Awilo Longomba and Ayra Starr met for the first time at the Africa Connect concert in Lusaka, Zambia, in September 2026The veteran Congolese musician had a warm reaction when he finally came face to face with the Nigerian Afrobeats starTheir meeting came three years after Ayra Starr’s hit ‘Sability’ sampled Awilo’s 1998 Soukous classic ‘Coupé Bibamba’PAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!Awilo Longomba finally came face to face with Ayra Starr, and his reaction melted hearts across the internet.The two artists met in person for the first time during the Africa Connect concert weekend in Lusaka, Zambia, in September 2026. Ayra Starr and Awilo Longomba share sweet moment after first meeting. Credit: @ayrastarr, @awilolongomba Source: InstagramWhen the veteran Congolese musician encountered the Nigerian Mavin Records star, he was visibly moved, referring to her warmly as his “daughter” in what quickly became one of the most talked-about moments from the event.How Ayra Starr Brought Awilo’s Classic Back to LifeThe emotional reunion has roots in a musical connection that began in 2023. Ayra Starr’s smash hit “Sability” drew heavily from Awilo Longomba’s 1998 Soukous classic “Coupé Bibamba,” incorporating a prominent sample and interpolation of the legendary track.
PAY ATTENTION: From breaking news to viral moments. Follow Legit.ng on Instagram!The Afrobeats song introduced an entirely new generation of listeners to Awilo’s music, reigniting global interest in the Congolese icon’s catalogue more than two decades after the original was released.That musical bridge made their eventual in-person meeting all the more significant. For Awilo, the moment was clearly personal. The veteran singer’s gesture of calling Ayra Starr his “daughter” spoke volumes about how much her tribute to his legacy meant to him.A Moment for Both GenerationsThe Africa Connect concert served as the perfect backdrop for the encounter.
Captured in candid footage showing guests embracing and sharing joyful moments under warm fairy lights at the outdoor night event, the meeting between the two artists reflected the broader spirit of the occasion.Ayra Starr, who has built one of the most impressive careers in contemporary Afrobeats, and Awilo Longomba, whose influence spans decades of African music history, represented a rare crossing of generations on one stage.Watch Awilo Longomba’s heartwarming reaction as he meets Ayra Starr for the first time:Awilo Longomba meets Ayra Starr in heartwarming moment. Photo: Ayra Starr. Source: InstagramAyra Starr’s album hits 375 million Legit.ng had reported that the talented singer recorded a new feat on major streaming platforms with her latest body of work, ‘Year I turned 21’. The news was announced in a post sighted on social media by Legit.ng about the laudable feat she recorded.
It was reported that the album, which had only spent a day on major platforms, made a record of 375m cumulative streams. Source: Legit.ng Chinasa Afigbo (Entertainment Editor) Chinasa Afigbo is a pop culture/music journalist and content writer with over four years of experience in other mainstream media organisations, including Vanguard Media and Guardian Life. She holds a degree in Information Management Technology from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). She also moved on to pursue a program in media and communications.
Chinasa has also been published in other Intl journals, like The African Report. Reach her at: chinasa.afigbo@corp.legit.ng. Afrobeats Canada Ashlyn castro Cindy oshodis Frsc Adult film actor
