Nicolas Kasanda wa Mikalay (July 7, 1939 – September 22, 1985), popularly known as Dr. Nico was a guitarist, composer and one of the pioneers of congolese rumba. He was born in Mikalayi, Kasai province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He graduated in 1957 as a technical teacher, but inspired by his musical family, he took up the guitar and in time became a virtuoso soloist. At the age of 14 he started playing with the seminal group Grand Kalle et l'African Jazz, led by Joseph "Grand Kalle" Kabaselle. He became an influential guitarist (Jimi Hendrix once paid him a personal visit while on tour in Paris), and the originator of the ubiquitous Congolese finger-picked guitar style, acquiring the nickname "Dr Nico". African Jazz split up 1963 when Dr Nico and singer Tabu Ley Rochereau left to form L'Orchestra African Fiesta Sukisa, which became one of the most popular in Africa. (from Wikipedia) <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Docteur+Nico+&+l%27African+Fiesta+Sukisa">Read more on Last.fm</a>. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.