No it had nothing to do with the genre slowly started to get popular again. It was because of the political situation in Congo mixed with personal issues some people had with artists and seeing it as a gold occassion to punish them with it.

The ban came because many in the Congolese diaspora weren't happy the way artists were close to Joseph Kabila's regime while the situation was getting worser every year in Congo. They were also mad the way bandleaders themselves started to insult and betittle the Congolese diaspora in interviews , while it was the same diaspora who made them who they are today. The setting of Congolese artists living in Kinshasa of 1987 is totally different from that of 2008. Some bandleaders in the 1980s were still living at their familyhouse or renting a small house in normal quarters. It was for a big part due to the big financial support of people living in Europe that they were able to have a much better life. Another reason is that activists wanted to get rid of the label Congolese people had about being distracted only thinking about beer, music, sex and clothes.

The background of the concert-ban were when Congolese music in Europe was on its peak (1998-2003). The same period you had the Congo-war which led to more than 6 millions deaths (mostly in Eastern Congo). But the strange thing is that the majority of Congolese people living in Europe and Kinshasa didn't care about. Most were focused on Werra, JB, Wemba, Koffi, Emeneya, etc. performing at x or y place, releasing an album. Those who were christians only being focused on famous pastors, gospel artists and those VHS with testimonies. Many even didn't knew that there was still a war going on in Congo apart that short moment in 1998 when rebels almost got control over Kinshasa and there no electricity, water being there for a short moment.

When there would be petitions against UN, Belgium, France, UK and USA for making decisions against DR Congo's favour or marches against Rwanda & Uganda. Nobody would show up or sign the petitions. Just a small part of people. Although "peace" coming through the 1+4 governement with the presidential elections, the situation in Congo was still not going well. Combattans felt that it was time for a wake-up call to Congolese people. Seeing that marching and sharing posters to mobilize people wasn't working they made change their strategy by coming with the decision to block concerts and forbid pastors coming from Kinshasa to preach in Europe. Because they felt that artists and pastors were distracted the diaspora and the population living in Kinshasa. By stopping them they knew that there would be more attention to the situation in DR Congo and that many would open their eyes.

Already in 2006, combattans were  warning bandleaders that they would block concerts in Europe if Joseph Kabila would pass the elections. The ban then starting in London by UDPS-combattans threatening JB Mpiana and his bandmembers who were touring in UK. In Paris and Brussels it failed because many activits were still close to either Werra, Koffi or other artists. They succeed in blocking Werra's concerts in 2006 but they ending up by negotiating. With the years coming those who were dissapointed about bandleaders being ingrateful towards and/or doing them would join the cause (more out of anger). Every time when Werrason would come for a big event in Paris, they would try to come with a ban. During Zenith 2008, Werrason almost got kidnapped and many stuff happened behind the scene. At that time, the atmosphere was not good becau

se many were not happy because of the war that just re-started in Eastern Congo in the same period because of Laurent Nkunda. In 2010, the combattans again failed to get Werra's event cancelled. In 2011 when Werrason came for a concert at Elysee Montmarte with Papa Wemba they finally succeed. The crowd that demonstrated the same day being bigger than those who came for the concert. Mostly because many didn't want to pay 100 euros for that event (concert-promoter wanted to make a vip-concert of it with the highest concertfee ever in Europe for Congolese concerts).

 The thing that made it easier for the combattans to succeed that day was because of many people being mad for the way Werrason insulted the Congolese diaspora in an interview about just doing small jobs (construction work, etc.) and that they are nothing. It was also the same period that alot of bad stuff happened. Armand Tungulu who used to live in Belgium got killed in Kinshasa by Joseph Kabila a few months before (JB Mpiana had to perform that week in Brussels, but he cancelled the show out of respect). You had at that time also the Arab spring (protest/revolution in Tunesia & Egypt) which motivated combattans even more.

Concerts could have returned if Werrason kept a low profile but instead of that he was making an interviews to challenge combattans and that nobody would stop him. This motivated alot of people to show up in Brussels to block his third concert after performing with alot of difficulties in Germany. The combattans felt themselves intouchable and saw it as a game. They then came with the statement that there would no concerts if Joseph Kabila would still be in power. After that they succeed in sabotating Fally's Zenith. Fally then performing in front of 50 people despite high security from the police. It totally marked the end of concerts in the Schengen-area. After that they started also to attack politicians and starting making big protest-marches in Brussels and Paris. Also coming with actions in Apple stores to make people aware about children dying in mines.

It was good to stop concerts in 2011. But they had to do it for a short-term (for just 1 year) and focus more on politicians and how to be influential in Kinshasa. Because their activism had an uprising in Europe and even those who were not interested in politics were getting interested. Intellectuals who were doing nothing in Europe also became activists and started to write letters to those International Organisations and lobbying for Congo to get more decisions in our favor. But those in Kinshasa were disconnected from it. It's only 6 or 7 years later that people in Kinshasa also started opening their eyes and started to stand up. You will notice that people in Congo are today more focused on politics than music because they want change. On the other side it's also because music isn’t the same anymore like 15 years ago. Even soccer has more success (i am not talking about local soccer) than music in Kinshasa. People are more interested in Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona than following stuff about music. Its only now that Congolese music is slowly returning on the place were it was. There was even a time that foreign music had more succes in Congo itself. The young generation preferring rap and r&b music of Congolese youngsters who were born Europe (Dadju, Kalash, Damso and co) and music from West Africa than music of Heritier, Ferre, Fally, etc.

Blocking concerts doesn’t have any effect in Congo. It only harms the few Congolese artists/bands that are able to get in Europe, who have it already hard. The combattans are cowards and are afraid to fight in Congo.  If you ask combattants why they don't return to start a movement there, they will insult you and say that they don't want to die like those in Kinshasa. It doesn’t make sense because when doing such things you have to sacrifice yourself. They made business from the concert-ban. Most who put a lot of energy in blocking concerts are those who have personal problems with musicians and those who failed in their music-career. Boketshu once clearly explained that was mad about the way he suffered from the period of 1997-2001 and bandleaders calling his producer to not produce. Also the way he struggled in the first years when settling in Europe from 2001. Him promising himself that if he would get power one day, he would kill the career of those who were against him. The same for Celezino who came (I think when being interviewed by Teddy Mola) with a whole story about how he struggled in music and saying that because of that he will do all his best to block musicians to perform in Europe. Ndombolhino once shared a story about a man who was really involved in music, being sung by almost all bandleaders and today being combattant, giving the reason that he would do all the best to prevent Werrason performing because his musician made his daughter pregnant.


When the concert-ban started they just forbade just concerts. But when artists performed at the 3 days congress of PPRD at Stade des Martyrs, they became really radical and came with a list of bandleaders that were forbidden to come to Europe. From that day, bandleaders had to hide like politicians when coming to Europe and fearing for their lives until the moment that they started to pay the combattants like politicians started to do, combattans calming down and sharing the money between them. They even started to get shout-outs in albums, showing up at showcases and in the studio. From that moment the movement started to become less powerful.

There were a few bandleaders who really believed in Kabila (I won't mention their names). But most did it indeed for the money. They were sometimes getting a huge amount of money are reward that they would never get in music. It’s possible to refuse. If they would refuse they would end up like Marie Paul. Back in 2012/13, I met an artist in Aubervilliers (he already pased away a long time ago) who revealed to me that 6 bandleaders received each $200.000 dollars. I will not give more details otherwise you will know who he’s. He also said that even 2 of G-5 got that amount. But I didn’t ask him if it was out of support or to compensate them because of the concert-ban.