International Disruptors: Congolese Rumba Star Fally Ipupa & Writer-Director Hamed Mobasser Talk Importance Of Portraying Congo “In A New Light” For ‘Rumba Royale’

Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key executives and companies shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week, we’re talking to famed French-Congolese musician and dancer Fally Ipupa, affectionately known as the “Prince of Rumba,” and Belgian-Iranian writer-director Hamed Mobasser. The pair are behind upcoming Congolese feature Rumba Royale, a film that is set pre-Congo’s independence from Belgium in 1960. Described as a historical thriller set against the backdrop of Congolese Rumba, the film marks Ipupa’s first acting role. He and Mobasser tell Deadline why the project is a love letter to Congo’s cultural heritage.

Congolese rumba is largely considered one of the most influential genres of African music and dance. It is deep-rooted in Congo’s anti-colonial fight of the 20th century, when the country was under Belgium’s rule until it achieved independence from the European nation in...