The function and the work of Congolese orchestra's system is something a lot of you asked for so I have decided to show you and explain you how it works.

LEADER

I will take Werra's example because I am a Werrasonique
He is the guy making the big money and has the legal and financial responsibility of the group he is in charge of everything and has a very small group of friends/colleagues that works with him advising him the better choice to make, most of his income comes from commercial deals especially with Primus, every time you see a Primus albums or song is due to this deal that they have, being in Primus has an artist gives you the chance to control another artist's life since no new musician can join Primus unless old musicians agree on him or her.
After the publicity most of the leaders have private business JB, Fally for example have a strong Hotel marketing so they can fund on their own the music or live a good life without risking to become poor if the music goes down the third and last type of income that leaders make is by music, basically in the music of Congo the leaders sign all the papers for the royalties, whole the solo albums and has generic song (typically and historically the most successful songs) on his name for example Werra in 7 Jours is a solo Album with Werra having whole the money for him, not like Ingeta group album that had only Werra's name only in the generiqye and some rumba/sebenes, everything that happens in the orchestra need to be told to him, and most of the time (the only guy who accept advices from his musicians is Wazekwa) his leadership is untouchable, if he does have a second job or a trip for personal reasons that brings him out of time for a lot of time he hands it all to the Chef D'Orchestre for the artistic part and to the administration for the financial part.

ADMINISTRATION

The administration is a group of friends of the leader or professional stuff that helps the leader to decide which direction the group should take, what members should have been take for bettering up the movement, and what lucrative deal could bring more money and more power to the group, most of the time in group that are not very professional these guys are in charge of checking nice women for the boss so they can go to bed with him since unfortunately in Congolese mind for being a strong leader you have to be strong with everybody for imposing your authority and have a lot of unofficial women to show that you are limitless, in fact there are cases of leaders having children with their own musicians wife's or spouse's.
If the staff it is very professional will deal with whole the "boring" aspect of the organization of the music read contracts, talking to journalist for setting up read press or interviews directly to the boss himself, organizing trip to play abroad, paying the musician in time, and paying the promoting of the song for TV Channels and internet, speak up when a polemic is heading high and to keep the passports of the members (yes musicians in the orchestra literally give their passport to the administration, and if they want to take a trip they need to ask for it)
 for example the staff of Fally (which are two staff French staff AZ label under Universal and Congolese staff F'VICTEAM of Fally himself) did an excellent job of promotion of Tokos  if an Orchestra isn't professional of course they will eat the money the boss gave them by inventing excuses to not pay musician and not even promoting the single, for example Roger Ngandu (JB's manager) did everything to block the promotion of Je Ne Te Calcule Pas in the clubs in Kin blocking the DJ with treats after he was puting the song in fact in the forum we were very confused about the low resonance the song had at the time despite being an excellent song (now it has 1.5 million but after a month of release were barely 180k) Roger's justification was that the generique couldn't be promoted since it would have put distraction to BDM's official generique (who was out by three years by the way) and album

CHEF D'ORCHESTRE

The Chef D'Orchestre role is a role given to the leader onto the best component between the musicians that can combinate being the best in terms of talent and being one of the oldest for example the original Chef D'Orchestre in the Operation Dragon/A LA Queue Leu Leu days was Ferré, and after the big departures (Ferre, Celeo, Bill) it has become Papy Kakol.
The Chef D'Orchestre has the role of communicate to the members the days and the hour of rehearsals (usually three times a week plus concerts on Saturday) sending them messages for the kind of dress (colour and brand principally) that they should wear on the concerts, and make sure that the new members (along with his staff of musicians for example Papy Kakol works with Makaba Bicorine and Hugo Symthe mainly) get in the movement to know the songs and to create new ones as well.
Usually he is even the artistic director and gives advice on the arrangement, like Kakol who is always in the studio with every musician when the recordings of the songs are made (you can see on YouTube a lot of videos of Kakol giving advices to Ali Mbonda, Diego, Ambulance, Bercy and so on, but even give advices to other musicians) he usually has two or plus songs on the group albums and doesn't have any on the solo album of the leader, unfortunately most of the chef d'orchestre in Congo sometimes bullies components like asking them money to perform or taking the mic out of a musician for giving it to another using most of the time their songs in concert and in 90% of the time giving their selves more space than the other.
He is seen as the best friend of the leader in the musician area and having a problem with him will lead you to leave the group since on the music side he is the guy that controls everything.
For example a lot of departure in BCBG (Abraham, Metrau, Abel) WMMM (Bercy, Prince)
Gessac (Quartier Latin are due to the fact of Chef D'Orchestre being too much bully, invasive, or harsh



Tomorrow I will come with the other roles

songs of group-albums are credited to the musicians of the cd-cover, but if you go to SACEM (France) or SABAM (Belgium), you will discover that all songs are credited to the bandleader. Many musicians doesn't even know that. Do Akongo for example,, who is credited as author of the Coucou, Sens Inverse, Avion, Kot Kot & Fois Cent discovered it when he came to France, with alot people asking him if doesn't get any money from SACEM.

GOLDEN CHILD

The golden child is a name I have been given to this phenomenon but in French is the enfant Cherie, is an unofficial role that the leader don't even give but shows to the guy whom he thinks he will be his heir, the guy has preferential treatments doesn't get punish much for bad behaviours and his given at least two songs (not max since he doesn't have the authority of the Chef D'Orchestre) in group albums, he has the spot next to the right or the left of the leader which is of massive importance since visually is the spot that will get you more attention.
Usually unlike the Chef D'Orchestre roles that can be made by any musician the Golden Child is usually a singer that the leader take like his own son.
GENTA and ABRAHAM for BCBG, FALLY IPUPA and BOURRO for QL, HERITIER and ELVIS for Werra.

DONORS

Donors are the 15/20% of the whole orchestra's income and they are short in number but with high money income, most of them are members of the Congolese diaspora and most of the time lives in France, Belgium  or in minor cases,  Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Congo Kin/Brazza.
The more money they give the more they will be praised for example it is crazy the amount of times Didi Kinuani has been named by MM in songs J'en Ai Assez (song in A La Queue Leu Leu dedicated to him) Bercy Mwana crie (Sengaka na Ya Didi) BCBG with Ya Saint Mwanangani or Patrick Bolonia, Ferre & Koffi with Adolphe Muteba, Heritier & Fally with BM Bernadette Massengo and so on.
Most of the time guys with honest reputation like Wazekwa has troubles finishing the album because most of the donors love artists on the peek of popularity and the rest who didn't make money in an honest way (the way Wazekwa likes) doesn't like as well dealing with not very popular artist because mainly for them having name on the song is mainly for promotion of their own companies since it is a way to create buzz curiosity on their brands.
Musician cause of that buzz know that they have to make their best for making the song for donors since people and other donors will love to have the same success for the song.
BM - Heritier (Bernadette Massengo), Judgement - Ferre Tshilamwila - Koffi (Adolphe Tshilamwila) Liyebo Le Serpent De Moise Werrason (Grevy Futila "Liyebo") sometimes the biggest donors are African president themselves like Nguema Obiang (Equatorial Guinea) Sassou Nguesso (Congo Brazzaville) Kabila (RD Congo) or members with less power but still important like Paolo Tudilu (Angola) or Moise Katumbo Chapwe (DRC)

So from '97-2004 during the first generation of WMMM, Ferre wasn't both the Golden Child and the Chef D'Orchestre?

So from '97-2004 during the first generation of WMMM, Ferre wasn't both the Golden Child and the Chef D'Orchestre?

Hmm let say it was half and half with Bill, Werra had pure admiration for Bill, giving him more space on the generiqye, sometimes giving him the role of making complicated choreography while Ferre was more of the guy who could do it all but I don't know how was the relationship between them it took a huge blow once he left and joined QL and since that time they don't have much relationship of talking between them

MUSICIANS
Musician are usually the ones who have more space on the stage, on the lyrics, and on the song usually if they aren't natural born songwriters they buy some songs by other small musicians outside of the big group's system (Paroliers)
It can't be different type of musicians that can be of two type mainly the singing musicians, and the instrumental musicians

SINGERS

Singers are usually divided in voice type (1er voix, 2 void don't know well the division I ask brother Mvulusi to help me on this) they get space in function of how much talent they have and on how close they get to other musician or to the leader himself, they usually sing rumba songs in group albums and have the chance to put at least one song, more sing if they are Chef or if they have showed to be skilled enough to deserve more than one song, they sing even in the seben songs (Songs who are half rumbas and half generique)

@Manzambi94

Thanks for the breakdown, I always wondered about the specific responsibilities of chef of orchestra. No wonder why that position is so often fought after! Is that role credited as artistic director for albums of large groups?

I had forgotten Ferre was Chief of Orchestra for a time, what about after their departure for Les Marquis? Who replaced Ferre as Chief of Orchestra in Maison Mere?

 it was about to be aimelia,then celeo but it ended being kakol who forced his way up in the hierarchy like his mate seguin did

@archos

Makes sense, Kakol can do almost no wrong in Werra's eyes...same as Heritier. I'm surprised that Celeo attempted to seize that position, Werrason never seemed to like him.

Even before Bill Clinton's  departure, Celeo really stepped up as an atalaku with A La Queue Leu Leu and General Alerte! This perhaps was too much of an improvement to ignore.

Although Kakol was likely the better choice between the two, he's an apt musican who can understand the technical aspect of the job (musical arrangement) better than singers who are made Chief of Orchestra.

Unlike Seguin, he's been consistent behind the drums! His techniques may lack the sophistication of his peers, but he's fefinatly top five in terms of power. Which is probably why Werrason's recent music has been better recorded and arranged than JB Mpiana's.

Actually kakol is one of the only chef d'orchestre is not the only one to be artistic director aswell, not too long ago the guy had pretty much all the roles before they organized elections which saw taddet arc en ciel olivier get role
funnily enough heritier never was an official chef of anything but was always the obvious number 2

Wenge1995 sorry if I didn't answer you I am with some internet pro Lem's and I am using public Wi-Fi for getting the net
Archos perfectly responded

SPOKESMAN
Is usually the guy who is on the frontline for promoting the album or communicate concert's date and placement, it is usually a very close friend of the leader who does the dirty work (Sankara, Marchouse, Roger Ngandu) of telling nasty things that the leader thinks but cannot really say it because of an image fact there are some rarity though like when Koffi usually provocate people in first place, or Ferre Gola answering to Fally and Koffi in a nasty way, or when Sankara spoke madly bad of Heritier after he left the group and Werra told him to f**k off for the first time since they are basically brothers (because Sankara asked Werra some money since he had problems with his son and Serra answer him like that because Heritier despite all to him it is like a son) or when Sankara always speaking of Heritier admited that Heritier did bad things had a daughter with Mampata's sisters (always because in WMMM mentality Mampata is untouchable and so are untouchable her relatives) made Brigade run after he beats him bad and the biggest thing he said was that Werra really regrets loosing Bill.
Or when Marchouse said that Kirikou didn't participate to QQJD because of spiritual reasons





ATALAKUS
Atalakus are the one who gets space in the song that have only seben section (generique) and sometimes in folklorique ones usually folkloric song from start to end are sang by the leader alone or plus some guest like Eboka (Werrason plus René and Mabele Elisi Group) or Elok'Oyo (who is sang by the leader alone Fally) but if the sing is composed to atalaku the folklore is by the atalaku himself (Style Moomberg by Bill or Mipende even though is not credited to Lobeso) in 100% of the cases if it is a solo Album or a generique album they aren't credited as composer or singer but the credit goes to the leader himself or the group as a whole for example in the group album of F'VICTEAM Libre Parcours whole the three generique are credited to the group and to Kabuya, Boussoule, Identitè and so on but sometimes in a very rare case the generique song is credited to the atalaku himself (Code Pin by Brigade, Kata Fumbwa Lobeso/Bercy) and most of the time the song is a generique but there are some cases of Seben songs like (Ezala Zala by Genta or J'en Ai Assez by Celeo Scram) or pure rumbas like Guantanamo of Tutu Caludji, even though the atalaku is the most marketable and recognizable the atalaku can live well only if he is in a Big group the moment he start to go solo he needs to be a superstar to live well without music (like Celeo whom have so much donors that music or not he is rich and Bill which through Skol's bonus and maxi contract for singers he is a millionaire) or being well organized to survive (Brigade started well but really lacks money to fund his career) most of the atalaku post Bill and Celeo tried to go solo to have stunning careers but really none of them succeeded Prince (ex WMMM) is in Europe, Lobeso generique wasn't well received same with Tresor's Nzinga (ex QL) Brandon Avatar (ex WMMM, Team Wata) Bercy Mwana (ex WMMM now with Jet7) Sabena (ex WMMM) mostly because they get little money and they don't have a salary since only four groups out of all pay employees (Wenge BCBG, QL, F'VICTEAM and 'S Grave) the rest of the groups simply waits on donors to pay employees or in most cases most of the musicians not  only atalaku have second jobs.

INSTRUMENTALIST
Most of the instrumentalist aren't played directly from the boss or administration and when that happens usually administration slip most of the money or don't even say to the guy they payed him, usually big donors decide to pay them some money or gifting them for example Kakol has been gifted a car by Gilles Massua along with other component, Kimbangu Luxembourg, literally said that without Cardozo Mwamba "Le Bill Gates" he wouldn't have eaten anything both in Bill's Les Samourai and in Wenge, Mboka Liya said that left JB because his car was dying, he made Anti-Terro (Caludji and Genta made even a cry about him and his car the most famous crie became the one against Werra "Mboka Liya why you came back from JB you have prayed Yuda (Werra) you have danced for the Judas (Werra) JB will never disappoint you) and still got not payed but when he was searching for JB JB was flexing and then he came to him and said go back to Werra if you are able to not get slapped again and then he decided to leave since the responsibilities were growing and he had to feed family leaving going in England, the most famous case of not payed musician is Kapaya Mwengi a.k.a. Flame who were promised a house by Werra that never arrived so he decided to leave, not for being stubborn or harsh but Werra actually promised a lot of things that didn't happened (Gift to Gents for loyalty in Wenge, Guitar to Polystsr, Bill Clinton participating in Ingeta and so on)

GUITARIST
They are the one who gives the pace to the whole orchestra with the guitarist being the most important ones of the musicians since 90% of Congolese songs are with the heavy presence of guitars of whole type acoustic, electric, of accompaniment and so on (song with heavy electric song are etat major especially to the end Libre Parcours #1, Je Ne Te Calcule Pas by JB since the 1:34, Diemba by Werra, with acoustic Deplick Kao Kao, Polystar's, Judgement Merlin credited to Werra, Deplick Kiti and for accompaniment Nande By Werra)