normally they should have stayed in french territory, metropolitan france and west indies,until at least 3 years then evolve into an hybrid group the way for exemple warner has done with fally or universal africa with toofan or wanted to do with dj arafat aswell a group with one foot in europe the other in africa
but in less than a year they already went to africa and they were also against making the band bigger,i have a friend who used to be an assistant sound engineer somewhere he is shocked when i tell him that at some point groups like bcbg and maison mere went above 100 musicians,for the european and "professional standard" a group and its reserve is 15 musicians max

Academia didn't really had a real fanbase. The majority of people had sympathy for them because of interviews they did after their departure (saying that Koffi didn't pay them well for Olympia & Zenith) and were liking their music. Most fans came from Binza/Ngaliema because of Flash Musica having their roots their. Sam, Modogo and Lebou Kabuya used to be part of Flash Musica before joining Quartier Latin. From 2000, they started slowly to create their own fanbase and next Binza, many fans coming from Yolo because of Academia's headquarter being there and many musicians they recruited coming from Yolo (Musikasika and Tonton Lay for example).

It depends. Maybe if one of them would go to Kinshasa for some playbacks. "Nouvelle Generation de la Republique Democratique" had massive succes in Europe and they had also succes in Kinshasa because of Luciana's wife coming with cassettes to Kinshasa which helped the promotion over there.

In Congolese they have a big size, because of bandleaders/bands fearing about guitarists  or singer not showing up. It started in the 60s, Faugus Izeidi explained it in one of the interviews he had with Chouna Mangobo by saying that the public would sometimes wait for hours for Dr Nico or Dechaud Mwamba to show up at the concert, just because of being mad about something or show the other musicians a point that they can't without him. Bandleaders from then starting to recruit 2 musicians for every position. From the 70s it growed bigger, because of bands wanting to get more money by performing at 3 places at the same time. Bands being able to split the band in 3 and the reserve singer starting those concerts. If the fire was on place a, the singers of team a would join the place and the reserve singers move to place b, the same thing happening to place b with the reserve singers moving to place b. Zaiko Langa Langa was a master of it during the late 70s until Langa Langa Stars' creation in 1982.

Viagra would have been the same team along with Bouro. But Bouro just left the moment Sam Tshintu came to Kinshasa to get the musicians. Some were against, but majority was in favor of having the Kinshasa team in Viagra.

From

from 40:35 min Suzuki, Bouro, Sam Tshintu and Modogo singing an extract of Collation. Suzuki saying that Academia would record Viagra in August 2000 and the album being released in December 2000.

In the same video they also talked about their cancelled concert in London (Tottenham) which was promoted in all cassettes produced by Jhymmy Mukelenge (Kombi Ewuti Poto, etc.) and them saying that cancelled it because they wanted the female dancers of Kinshasa being with them to, but them not having visa's to join them over there.

Its because Sam Tshintu came in november 2000 with the group and Congolese bands start recording albums when the tour is about to end. They started the recordings of Viagra somewhere in May 2001. Each band has his own way of preparing albums, some bands would go to Binza, Mont Ngafula, Maluku or Kasangulu to go on camp and prepare the album there by rehearings intensively for some weeks, other bands would stay 1 month at the leader house to prepare the album, other bands would lock themselves up at the bands headquarter to rehearse the album there for weeks and only return home to sleep.

It are the rumba's and sebene songs that are recorded first. Generiques always comes at last, because atalaku's may get inspiration or new cri's from Kinshasa on the last minute and leaders getting calls from donors who want their shout-out at a strategic place.

Babia was getting paid, but he had serious drug problems and was a few time hospitalized. He was spending most of the money on drugs. Sometimes he would dissapear for months and then suddenly coming back. Koffi helped him multiple times to put him in a rehab. Its only when he broke up with Manicke and started to date Alima Djamal that he changed, converting himself to Islam.

About Rocky Blanchard, I dont think that he was paid when he made 3th comeback in 2003. Because he didn't take part to multiple concerts. Koffi only musicians who are part of team A. There are multiple musicians who were part of Quartier Latin but not being known, because of not getting any chances to perform with them and not getting noticed at rehearshals at Oshwe, because x or y not wanting to give the mic or guitar. Koffi himself sometimes forgetting that they are member of QL and starting to yell at that to get them out. Rocky Blanchard was in the early and mid 2000s getting most of his money through session work. He re-started to get value when Koffi Olomidé came back from Danger de Mort, getting more space to play in concerts, and album who started to be recorded in Kinshasaetc. and re-became a keymember the moment Binda Bass decided to settle in Europe in 2010. Rocky biggest mistake was to leave Zaiko in 1998 to rejoin Quartier Latin to not even be selected for Olympia. It really sad how his life is right now until this day he lives at his parents house. If he stayed in Zaiko he would live in Europe right now.