Congolese musician Fally Ipupa has made his acting debut in the film Rumba Royale. Speaking at AfroBerlin, an event held during the Berlin Film Festival for African filmmaking, the artist discussed his role as Danel, a photographer, in the film, which explores Democratic Republic of Congo’s independence from Belgium in 1960.
“You can’t have a career like mine if you don’t put in the work, talent alone is not enough,” Ipupa said. “That’s why even before the shoot, in the rehearsals, I was putting in the time.”
The artist was speaking to Deadline. He told the publication that finding time proved to be a challenge for the music star during filming, as he was touring. “I’m a very busy man,” Ipupa explained, “the most complicated thing was to fix my schedule because I was on tour when we shot the movie.”
Despite his busy schedule, Ipupa was committed to the project, impressing director Hamed Mobasser. “It’s a little bit intimidating, even as a director, to work with a big star and to show up on the first day, and we’re there at seven o’clock in the morning waiting for the crew, and Fally is the first person to show up. He is sitting there waiting for the makeup artist,” Mobasser recalled, adding that Ipupa was the hardest working actor he has ever seen.
Rumba Royale, is co-directed by Mobasser and Yohane Dean Lengol. According to another Deadline report from last year, the film’s plot follows the lives of four characters: Daniel, a photographer played by Ipupa; Olive, a waitress portrayed by Melanie Bokata; Sese, played by Patrick Kabundi; and Amandine, played by Cécile Djunga, in their struggle for the Democratic Republic of Congo’s independence.
When Ipupa was asked if he would consider acting again, Mobasser translated Ipupa’s response from French to English, revealing that the music star had enjoyed his acting debut and was open to future projects. “He (Ipupa) really had fun, he enjoyed it, and obviously didn’t do it for the money. Of course, if there’s another project that would come along, he would have to do it,” Mobasser said.
Born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ipupa began his music career in the late 1990s. He has won different awards, including the MTV Africa Music Awards for Best Francophone Artist in 2010, the TRACE Urban Music Awards for Best African Artist in 2013, and the Mundi Music Awards for Best International Artist in 2024. Additionally, Ipupa has received four BET Awards nominations for Best International Act.
His discography also includes albums such as “Formule 7”, “Tokoos”, “Control”, “Power Kosa Leka”, “Droit Chemin”, and “Arsenal de Belles Melodies”.
