The 4th April 2018, TRACE launches TRACE Kitoko, the first TV-channel exclusively devoted to Congolese music and culture.
AN INCREDIBLE MUSICAL PRODUCTION – With more than 100 million residents, the Congolese population (DRC + Congo B + Diasporas) is the largest french-speaking population in the world.
It’s also an incredible musical strength. The congolese musical production is extremely rich, both in Africa and in the Congolese diasporas. In addition to an anthology of groups and male and female singers as Tabu Ley, Wenge Musica, Papa Wemba, Koffi Olomidé, Extra Musica, Zaiko Langa Langa or else Mbilia Bel, several new talents’ generations has emerged with Maître Gims, Passi, Fally Ipupa, Singuila, Dadju, Niska, Youssoupha, Damso, Lino et Calbo d’Arsenik or else Ben J et Héritier Watanabe. Gold or platinum records can’t be counted.
TO FILL THE GAP – However, to this day, there is no TV-media dedicated to this congolese musical wealth and available in Africa and worldwide. By the launch of the TV-channel “Trace Kitoko”, TRACE, the leader media of afro-urban musics, responds to this demand. TRACE Kitoko, a tool for spreading Congolese music in all its diversity (rumba, Ndombolo, Skuba or Congolese Hip-Hop), gives a premium editorial content available in 3 languages (French, Lingala and Swahili) and a programmation of the best video-clips, lives, hits, news and exclusives documentaries about Congolese artists and culture.
Olivier Laouchez, Group Trace CEO, “In a few days, Papa Wemba will be gone for two years. We are proud to pay our tribute to this Congolese and African music legend with the launch of TRACE Kitoko and with the production of an exclusive documentary about Papa Wemba’s life. With TRACE Kitoko, all Congolese stars have now the home they deserve. It’s a very important new step in the strategy of localization of TRACE channels in Africa and in the world. It’s also a further proof of the proximity of TRACE with its audiences and with African artists and with Canal + International which has always accompanied us in our international development.”
DIFFUSION – TRACE Kitoko is available from now in Democratic Republic of Congo, in Congo Brazzaville and in all french-speaking sub-Saharan Africa in CANAL + BOUQUETS from the EVASION formula on channel 131.
Before the end of April, TRACE Kitoko will also be available worldwide on the TRACE Play streaming service (www.traceplay.tv).
ABOUT TRACE – Launched in 2003 by Olivier Laouchez, TRACE is a multimedia group specialized in afro-urbans musics and entertainment. TRACE is present in more than 160 countries with leading positions in Africa, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and in France.
ABOUT CANAL + INTERNATIONAL IN AFRICA – CANAL+ has been present on the continent for over 25 years and currently covers more than 25 countries through 13 subsidiaries and more than 50 partners and distributors. With its LES BOUQUETS CANAL+ offer (over 200 channels, radios and services), the group is the leading satellite pay-TV operator in French-speaking Africa and has more than three million subscribers.
CANAL+ publishes 12 premium channels for the continent (CANAL+ entertainment channels by region, 4 CANAL+ SPORT channels, as well as cinema, series and family channels). The group also produces programmes dedicated to its subscribers on the continent (+D’AFRIQUE, RÉUSSITE, TALENTS D’AFRIQUE…) and launched in 2015 A+, a 100% African channel, and A+ SPORT, the new sports channel in Africa, in July 2017.
Through its subsidiary named THEMA, CANAL+ gives its subscribers access to NOLLYWOOD TV, NOLLYWOOD TV EPIC and NOVELAS TV. The DTT offer is deployed under the EASY TV brand. CANAL+ is the majority shareholder of IROKO+, a SVOD service unique in French-speaking Africa.