About Mose Se Sengo
Lived 1945 – 2019 (aged 73). Mose Se Sengo was a Congolese musician, band leader, composer and guitarist.
Mose Se Sengo ("Fan Fan") (16 October 1945 – 3 May 2019) was a guitarist, composer and band-leader from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was one of the pioneers of Congolese Soukous.
Background Mose Se Sengo, was born in present-day Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on 16 October 1945. He began to play the guitar at boarding school in Kinanga. He later joined the band Lovy du Zaire, formed in 1971 or 1972 by Victor "Vicky" Longomba, who was previously a co-founder of OK Jazz and afterward a member of African Jazz. Other later-famous musicians in Lovy du Zaire included Bumba Massa, Youlou Mabiala and Syran Mbenza. According to one source, however, he "could not tolerate the leader's hypocrisy and soon quit."
In 1974, he traveled from Zaire to East Africa, first settling in Tanzania for several years.
Death On 3 May 2019, Mose Se Sengo was on a routine recording tour in Nairobi, Kenya, when he collapsed and died following a suspected heart attack. Fan Fan, who was staying at an apartment on Thika Superhighway, was taken to a Kasarani Hospital within Nairobi, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The musician's producer, Tabu Osusa, said Fan Fan was in the city recording a new song with vocalists based in Nairobi including Paddy Makani and Disco Longwa. Mose Fan Fan, whose residence was in London, loved Nairobi and had been visiting Kenya consistently since 2016. Plans are underway, as of 11 May 2019, to repatriate his remains to the United Kingdom for final interment.
Discography Albums 1975: Dje Melasi with TPOK Jazz 1994: Belle Epoque 1995 Hello Hello 1999: Congo Acoustic 2005: Bayekeleye 2011: Musicatelama
Contributing artist 2000: Unwired: Africa (World Music Network)
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Important facts
People in Mose Se Sengo's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Mose Se Sengo's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Mose Se Sengo?
Congolese soukous musician
When was Mose Se Sengo born?
Mose Se Sengo was born on 16 October 1945 in Belgian Congo.
When did Mose Se Sengo die?
Mose Se Sengo died on 3 May 2019 in Nairobi.
What was Mose Se Sengo's occupation?
Mose Se Sengo was a musician, band leader, composer and guitarist.
What nationality was Mose Se Sengo?
Mose Se Sengo was Congolese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Mose Se Sengo. https://biography.guide/mose-se-sengo/
MLA: "Mose Se Sengo." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/mose-se-sengo/.
Chicago: "Mose Se Sengo." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/mose-se-sengo/.
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