Koffi Olomide, was born on 13 August 1956 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (the former Zaire). His parents were staying in the North East of the country at the time, in a town called Stanleyville (now Kisangani). In fact, Koffi's father was on a business trip to Stanleyville at the time of his son's birth, and the family moved back to their current home in the capital, Léopoldville (now Kinshasa), shortly afterwards.