Adèle Ruffine Ngono, known by her stage name Lady Ponce, is a Cameroonian singer and songwriter. She is also known as “La Reine de Bikutsi” (the Queen of Bikutsi). In 2014, Ngono was named a knight of the Order of Valour.
Early life
Ngono was born in Mbalmayo, Cameroon. Following the death of her mother in 1999, she moved to Yaoundé, where she joined Chapelle d’Essos, the local choir. Ngono performed in cabarets at Camp Soneland La Cascade.
Career
In 2007, Ngono released her first album, Le ventre et le bas-ventre, which consisted of six songs.The album led to her winning the Canal 2’Or’s Best Voice and Musical Revelation awards for that year.Ngono followed up the success of her first album with three albums produced by Jean Pierre Saah: Confession in 2009, La loi du talion in 2011, and Bombe atomique in 2012, containing ten, twelve, and twelve tracks respectively. In 2015, she released Bain de sons, consisting of eighteen songs.In 2017, she released “Patrimonie”, an album regarding her early life, consisting of twelve tracks and produced by KMG Productions.
In July 2016, Ngono performed at the Viking Center in Maryland, US. In April 2017, she sang at SEG Geneva Arena for the Afrikan Zik Festival, and later at La Cigale, on 21 January 2017. In July 2018, Ngono headlined Afrofest at Toronto’s Woodbine Beach.
In December 2018, Ngono went on a one-month national tour, visiting Yaoundé, Douala, Bafoussam, Ngaoundéré and Ebolowa.
Personal life
In 2011, it was rumoured that Ngono died after a fatal childbirth in Paris – however this was quickly debunked by her relatives.In February 2019, rumours surfaced that she had died in a car accident.
In 2011, Ngono criticized then-Cameroonian Minister of Culture, Ama Tutu Muna, for not doing enough to help artists – citing slow copyright request responses and limited financial support.In 2015, she donated equipment and supplies to FoundationFact, an orphanage in Yaoundé
On 21 November 2018, Ngono married Aloys Tsafack, a Cameroonian manager and producer known as Dieu Cyclone,at a reception near Les Clayes-sous-Bois city hall.To maintain secrecy and avoid paparazzi, Ngono advertised the wedding was to be at 3:30 pm, then held it at 9:00 am.
Ngono is a mother of three children.Cameroonian media colloquially refers to Ngono as “La Reine de Bikutsi”, which translates to “The Queen of Bikutsi”.
