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Jungeli
Congolese-French musician (born 2008) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Joel Ungeli (born 6 October 2008),[1] known professionally as Jungeli, is a Congolese-French singer, songwriter and television personality. Raised in Sevran, he began his recording career in mid-2023 and later introduced his debut single, "À moi" on 12 July of that year, which went relatively unnoticed.[2][3]
Ungeli received widespread mainstream recognition following the release of his second single, "Petit Génie" (featuring Imen Es, Alonzo, Abou Debeing, and Lossa), which debuted on 4 August 2023 and achieved commercial success in France, topping SNEP's Top Singles chart for 18 non-consecutive weeks.[4][5] It became the fastest song of the year in France to achieve triple diamond certification[6][7] and earned the Best African or African-inspired Music award at Les Flammes,[8][9] as well as a nomination for Best New International Artist at the BET Awards.[10][11][12] The song later appeared on his 2024 debut studio album, En attendant pour le peuple.[13][14]
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Early years
Jungeli was born Joel Ungeli on 6 October 2008, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and moved to France at the age of nine.[15][1][16] He was raised in Sevran, a commune located in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, part of the northeastern suburbs of Paris in Île-de-France.[14][16] During his childhood, he listened to music from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and considers Fally Ipupa one of his influences.[17] In an interview with the French weekly television magazine Télé-Loisirs, Jungeli revealed that he is currently a high school freshman working toward his Baccalauréat while balancing his studies with his music career.[1]
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Career
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Mid to late 2023: "À moi", breakthrough with "Petit Génie" and standalone releases
In the early summer of 2023, Jungeli introduced his debut single, "À moi", through social media platforms, though it initially garnered limited attention.[18] The song was officially released on multiple music platforms on 12 July, and its accompanying music video on YouTube accumulated over 620,000 views.[19]
Jungeli commenced work on his second single "Petit Génie" shortly after "À moi" debut. Excerpts of the single were prematurely leaked and extensively shared on TikTok, leading to a surge in popularity even before its official release on 4 August 2023.[20][21][22] In an interview with the Ivorian Life TV on the WAM show, hosted by Willy Dumbo, he revealed that "Petit Génie" was meant to "make people happy", and did not anticipate its overwhelming success.[23] The song was composed by DJ Wiils, with the music video directed by Bastos and produced by Mania Film, featuring guest appearances from Imen Es, Alonzo, Abou Debeing, and Lossa.[21][24] Jungeli's refrain "Mwana natikaka moke sima ekoli oya oye" pays tribute to the famed Congolese atalaku Brigade Sabarti, who popularized this phrase in their 2009 smash hit "Techno Malewa Automatique" by Werrason and Wenge Musica Maison Mère.[25] Alonzo's rap verse makes a nod to the legendary Pépé Kallé.[25] "Petit Génie" quickly attained commercial success in France, dominating the SNEP Top Singles chart for 18 non-consecutive weeks[26][5] and surpassing the previous record set by Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You", which held the top spot for 15 non-consecutive weeks.[19] The song broke records as the fastest to reach triple diamond in France that year.[6][7] It also won the Best African or African-inspired Music award at Les Flammes[8][9] and earned Jungeli a nomination for Best New International Artist at the BET Awards.[10][11][12]
On 24 November 2023, Jungeli was featured as a guest artist on Emma'a's single "Katana", from her self-titled album.[27][28] The following month, he made an appearance on Big Ben's track "C'est qui?"[29] and released the single "Rashel" in collaboration with Moroccan-Belgian singer Dystinct.[30][31]
2024–present: Collaborations and En attendant pour le peuple
On 19 January 2024, Jungeli made another appearance on Emma'a's single "Biso Mibale",[32] preceding the release of his singles "Bijou" and "Yebisa Bango" on 23 January 2024. "Yebisa Bango", produced by Gabriel and Zafy, explored the theme of love, a motif that is also central to "Bijou", which was composed by YAM and Unleaded.[33][34]
On 2 February 2024, Jungeli teamed up with Vegedream, Alonzo, and Zaho for the platinum-certified hit "T'étais où?", which was produced by DJ Wiils, directed by Styck, and co-produced under Daylight Productions and Ma Nia Film.[35][36][37] On 22 March, Jungeli appeared on fellow Congolese-French singer Singuila's song "Tricheur"[10] before featuring on Bolémvn's "On y va" from his four-track Extended Play (EP), Canada Goose.[38] On 7 June, he made a guest appearance on Youka's single "Allo",[12] followed by a showing on the final day of the Somarôho Festival at Ambodivoanio Stadium in Andoany, Nosy-Be, on 11 August.[39][40][41] On 1 November 2024, he made a guest appearance on Imagine Dragons' third remix of "Take Me to the Beach" off their album Loom.[7]
Jungeli released his debut studio album En attendant pour le peuple on 8 November 2024 under the labels Next Génération, Fulgu Prod, and 2054 Records.[13][14] The two-disc album features 15 tracks on the first disc and six previously released hits on the second, including "Petit Génie", "Rashel", "Briller", "Bijou", "Yebisa Bango", and "T'étais où?".[13][14] He shared with CNews that the album aims to appeal to "both younger and older generations"[13] with the art cover depicting his student life by showing him sitting on a school desk, holding a microphone, and surrounded by scattered classroom supplies.[42] The standout track, "Évidemment", featuring Dadju, quickly rose on YouTube trends.[42] Later that month, on 22 November, he opened for Fally Ipupa at the Zénith de Lille.[43]
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Television career
On 14 February 2025, Jungeli joined Danse avec les stars for its 14th season on TF1, hosted by Camille Combal.[44][45]
Discography
Singles
Albums
- En attendant pour le peuple (2024)
Awards and nominations
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References
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