KINSHASA, Congo (AP) – Thousands of Congolese attended the funeral of Papa Wemba, a musician known around the world as the king of Congolese rumba.
More than 15,000 people gathered outside, and 2,000 inside, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Kinshasa, where a service took place before his burial in the eastern outskirts Wednesday. Rain poured down in Kinshasa after the burial – a sign of a blessing in the country.
Bishops, priests, officials, local celebrities and family members, including his widow and children, gathered in the cathedral near his coffin covered in a Congolese flag.
The 66-year-old musician, whose real name was Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba, died April 24 following a collapse on stage during a concert in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. His life has been celebrated with performances, ceremonies and parades since Monday.