Georges Kiamuangana Mateta (19 May 1944 – 13 October 2022), known professionally as Verckys, was a Congolese saxophonist, composer, bandleader, producer, record label founder, and music-business executive. He was renowned as a talented and prolific musician, and was the first indigenous African to own a record label, through which he introduced many major Congolese artists to the world.[1][2]
Verckys Kiamuangana Mateta | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Georges Kiamuangana Mateta |
| Born | (1944-05-19)19 May 1944 Kisantu, Belgian Congo |
| Died | 13 October 2022(2022-10-13) (aged 78) Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Genres | Congolese rumba |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, saxophonist, producer |
| Instrument(s) | Saxophone |
| Years active | 1960s–1980s |
| Labels | Editions Vévé International |
Born in Kisantu[3] as Georges Kiamuangana on 19 May 1944,[4] he came from a wealthy family; his father was a businessman in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa). Kiamuangana learned music at church. As a saxophonist, he adopted the name Verckys based on American saxophone player King Curtis, hearing the name "Curtis" as "Verckys."[1]
Verckys was a one-time member of the prolific rhumba band TPOK Jazz, led by François Luambo Makiadi, which dominated the Congolese music scene from the 1950s through the 1980s.[5]
In 1969, Verckys left TPOK Jazz and formed his own band, Orchestre Vévé.[6] Verkys also managed two other bands, which he owned: Orchestre Kiam and Orchestre Lipua Lipua. Among the musicians who played for Verkys in the 1970s are Nyboma Mwandido and Pepe Kalle. During the early 1980s Verckys quit the music scene, to pursue other interests.[7]
In 2015, Sterns Music released in MP3 form much of the output of Verckys's Éditions Vévé record label (the blog post announcing this includes a biography of Verckys).[8]
Verckys had 13 children; four born to Lucie Bola (his legal wife), four others to Christine Ngoy, and two to Stéphanie Feza. He died in Kinshasa on 13 October 2022, at the age of 78.[9]