Papa Noël

Antoine Nedule Monswet, known professionally as Papa Noël Nedule or simply Papa Noël, was a Congolese rumba guitarist, singer-songwriter, and bandleader. A seminal figure in Congolese and African popular music, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest Congolese solo guitarists. Associated with the "African Jazz School" of Congolese rumba, alongside figures such as Emmanuel Antoine Tshilumba wa Baloji and Nico Kasanda, Papa Noël helped shape the early rhythmic and stylistic foundations of the genre. His guitar style, described by cultural historian Richard M. Shain as evoking "a rippling sound reminiscent of the Congolese thumb piano likembe", contributed to shaping the sound of modern Congolese rumba.