About Pepe Kalle

Pepe Kalle (November 30, 1951 – November 28, 1998) was a soukous singer, musician and bandleader from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Pepe Kalle was born Kabasele Yampanya in Kinshasa (then Léopoldville), but later assumed the name of his mentor, Grand Kalle. With a multi-octave vocal range and a dynamic stage presence, the 190 cm (6 feet 3 inches) and 136 kg (300 pound) vocalist recorded more than three hundred songs and twenty albums during his two decade-long career.