A typical Papa Wemba track—a tight concoction of bright, chant-sung harmonies, glistening lead guitar, and rat-a-tat drums—sounds like a party well underway. The Congolese soukous star (born Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba in 1949) is a charismatic and stylish presence who hovers near the top of the Afropop pantheon. He formed his best-known band, Viva la Musica, in 1977, and it became a revolving-door entryway for many of Congo-Kinshasa's finer young talents. Wemba also led the Sapeur movement, which inspired its followers to dress as sharp as his music sounds.