.....And Editions N'diaye and another Ivorian label (probably more) all at the same time in the late 90's. This was when he was putting at least 4 albums a year. Clearly it didn't work out in the end, causing way too many conflicts of interest, but he put out lots of great albums.

Pretty crazy now that I really think of it. That's like Fally being signed to both Sony and Warner

All released within a year (1999-2000) switching producers


^Always thought Theo Mbala was animating while sleepy on 100ans. Not his best performance


And an album with his mentor, the great Jeanpy Wable Gypson

And there was another album with Suke Chile, which is not online

In 1999 he was also produced by Roma Productions who made 2 albums Defao - Bana Congo Vol.1 (Made In America) & Bana Congo Vol. 2 (Ambiance Plus).



I don't understand why SIPE Production never recorded videoclips for Guerre de 100 Ans, Feux de l'Amour and many other albums. JB Mpiana was lucky that he had someone like Damien Dimonekene who helped him recording videoclips for Titanic, T.H. & Pentagone who were all released months later after the offical release of the albums.

And yet another album from 1999 with Mboka Liya, Lofombo, Renato, Kabose, etc with another producer: Mic'Son Anani



Definitely respected Defao's hustle, but rule  #1 of being a musician is you gotta abide my your contract and be loyal to one label at a time. Doesn't matter if you're Michael Jackson or Youssou N'dour

And yet another album from 1999 with Mboka Liya, Lofombo, Renato, Kabose, etc with another producer: Mic'Son Anani



Definitely respected Defao's hustle, but rule  #1 of being a musician is you gotta abide my your contract and be loyal to one label at a time. Doesn't matter if you're Michael Jackson or Youssou N'dour

The album was released in 1999, but recorded in 1996. You can hear Theo Mbala doing those '96 animations what he also used in the Amour-Interdit album '96.

Tremblement de Terre is for me Defao's best album ever followed by Sala Noki. At that time he was number one in DRC and Africa, but wasn't able to tour in Europe with musicians of Wenge & Quartier Latin mocking Defao's musicians. Theo Mbala couldn't resist and decided to join Bozi Boziana so that he could tour in Europe.

One of Defao's famous concerts in Africa. He performed then in a soldout Palais des Congres and later performed in a packed Stade de Bouake.



It's crazy how Defao killed his own band. By wanting to force them to perform in Uganda, whom LD Kabila just declared war against along with Rwanda & Burundi. It created a bad atmosphere in the band, who were scared to put the life of their families in Kinshasa and Kisantu in danger. With at a point Defao not more talking anymore to the band members during their USA/Canada/UK-tour in 1999. Some members starting to leave the band in Canada. The tension was strong that Montana and Defao had an exchange of words, when they arrived in Switserland. Defao was so angry that he decided to fire the whole band with the concert in Geneve, which was sold out getting cancelled. Defao who just got the Schengen visa's for his band was then forced to perform with sessions musicians in France and record Nessy de London by himself. With the musicians who were fired going back to London and settling there. Defao even created an animation about that in Nessy de London "Ya sala ba leki, bango ba benga nga yaya, yandaka ku mputu, bana bakumidi ba yuda". Saying in Kikongo that they called him their big brother, but once arrived in Europe they became traitors. The majority of Defao's band were from the same tribe like him(Kongo-tribe) and alot were also from the same village Kisantu (Kabose, Renato Mundele, Lady Mbala, etc.)

Here's Jirbo Ntuta explaining the story about Big Stars break-up in 1999/2000

there are two guys i miss in our music in this century,defao and alain makaba,i would have loved to see how our music would be with them being like we knew them

The album was released in 1999, but recorded in 1996. You can hear Theo Mbala doing those '96 animations what he also used in the Amour-Interdit album '96.

Tremblement de Terre is for me Defao's best album ever followed by Sala Noki. At that time he was number one in DRC and Africa, but wasn't able to tour in Europe with musicians of Wenge & Quartier Latin mocking Defao's musicians. Theo Mbala couldn't resist and decided to join Bozi Boziana so that he could tour in Europe.

One of Defao's famous concerts in Africa. He performed then in a soldout Palais des Congres and later performed in a packed Stade de Bouake.

Ah, I see. The Kitisela chants was also a giveaway

Funnily enough, that concert Palais des Congres was the first and only Defao concert I attended. Just happened to be in the right place at the right time. The way he electrified the crowd was something I've never seen. And the Ivorians just loved Defao in general

there are two guys i miss in our music in this century,defao and alain makaba,i would have loved to see how our music would be with them being like we knew them

Indeed. Defao was certainly the most complete leader of the 90's: pure vocalist abilites, looks/charisma (although he became very self-conscious of his weight), and being by far the best dancer