soukous

American  

[soo-koos] / ˈsuˈkus /

noun

1. a style of central African popular dance music with electric guitars, Caribbean rhythms, and often several vocalists.

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soukous British  

/ ˈsuːkʊs /

noun

1. a style of African popular music that originated in Zaïre (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), characterized by syncopated rhythms and intricate contrasting guitar melodies

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Etymology

Origin of soukous

1980–85; said to be < Lingala < French secouer to shake

Example Sentences

The traditional soukous dance music out of Congo and other parts of Central Africa.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 2, 2024

The 65-year-old is a huge star of rumba and soukous music which are popular across much of Africa.

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2021

Two Congolese bands that would define decades of soukous to follow, Tabu Ley Rochereau & Afrisa, and Franco and T.P.O.K.

From New York Times • May 26, 2017

The 2012 compilation set Real World At Womad starts with Bakwetu, a reminder of Papa Wemba’s glorious, easy-going voice and his mastery of the slinky, hip-swinging rhythms of soukous , takenfrom his 1998 album Molokai.

From The Guardian • Apr. 24, 2016

She got up and began dancing to the soukous music that was playing as she left us.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah