You can't compare them to Quartier Latin and Maison Mere. The generations you in those bands and songs on their names which pushed them appear on tv to promote it and also the polemic helped alot. Because bandleaders wouldn't lower themselves to attack their rivals and them just using their musicians and spokemen to diss them and praise/brag about their shows and tours they did.
Those who hadn't songs on their names or doing vocals, but still making tv-appearances were new-members that bandleaders were presenting in concerts and them getting succes because of those extracts that were shown on tv about doing some improvisations. Them later going to tv-shows to make themselves known. Back in the days you Heritier Watanabe before Double Zenith, Dany Kule of Nouvelle Ecriture, later Mirage Supersonic. Ferre Gola's team had also succes because of those concerts that were shown on tv with the singers getting space to do vocals.
According Koffi Alibaba it was that the album was finished and Rigo Makengo who had to produce it listening to it, saying that their solist was weak and that they had to correct some lines. But when coming back to the studio Meko all files already being erased by the sound engineer, which is really sad. In an interview Koffi Alibaba did with Mbuta Likasu he said that they had the chance to record a second album with label that did their first album. But the label only sending them 10 visa’s to record a new album in Europe, them refusing wanting to bring the whole band they had in Kinshasa. Thinking about it, it was a huge mistake by missing that opportunity. They had success in concerts, even Wenge Musica started to respect them and mentioning them interviews saying that they are the only band in Kinshasa next to them to have succes (just to piss Wenge El Paris off).
Position Eyebani was not bad. It was a good album although being recorded in Kinshasa. Film Ebaluki (1999) which Bozi did with Theo Mbala, Michaux Chamberton, Lokombe, Coreen Polystar was also good. I had the album Jeu Muke (2000) the past years often on repeat.There’s no Bozi that I listened so much like that one. It's a shame that the two albums weren’t well promoted.
I feel like 5/4 songs in this album being fillers. Koffi Olomidé is an artist who needs to be congratulated because of recording solo-album of 10, 11 & 12 songs for a long period without having fillers in it. I wonder if it was really Bozi's intention to record a solo album in this period. Bana Saint Gabriel is a better album. It was in this period that Interpol of Kofi Alibaba, Sadico, Trocadero and Micha Brown got created right ? Their album interpellation was a succes in Europe but now its impossible to find it back.
Its a shame that Bozi didn't let his whole band participate to his album and the following one. This would have more fire if he brought Lapino instead of punishing him. It was from here that he wasn't brining the whole band anymore to Europe and mostly bringing ngulu's. In the credits there are only Deo Brando, Janvier Okota, Mi-Flo and Betty Biss as bandmembers the rest being session artists. Anyway, its only these day that I'm really paying attention to his albums of the 1990s. Back in the days I only focused on la carré magique, Big Stars, El Paris, Nouvelle Generation and a little bit Empire.
Wasn’t it something about papers and people in Fally’s circle not being happy about it and him also openly criticizing Alain Nzambe on tv. Anyway, he has an interview with Ado Yuhe which on YouTube and him talking about his departure.
Back in those days I didn’t knew any bandmember of F-Victeam. Only Kassangidi, just because of his cri. Back then I though that he & Kabuya were the same person. It’s only years later that I discovered Alvarito when someone explained to me that was in Wenge Kumbela. I knew Equalizar ‘s name because of Bjone always posting about him on his Facebook and skyrock page. But I didn’t know who he was
Seeing Rigo Makengo giving Djonolo special thanks next to Rigo Star and Nene Tchakou makes me even suspect him more for being the original author of the Nemiala de Berlin, Ba Ngambo ya la Vie, Les Refoules de Schengen and Vendredi Noir. The arrangement of the songs and way of singing in these songs were totally his style.
thinking about it the almost 100 visas fally wanted(to do like his elders) was probably one of the reasons they complicated things for him and had him to get 10 and to put his papers on the line should one of them not return
it was not a smart move from fally. almost all bandleaders and bands used to start with 12 or 14 visa's. Wenge went during the tour of 1991 with just 9 musicians + = kija brown and in the following tours progressively coming with bigger lists and including ngulus. wenge maison mere went with 16 during their first tour, koffi came with 11 people in 1992.
so everything what fally said indirectly in interviews about koffi sending people to call the embassady to not give them visa's, treath them were not true ?
Was it Arc en Ciel who used to animate in Victoria Eleison that he's talking about ? Btw was it Arc en Ciel or Mulo Scanto who started his career in Depitcho's band ? It seems that a big part of the new recruited musicians of Victoria just before Zenith came from Depitcho's band (Fila Basele and Yannick Zenith who was recruited as back-up drummer for Signore Depatra but didn't make it for Zenith).
I dont remember if it was in Ado Yuhe's interview or somebody else, where Equalizer said that he came with the most cri's in Kipala Nzonzaku. Citing the cri's toko mela primus pona makasi ya mokongo (which was first toko mela tangawisi ya mere mado pona makasi ya mokongo), pantalon ngumba, muana bato and delapatria. Roi David also claims to be part of the many atalaku's that were in Gentamicine circle and said that he created the part "tala ba nzele batonga nzoto pona primus eeh" in Primus Ngwasuma which originally "tala ba nzele basi bazo sambuisa nzoto pona portable eeh". If you look well, most generiques are not created by the atalaku's themselves and them working with a whole team. This make those who are pro-bandmembers saying when there discussions about copyrights and why generiques are credited to the atalaku's but to bandleaders, them giving this as arguments why bandmembers credit the generiques to themselves because the atalaku's not being the original creators of it.
Back in the days wasn't liking Equalizer. I used to hate his voice and saw him as a faux atalaku. It's only when he did the generique with Fabregas and later joining Quartier Latin with the cri "Azo lia na nani" that I started to like him. I wasn't liking Fally's band at all (singers, guitarists, atalaku's, the looks of most musicians, etc.), seeing most of his concerts as boring and prefering Ferre's band. I was doubting Fally's skills of recruiting musicians, only to hear him admit in an interview he did with Saint Marc during the Olympia-days that most of the musicians were his childhood friends when Saint Marc asked Fally if his musicians are really competent when comparing to bands like Maison Mere, Quartier Latin and co.
Its always strange and crazy to hear that many atalaku/singers started all together and know each other. But when joining other groups, them attacking each other and not greeting, also acting like they dont know each other
When seeing the DVD of A2BM I was wondering why Fally did the clip of the generique on his own with some girls. I wasn't liking the way the girls were dancing in the clip.
The period after Abacadabra was the right moment for Koffi to release a new group-album and give his singers, guitarists and atalaku's light. You had Ronsard Kanza who came also from Fally's band, Omba and Poupa Mystique who started to make alot of tv-appearances. I remember Koffi announcing an EP with only generiques and two or 1 rumba (it was made to fight Power and Boite Noire) for december 2012 and a group album called Suprematie for 2014. But instead of that he changed his mind and replaced the voices of his atalaku's by that of Cindy in the generiques to make from the project Cindy's solo album. To not lose Cindy like Fally with Droit Chemin, he didn't gave her the freedom to record new songs, but just let her record remix versions of some of his old songs. The album ended up by flopping and only the generique Libebe with was orginally that of Equalizer doing a little bit well.
Equalizer her changed the version of the reason why he left. In in the years just after his departure, he claimed that he left because of Koffi started to do 12 on him after having praised both Fally and Koffi in an interview he made Noella Madinga, when being asked about who having succes among Congolese artists in Ivory Coast at that moment and him replying that it were Koffi and Fally.
It was not that the band defended Werra (apart Kakol and Jitrois who just joined the band).The majority was all fed up live without getting salary on a monthly basis while having succes. Them having difficulties with paying rent, having to feed their family but fans, friends and family-members thinking that they were rich and that were lying for not having enough money which causing alot of stress. Werrason getting big contract and money from Skol, Unicef and them getting nothing and not progressing in life was frustrating them more. Also the trips they did that year to Goma, Angola and Gabon. Them being brought in a plane meant for soldiers to Angola and Gabon, while Werrason going over there with a prive-jet with his dancers and staff-members. Werrason staying in a luxury hotels with his staff and dancers in Libreville and Goma while the musicians were staying an a motel somewhere in the ghetto of Libreville. This all was them making really furious and compared to 2000 and 2002, really being determined to create an own band. They once already showed their discontentment by showing 3 hours late to a rehearsal and Werrason being left alone with the dancers and operation dragon-members. But it backfired at them because of fanatics being mad.
Although giving a false impression by showing off their cars and expensive clothes on tv, just fight rivals and their bad a good image, they were suffering and being forced to live on matolo, having multiple rich sugarmommies or sidechicks. They were also struggling to pay gas for their expensive cars. The thing made most members to not join Les Marquis, was that they were when thinking well not really believing in Les Marquis. They know that the band would split in no time. Guys like Didier Lacoste & Ali Mbonda didn’t want to make a second mistake. Someone like Aimelia wasn’t getting along with most bandmembers. Heritier felt that it was not the moment to leave and wanted to grow more. Also many knew that Les Marquis would split in no-time after having created it. Someone like Flamme rehearsed Les Marquis-songs with Jus d’Ete and Ferre but because of seeing Werrason as his brother of village (they are from the same province) he decided to stay in the band. Celeo didn’t really saw a reason to leave. Because he stayed when Adolphe left (Adolphe was the one who recruited him in WMM). He was like Aimelia an agent of Didi Kinuani’s company where they were paid every month. He knew many politicians and soccerplayers like Shabani Nonda and Tresor Lualua. Although struggling sometimes and being close with Les Marquis-guys, he still ended up by staying because he in his vision he wanted to have a long career in the band like Djuna Mumbafu in Empire Bakuba and both Nono & Doudou in Zaiko.
Werrason already knew Jus d’ete well from IBG Musica of Bandal and Wenge El Paris. It was just that Werrason wanted to hold the identity of Wenge 4x4 by using Ferre Gola, Adjani and Serge Mabiala alot. Adjani because of Manda Chante, Ferre Gola because of JB Mpiana and Serge Mabiala because of himself. It were people around him who advised him to also use Didier Lacoste, because he would come with something new. After discovering Lacoste’s importance of bringing songs to the group (Papson and Cresois who were old songs of SVP la Gamme), he decided to work with him privately for Kibuisa Mpimpa at house with Serge Mabiala, Heritier, Flamme and Papy Kaniama. Lacoste then coming with such songs like Obiang and Werrason rewarding him back by giving him alot of vocals for the album. But Lacoste sadly couldn’t profit from it, his vocals being erased and given to Aimelia, Adjani and Ferre. Coming back to Jus d’ete’s case. Someone like Baby had just 1 vocal in Intervention Rapide. It were from Kibuisa that both Jus d’ete and Baby started to get alot of vocals. The bad side of it was that people were doubting about Jus d’Ete singing skills, saying that he wasn’t fitting to the band and just being recruited for his stage presence. For Baby Ndombe people were saying that he was just recruited because of his dad Ndombe Opetum who was a big singer/songwriter in TP Ok Jazz and Afrisa (also one of Tabu Ley biggest ghostwriter) and Ok-founder of Bana Ok. Its only from A La Que Leu Leu that he finally earned respect because of the success of his song Examen. The song ending up by being 2nd best song of year 2003. Its in Les Marquis that people really discovered (re-discovered) his talent as songwriter and singer. For Baby Ndombe it was from Kibuisa Mpimpa that he started to earn respect and him getting Serge Mabiala’s place (it were Baby’s dancing-skills and leadership-skills that help him alot to earn that place).
They just do like all bands. The bandleader coming with a whole song that was written by him or by a ghostwriter or a bandmember. Him rehearsing it at home with private musicians and/or some of his singers and musicians and later bringing it to the band. Then if the bandleader wants to have his singers to put vocals on if it doesn’t have vocals yet, he will select the singers he wants and them coming with vocals. The best vocals then being selected. The vocals put in the song often don’t have anything to do with the subject of the song. After having done that they keep rehearsing the song and making a pre-record at home or the rehearsals place and when coming in Europe them recording the song in the studio. The fan/donor who pays money to have song dedicated to him getting the song. When recording in the studio it sometimes happen that other singers interpret the vocal that was originally done by x or y singer when preparing the song. Also because of mabanga-demand the orginal vocal being modified (messed up) by replacing the lyrics by names. This why often vocals doesn’t make sense and you only hearing names. Bandleaders themselves sometimes also modifying the original texts to replace it with names in it or singing names towards the end or within the song.
Just listen to this album and you hear that its a bit different from the songs you hear on the final album. Baby Ndombe’s vocal of Rendez Vous Manqué in this version made sense. Because in Solola Bien, I wasn’t getting it because of many names in it.
I dont have any favorite keyboard in WMMM. They are all normal. Those who knew how to play proper keyboard are the first keyboard players of the 1980s and early 1990s that used to play in Zaiko (José Piano Piano, late Alpha Kopeya, Modeste Modikilo and Guy Matope), Victoria Eleison (the two guys who were playing before Emeneya decided to settle in Europe), Grand Zaiko Wawa (Nzenze Mongengo) and Desire Kalala of Wenge Musica 4x4. The generation after them were playing well but not like them. Some of that generation having times of not playing well and the other being in form, sometimes not being in sync with the guitarists but them being saved because of the sound being low.
When watching those extracts of Maison Mere's concert in Tottenham, I didn't see Celeo. So the concert we see on youtube with Celeo animating was their 4th or 5th concert in UK ? Hearing the sound of the rhythm-guitar made me remember that it was actually the audio-version that Jmkstar Dsquared once put on youtube, but the video dissapearing after a few months because of copyrights. Its weird to see hear Bill Clinton animating "Kilumbu ka kiesse" and also sounds totally different. Imagine if Celeo decided to listen to all people in London that adviced him to stay after getting abandoned when WMM moved to Canada. Btw, what's the name of Masela's backup player. I saw him also with Maison Mere in the Villejuif video and their intro at La Madeleine.
Receiving $300.000 from Bracongo/Skol is big money. I see now why Bill was really mad about it behind the scenes of receiving nothing while him having done most work in Tindika Lokito. It would be interesting to hear what Werra's real vision for Miracles was. Because here he says that he wanted to do it in a different rhythm and only 10 songs not more.
It was rare to see a musician of maison mere giving someone of bcbg a shoutout in that era and vice-versa. Did Kakol not get punished later for giving Seguin a shout-out in this interview ? Because I remember both BCBG musiciansand Maison Mere musicians getting problems for greeting or meeting donors who were pro-BCBG or pro-Maison Mere in the years that the beef was hot (1999, 2000 & 2001). I'm surprised to hear Kakol saying that he had 4 back-up drummers (him naming a guy called cocks. what a weird name. i've never heard about him). I only knew Nicolas Wagadugu.
Interesting to hear from Jus d'Ete Mulopwe that he didn't like tour for months in Europe anymore, him prefering short stay of 3/2 weeks in Europe and this trip to UK being the start of it. I remember people in Europe at time also starting complaining about bands over-staying in Europe.
Its a shame that Baby Ndombe got suspended just a few days before the trip. I wonder if already gave all his clothes away to his pire-petit and friends. Ferre did him dirty by snitching him to Werrason about Les Marquis. Baby having at the same time bad luck that late Monib and Elliot Mondobe invented stories to Werra about him to be careful with Baby, because of him being sent by Koffi to take sweat off his face and bring it to Koffi for occult reasons, them later bringing a witchdoctor to werra's house claiming that Baby was about to sleep his wife to get his fame, werrason getting scared and mad at the same time. The fight at la samba against bodyguards being the right occassion to suspend him for two weeks and them modifiying it to a indefinite suspension when coming back from UK to get rid of him. Using the reason of Baby doing an interview in kinshasa when they were in UK to attack Aimelia (the new chief of disicipline). In the interview he justified that he didn't do anything wrong and that Aimelia didn't had the same intellectual capacities like him. In the period of it, Baby started to get broke, not being able to pay rent and chased from the place he was living. He was forced to live at the family-house again, in meantime he did his best to meet Werrason through Emeneya and later Lutumba Simaro to short the problems out. But Werrason was escaping him and refusing to take his calls. At the same time wild rumors were spread everywhere that he had an affair with Werra's wife which wasn't true. The rumors kind of killed his solo-career already before starting it and would follow it almost his whole career. Werrason only making it worser and people thinking that it was true, by saying in interviews "if I will tell you what Baby did wrong, you will started to hate him" while it totally something different and not about his wife but in reality the affair Baby Ndombe had in the past with Mbilia Bel who was Tabu Ley's ex' second wife, a story that dates back from the solola-bien days.
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