petit Génie" was meant to "make people happy", and did not anticipate its overwhelming success. Produced by Next Génération, 2054 Records, and Fulgu Prod, labels he had just signed with, "Petit Génie" was composed by DJ Wiils, with the music video directed by Bastos and produced by Mania Film, featuring guest appearances from Imen Es, Alonzo, Abou Debeing, and Lossa. Alonzo's rap verse makes a nod to the legendary Pépé Kallé. The following month, he made an appearance on Big Ben's track "C'est qui?" and released the single "Rashel" in collaboration with Moroccan-Belgian singer Dystinct.

2024–present: Collaborations and En attendant pour le peuple On 19 January 2024, Jungeli made another appearance on Emma'a's single "Biso Mibale", preceding the release of his singles "Bijou" and "Yebisa Bango" on 23 January 2024. "Yebisa Bango", produced by Gabriel and Zafy, explored the theme of love, a motif that is also central to "Bijou", which was composed by YAM and Unleaded.

On 2 February 2024, Jungeli teamed up with Vegedream, Alonzo, and Zaho for the platinum-certified hit "T'étais où?", which was produced by DJ Wiils, directed by Styck, and co-produced under Daylight Productions and Ma Nia Film. On 22 March, Jungeli appeared on fellow Congolese-French singer Singuila's song "Tricheur" On 7 June, he made a guest appearance on Youka's single "Allo", On 1 November 2024, he made a guest appearance on Imagine Dragons' third remix of "Take Me to the Beach" off their album Loom. The standout track, "Évidemment", featuring Dadju, quickly rose on YouTube trends.

On 4 April 2025, he teamed up with French singer Lenie for the single "À tes côtés", which gained over 300,000 views on YouTube within a day, topped the platform's trending list, and quickly entered the SNEP Top Singles chart, peaking at No. 44. On 16 August, he appeared on Fort Boyard with Élodie Gossuin's team to support UNICEF. On 5 October, at just 16 years old, Jungeli became the second youngest artist ever to perform at the Olympia, following Priscilla Betti, who was 13 in 2003, and ahead of Elsa Lunghini, who was 17 in 1990.

Television career On 14 February 2025, Jungeli joined Danse avec les stars for its 14th season on TF1, hosted by Camille Combal. Partnered with professional dancer Inès Vandamme, he competed until the semi-finals, where they were eliminated on 19 April.

Discography

Studio album TitleDetailsPeak chart positionCertificationsFRA WALFLASUIEn attendant pour le peuple Single, Released: 12 July 2023 Label: Next Génération, 2054 Records, and Fulgu Prod32 –––FR: Gold (SNEP) "Dans la vie"–––"T'en fais pas"–––

Awards and nominations