Jacky Kingue

Jacky Kingue, whose real name is Georges Jacky Eyadi Kingue, was born on 27 September 1987 in Yaoundé. He is the son of the late Robert Kingue and Mouto Ntonè Jacqueline Cécile, and grew up in Douala, within his maternal family. After a somewhat chaotic schooling, due to a lack of financial means, he stopped his studies in the fifth grade, when he was fourteen years old. From this difficult period, he kept the emotional memory of his late paternal uncle, Ngando Nicolas, thanks to whom he and his older sister were able to attend school until they obtained their primary school certificate. When he stopped studying, Georges Jacky Eyadi Kingue took on a series of odd jobs, while his mother struggled to support the family. A teenager's life made up of deprivation and resourcefulness. During these years, Jacky forged a warrior's soul, with his passion for music as his only weapon. And to do as the grown-ups do, despite his family's reticence, he tinkers with his own instruments, which he learns to play on his own. Like his friend, Francis Ngombe Matanda, he was passionate about drums and made his own with old milk cans and rubber from used inner tubes. Both dreamed of becoming professional drummers. 

Finally, in 1999, Jacky gave up the drums to devote himself to singing. He then took his first steps as a singer in one of the cabarets in his neighbourhood in Douala. Despite the lack of a fee, he played there every night after his day's work, under the protection of one of the group's managers, the artist Dany Mouandjo. Only tips served as a salary. But his real apprenticeship came a few months later, during a tour of the band in the south-west of the country. He learned to use his voice as an instrument.

Back in Douala after twelve weeks of touring, Jacky decided to leave the group to become a travelling singer. In 2001, at the request of singer Kaïssa Pakito, he joined the cabaret La Belle époque. He stayed there for a few months, before joining the Brasseries du Cameroun Orchestra. But in parallel to his musical activities, he decided to open a hairdressing salon in order to ensure a fixed income. He had learnt this trade a few years earlier from a friend.

♫ Video Clip: 2001 – Jacky Kingue – Mudengue 6:58

Jacky Kingue & Prince Eyango

One evening in 2001, his singing talents were noticed by Prince Ndédi Eyango, one of the stars of Cameroonian music. The latter decided to produce his first solo album entitled Patou. The album was a success and Jacky Kingue became known to the general public. He received many awards, including the male revelation of the year 2002. Buoyed by this success, he left Cameroon that year to settle in France.In 2004, he released his second album Un pas de plus / One more step and parted company with his producer by mutual agreement. At the time, he wanted to broaden his horizons and fly on his own. But above all, he wanted to go back to school. He learnt about computers, in order to be able to make computer-assisted music. Anxious to improve his musical knowledge, he also attended the conservatory. Through hard work, he became not only a songwriter, but also an arranger.

♫ Video Clip: 2004 – Jacky Kingue – Maléa Ma Nyagwam (Les conseils) 6:14

♫ Video Clip: 2018 – Jacky Kingue – Ndjika Ndolo Ni 3:42

Over the years, he created a small production label (Kiharold Production), wrote songs and produced albums for other artists. In 2010, he released a maxi-single entitled En charge, which unfortunately did not meet with the expected success. Six years later, another maxi-single Open became a great success. In 2020, he scored withe a revived Chérie Coco, a song written a few years earlier. As soon as the single was released in March 2020, it was a huge success. After the aforementioned (maxi) singles, Jacky Kingue presented his new (third) album containing fourteen completely new songs on 14 November 2021 from Hotel St. Christopher's in Paris. 

♫ Video Clip: 2021 – Jacky Kingue – Jenny 4:23

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