Kapinga Gysel

Kapinga Gysel (1975, Kananga, Zaire) has been singing since birth, we are told. Not much after she traded Kinshasa for home town Ghent as a teenager, she brought in the African warmth with sisters Eva and Leonie in the band 'The Congee'. It was the start of a musical odyssey that continues to this day, bringing her on and past all known stages, venues and festival grounds in Belgium, the Netherlands and France.

Much of it alongside Stef Kamil Carlens and his Zita Swoon Group, with whom she made and performed musical dance/theatre productions in addition to live and studio records. Meanwhile, she provided backing vocals for Sioen, Roland, Arno, Miossec, dEUS, Lieven Tavernier, David Bové, Neeka, Matt Watts and other fine musicians.

With her non-profit organisation 'Mais Quelle Chanson' - which she founded in 2015 - she creates and supervises social-artistic workshops and participatory musical trajectories, on her own or in collaboration with Radio Crochet, Opera Vlaanderen, Het Klein Verhaal or Symfonie Orkest Vlaanderen, among others.

For her work with vulnerable young people in the various districts of Ledeberg and Nieuw-Gent, Kapinga was named Youth Ambassador of Ghent, child- and youth-friendly city, by the city council.