Author Topic: How was Papa Wemba's final album Maitre d'Ecole received by others?  (Read 4016 times)

congo-243 on: June 12, 2020, 19:54

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BercysFinest98 #1 on: June 12, 2020, 20:11

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I remember first hearing it at 16 years old! "Simple Rêve" was the one song that loved listening to. Papa Wemba, incorporating Classical Music with Lingala is quite extraordinary! One of the few songs that put me to sleep at night!

N'djamena as well! The bossa-nova interlude man! At the start I loved the guitars! I was getting 2000s R&B vibes!

I also loved "Nostalgie" with Ya Jossart! The leader of his first band Zaïko, this is one of the most significant songs on the album considering the that that it was his final ever!

"Blessure", what a tear jerker! This song really hits you hard when you hear the emotion of Wembadio as he sings the names of the lost souls of Bana Viva! Especially Emeneya!

"Araignée"... Hmmmm I'll have to pass on that one. It's not exactly "Kolo Histoire" or "Somo Trop"

Not forgetting "Chasse a l'homme" with JB Mpiana! Brilliant duet!

Honorable shoutout to "Eric Tela" and "Oyebi" too!

For me, its a brilliant album! Wembadio's voice has remained consistent throughout his career despite him getting older!

congo-243 #2 on: June 12, 2020, 20:26

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I remember first hearing it at 16 years old! "Simple Rêve" was the one song that loved listening to. Papa Wemba, incorporating Classical Music with Lingala is quite extraordinary! One of the few songs that put me to sleep at night!

N'djamena as well! The bossa-nova interlude man! At the start I loved the guitars! I was getting 2000s R&B vibes!

I also loved "Nostalgie" with Ya Jossart! The leader of his first band Zaïko, this is one of the most significant songs on the album considering the that that it was his final ever!

"Blessure", what a tear jerker! This song really hits you hard when you hear the emotion of Wembadio as he sings the names of the lost souls of Bana Viva! Especially Emeneya!

"Araignée"... Hmmmm I'll have to pass on that one. It's not exactly "Kolo Histoire" or "Somo Trop"

Not forgetting "Chasse a l'homme" with JB Mpiana! Brilliant duet!

Honorable shoutout to "Eric Tela" and "Oyebi" too!

For me, its a brilliant album! Wembadio's voice has remained consistent throughout his career despite him getting older!
Nice read. I agree on it being a great album. The fact that his voice barely changed is impressive.

Congolitude #3 on: June 12, 2020, 20:46

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I was just thinking about the song Kaporal, what a classsicccc guy. I think that this album was good, you have great rumba like Chasse à l'homme feat JB, Mobembo, Oyebi, I need you, Poule de la mort, Nostalgie, KAPORAL (big up to this song), N'Djamena... I remember that the day of his death, I discovered the song Bande Passante. For an album of end of career it was really good and especially his voice was always on top

Mfumu Vata #4 on: June 12, 2020, 21:03

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It was orginally a world music-album called Kemafumbe, which had to be released on the same time with Notre Pere to celebrate his 40th music career in 2009. But the release of both albums got delayed to 2010 with Notre Pere (Version Rumba) being the only album to get released. Wemba postponed the release to 2011, wanting finallly to make his comeback in the world music-section, what he was annoucing since 2006. But then the combattans-phenonmenon came, which made the album finally not being released. In 2012, Papa Wemba came with the Maitre d'Ecole project that started first as a maxi-single. Shortly after it grow into an album, wanting to prove the young generation a point (Fally Ipupa & Ferre Gola). Starting to critisize them openly in the press, for killing rumba by using programmed sounds instead of playing live or with instruments. Papa Wemba contacted JB Mpiana, Nyoka Longo and Mbilia Bel (she was ignoring Wemba's calls which made Barbara Kanam ending up by singing in Triple Option) to work with him on the Maitre d'Ecole-project, which had then only 10 songs. Wanting still to release his album Kemafumbe, he decided to put all the recorded songs in Maitre d'Ecole-album, which made the album having 22 tracks. The album didn't have a generique (Wemba wanting the album to be a 100% rumba called, coming with the slogan Rumba na Rumba), but due to the demand of the fans, Nouvelle Ecriture recorded the generique Araignee. They also added Emeneya's tribute song Blessure, which had some succes. Some weeks prior the release of the album, the album got big promoted on French-diaspora radios and channels like TV5, RFI, Tele Sud, etc. and also the Congolese press. People had big expectations for that album, but the album was not a succes. After a year, Wemba came to the press and said that he didn't made a big mistake, wanting annoucing a hip-hop album and a maxi-single with Nouvelle Ecriture.











congo-243 #5 on: June 12, 2020, 21:07

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It was orginally a world music-album called Kemafumbe, which had to be released on the same time with Notre Pere to celebrate his 40th music career in 2009. But the release of both albums got delayed to 2010 with Notre Pere (Version Rumba) being the only album to get released. Wemba postponed the release to 2011, wanting finallly to make his comeback in the world music-section, what he was annoucing since 2006. But then the combattans-phenonmenon came, which made the album finally not being released. In 2012, Papa Wemba came with the Maitre d'Ecole project that started first as a maxi-single. Shortly after it grow into an album, wanting to prove the young generation a point (Fally Ipupa & Ferre Gola). Starting to critisize them openly in the press, for killing rumba by using programmed sounds instead of playing live or with instruments. Papa Wemba contacted JB Mpiana, Nyoka Longo and Mbilia Bel (she was ignoring Wemba's calls which made Barbara Kanam ending up by singing in Triple Option) to work with him on the Maitre d'Ecole-project, which had then only 10 songs. Wanting still to release his album Kemafumbe, he decided to put all the recorded songs in Maitre d'Ecole-album, which made the album having 22 tracks. The album didn't have a generique (Wemba wanting the album to be a 100% rumba called, coming with the slogan Rumba na Rumba), but due to the demand of the fans, Nouvelle Ecriture recorded the generique Araignee. They also added Emeneya's tribute song Blessure, which had some succes. Some weeks prior the release of the album, the album got big promoted on French-diaspora radios and channels like TV5, RFI, Tele Sud, etc. and also the Congolese press. People had big expectations for that album, but the album was not a succes. After a year, Wemba came to the press and said that he didn't made a big mistake, wanting annoucing a hip-hop album and a maxi-single with Nouvelle Ecriture.







Nice read. Ndeko you're really the Wikipedia of our music you know almost everything about the genre, respect. What were your personal thoughts on it?

BercysFinest98 #6 on: June 12, 2020, 23:06

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That makes me think also... What would Papa Wemba think of all of the French born artists and Congolese born artists (of this generation) fusing Congolese rumba & Trap music together? Since Wembadio said "Machine eleki trop"?

I mean the whole idea of the fusion is pretty much a "Marketing stunt" to bring a modern Western or Pop sound to Rumba. But I feel that the genre gets overused and that the actual Rumba genre should be promoted! (Sorry to change the subject)
« Last Edit: June 12, 2020, 23:11 by BercysFinest98 »

J Silu #7 on: June 12, 2020, 23:09

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This is why I love this site. And I am honoured to be a part of this group. Toza na classe, everything that I wanted to ask or know about I get it from here.

And Papa Wemba's Maitre d'ecole album is the bomb. I remember buying it on iTunes. Never regretted it.

Usually you'd Think with the likes of ferre and fally dominating popularity with the new gen, the likes of Papa Wemba and co wouldn't be able to put out good albums but that's not the case.

They still put out good albums. It's just that bana mike just know ferre and fally only, like the way these kids just know Ronaldo and Messi but don't want to study and learn about the greats that came before them like zidane, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, bautistuta etc .. you get my drift.

But that album was solid. No lie.