About Dolus

It all started with a self-made guitar

Dolus was born....

in April 1976 in Boende, deep in the Congolese rainforest, and grew up in Kinshasa. With a father in the army, the family moved often, and Dolus picked up several languages along the way – Tshiluba, Swahili, Lingala, French, and English.

Music wasn’t part of his early life, except for his mother’s singing. But at age 9, a spark ignited – not for singing yet, but for playing instruments. With no encouragement (and no guitar), he built one himself from wood and strings. His mother, determined to keep him focused on school, would find and destroy it, forcing him to rebuild again and again.

In 2002, Dolus moved to South Africa, where he met world-class musicians and joined the Afro Fiesta band. He performed regularly in Cape Town and Stellenbosch, both solo and with the Dolus Trio.

By 16, Dolus had proved he could balance school and music. His parents gave their blessing, and soon he discovered the bass. He played in church, supported by his Christian family, and immersed himself in Gospel music. He made his first public appearances with his choir group ‘Shaloom’. Dolus always shared his expertise and knowledge with other musicians and singers. During this time, he played in large stadiums in Congo and was highly sought after and appreciated by all his colleagues.

Influences from South Africa

In 2002, the war in Congo took Dolus to Cape Town, South Africa.

There he was exposed for the first time to World Music, Reggae and Singer/Songwriting. Miriam Makeba, Lucky Dube, Lokua Kanza and Richard Bona lit a new passion in him and set his gospel artistry ablaze.

Dolus met world-class musicians and joined the Afro Fiesta band. He performed regularly in Cape Town and Stellenbosch, both solo and with the Dolus Trio. More collaborations emerged and Dolus worked with musicians such as Freshly Ground and Sylvetre Kabassidi.

Album Release in Germany

In 2010 Dolus moved to Leipzig, Germany with his family. Having worked on many different songs during his time in South Africa, he released his first solo album "Long Journey" in 2014. The album features incredibly warm and lively music spanning world, Afro-pop, urban folk, blues and soul.

Although the 13 original compositions are the singer's first solo releases, they were brought to perfection in the studio by many guests playing instruments such as saxophone, violin, djembe, piano and, above all, background vocals.

His self-composed and written songs are in English, French, Lingala and Swahili. His repertoire varies from feel good tunes to thrill of joy tracks. With rusty vocals, yet optimistic energy – Dolus takes his listeners on a journey through the Congo and around the world.

Sharing World-Music with Germany and Europe

Dolus has been working with differen musicians in Germany and Europe and continues to grow as a musician. Together with his band "Bena Kwetu" he plays at concerts, music festivals, jam sessions, public events, corporate events to bring to joy to peoples hearts and eyes.

Professional Experience

Bands & Groups

Over the years, Dolus Mutombo played in several bands besides being a solo artist. Check out the overview.

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References

Among others, Dolus played shows at the follwowing events: