Soukous (from
French secouer, "to shake") is a popular genre of dance music from the
Congo Basin. It derived from
Congolese rumba in the 1960s and gained popularity in the 1980s in France. Although often used by journalists as a synonym for Congolese rumba, both the music and dance associated with soukous differ from more traditional rumba, especially in its higher tempo, longer dance sequences. Notable performers of the genre include
African Fiesta,
Papa Wemba and
Pépé Kallé.