It's totally understandable why the key members of Victoria Eleison Dream Team Dream Band left;

1) They were going long periods of time without payment, because Kester was busy spending much of the group's profit on building his villa Maison Blanche. I even suspect that this is a contributing factor as to why Spino Lajatance left for Quartier Latin after the release of Mboka Mboka.

2) Despite the huge success of Mboka Mboka and Longue Histoire, the newly formed band has yet to tour in Europe and  are being given a hard time by "le carré magique" since those other bands have.

As it would have seemed, Dream Team Dream Band would have made it to Zenith of 2001 had they remained a bit more patient under the circumstances. The group already was preparing very well for Novel Ordre; you can hear the popular partition from the generique @ 4:56 minutes.



As we know, Mambo de Panama of King Boys staff (the same guy who helped Kester recruit these guys) convienced Guy Moller, Anthony Sampaio, Zoe Bella, Sweet Elesse, and Eric Masudi to split and form their own band. Does anyone know if they ever recorded and released an album? Why wasn't their spin off band successful? They were fantastic, just check out their 1hr 15 mintues to 1hr 21 minutes.



Do you think it would have been better for them to stick it out? Although, I figure most of those guys would have remained in Europe. King Kester was too eager to prove himself too soon and perhaps so were his boys...I supppse it is one of Congolese music's biggest mysteries.

Remember, Felix Wazewka had a somewhat similar problem in that his band was anxious to perform at the mystical halls, but the more patient members got to enjoy the glory (Eclipse, Pitchou Concorde, ect) while those who left the group got bad luck (Gesac, Hono Kapanga, Joss Diena, and Gabanna).

It's totally understandable why the key members of Victoria Eleison Dream Team Dream Band left;

1) They were going long periods of time without payment, because Kester was busy spending much of the group's profit on building his villa Maison Blanche. I even suspect that this is a contributing factor as to why Spino Lajatance left for Quartier Latin after the release of Mboka Mboka.

2) Despite the huge success of Mboka Mboka and Longue Histoire, the newly formed band has yet to tour in Europe and  are being given a hard time by "le carré magique" since those other bands have.

As it would have seemed, Dream Team Dream Band would have made it to Zenith of 2001 had they remained a bit more patient under the circumstances. The group already was preparing very well for Novel Ordre; you can hear the popular partition from the generique @ 4:56 minutes.



As we know, Mambo de Panama of King Boys staff (the same guy who helped Kester recruit these guys) convienced Guy Moller, Anthony Sampaio, Zoe Bella, Sweet Elesse, and Eric Masudi to split and form their own band. Does anyone know if they ever recorded and released an album? Why wasn't their spin off band successful? They were fantastic, just check out their 1hr 15 mintues to 1hr 21 minutes.



Do you think it would have been better for them to stick it out? Although, I figure most of those guys would have remained in Europe. King Kester was too eager to prove himself too soon and perhaps so were his boys...I supppse it is one of Congolese music's biggest mysteries.

Remember, Felix Wazewka had a somewhat similar problem in that his band was anxious to perform at the mystical halls, but the more patient members got to enjoy the glory (Eclipse, Pitchou Concorde, ect) while those who left the group got bad luck (Gesac, Hono Kapanga, Joss Diena, and Gabanna).

The project of building Maison Blanche came in 2000.

After recording Mboka Mboka, Emeneya spent months in Europe (I don't know for what reasons) and Victoria Eleison despite the succes Mboka Mboka, struggling in Kinshasa and Emeneya's staff giving them a hard time. Then Emeneya returned to prepare Longue Histoire and they went to record on the same time Malembe Chante's album Opposition Radicale Ngomane. Then Emeneya went again back to Europe and the musicians rehearshing very hard with King Office (Emeneya's staff) giving them hard time. Guy Moller & Spino Djatence didn't like the way they were treated by Emeneya's staff and decided to join Quartier Latin. Emeneya then did his best to get them back, but only Guy Moller returned. Then after some months Emeneya came back to Kinshasa and they went to record Longue Histoire volume 1 & 2, having also a contract for a USA-tour in his pockets. After finishing recording the album he went with Zoe Bella, Guy Moller & Mbuta Bass to the USA. (Anthony Sampaio was left behind, because he went to sleep at his house with his wife which was next to Victoria's rehearsal place. Saying that they had to wake him up if they would go to the Ndjili-airport. But Emeneya said to Guy and co not do that, because he ordered them all to sleep at the rehearsal place, so to punish Anthony, they went without him. Then during the flight Emeneya kept saying "oyo akokima, nakotia ye na cercueil" hahahhaa). When they came in New York, they met Defao and Big Stars who were also touring there. The project was that some musicians of Europe and Huits Kilo who was living already in the USA would join them, but the tour ended up by getting cancelled. So Emeneya went back to Paris, abandon Guy Moller, Mbuta Bass and Zoe Bella without money in the USA. They were all three kicked out from their hotels. In meanthime Emeneya started claiming in the Congolese press that Koffi and Wemba influenced them to stay behind while the story was totally false. Guy Moller started then to work in a sneaker shop & Zoe Bella became a window washer. But after some months they wanted to go back, so they called Lilianne (Emeneya's wife) and then bought with their own money their tickets to join Victoria Eleison in Tanzania (they were touring there and waiting to get visa's to go to the USA). When they came they recorded the famous VHS with Mbuta Likasu and the videoclips of Longue Histoire. Then Emeneya went back to France and abandon the band in Kenya, they had a hard time, getting arrested multiples times for not having a work-permit, etc. Then Emeneya came back and they went back to Kinshasa throught Lubumbashi, but got paid peanuts which created more tenions in the band. Then when they came Mambo de Panama wanted to let the musicians stay at a hotel because of spending more than 6 months abroad, like the way Maison Mere, Quartier Latin and Wenge BCBG were sleeping for a month at Grand Hotel de Kinshasa after touring months long in Europe. But Emeneya didn't want that, saying that it would made the musicians big headed and then an argument starting between Mambo and Emeneya, Mambo saying that he wanted his money back he invested in Victoria and claiming that Emeneya only cared about himself. So Mambo went back to Europe. After that Emeneya, went back to Europe to finish the Longue Histoire clips and sign contracts for the EUrope-tour and the Zenith-even and spent again months long which started to fustrate his musicians. Then he came back and they started to prepare the Zenith-show.


Mambo de Panama didn't influence the guys to form the band. It was Guy Moller who was already fed up with the way were treated came with idea to form a band, so he started to influence some members to leave which was only 2 months before the Zenith-event and they called then Mambo de Panama to help them and go back to Europe. Guy Moller, Eric Masudi, Zoe Bella, Sampiao and Sweet Elesse formed then their band and started to recruit musicians. Emeneya tried throught donors to get Zoe Bella and Sampaio back, but they refused,  they wanted him to get also Guy Moller, Eric Masudi and Sweet Elesse, but Emeneya didn't want them, because he saw them as demons.

Dream Team, Dream Band released an EP called "Syteme ya ba Chinois" which was a preview for the album which they had to record in Europe (the project of the tour dissapeard because it started to become hard to get visa's in 2002 with Werrason & Bozi Boziana getting arrested that year for ngulu's). Dream Band, Dream Band was unsucceful because most left within 1 year. Anthony Sampaio who was then the president decided to leave as first and stayed at home (he wanted to rejoin Victoria Eleison and was waiting for them, but Papa Wemba convinced him to join Nouvelle Ecriture) then Sweet Elesse & Zoe Bella left and all rejoined Victoria Eleison when they came back from their Europe-tour.

I don't think that Guy Moller, Sampiao and Zoe Bella would stay in Europe, because they were like French people say "tete d'affiche" of Victoria Eleison, those who remained in Europe were mostly reserve-band members. Musicians like Willy Ebondaki, Zozo Malaba, Yves Tchum Tchum, Pompom Miyake, Passi Ngiangy and Spino La Djatence (he rejoined the band in Europe) all returned.

@mvulusi96

Why did the USA tour get cancelled so quickly? Was it because of the problems that Defao was having with Big Stars or was it a problem with the concert promoters?

I always thought it was Koffi that was doing nasty things to undermine Kester like stealing the the cry "kiwanzenza" for Force de Frappe even though Victoria Eleison presented it a year earlier.



Also, why did King Kester go with a better production company for Longue Histoire after the success of Mboka Mboka? It seemed like everyone in that area got ahead except for him; Extra Musica, Felix Wazewka, and Masion Mere went with JPS Production, Patrouille de Stars with Denide Productions, and Wemba as well as Koffi with Sono. Everyone of those guys recorded and toured in Europe because of that label

@mvulusi96

Why did the USA tour get cancelled so quickly? Was it because of the problems that Defao was having with Big Stars or was it a problem with the concert promoters?

I always thought it was Koffi that was doing nasty things to undermine Kester like stealing the the cry "kiwanzenza" for Force de Frappe even though Victoria Eleison presented it a year earlier.



Also, why did King Kester go with a better production company for Longue Histoire after the success of Mboka Mboka? It seemed like everyone in that area got ahead except for him; Extra Musica, Felix Wazewka, and Masion Mere went with JPS Production, Patrouille de Stars with Denide Productions, and Wemba as well as Koffi with Sono. Everyone of those guys recorded and toured in Europe because of that label

The tour got cancelled, because Emeneya because changed his mind on the last minute and went back to France.

Koffi didn’t nothing wrong by using Kiwanzenza. Back in the days all bands were using the same dance. Emeneya liked to attack Koffi  since that he saw him as his rival in the music-scene, but on the other side it still pissed him off because they danced it at Bercy while Longue Histoire was then not released on the market. Werrason, Jb Mpiana, Defao, etc they all danced Kiwanenza, but most didn’t use the cri, Coming with Coco Wele, Wende Sous Marin, Ma Kiliba, etc. It was a little bit hypocritical the way he attacked Koffi but not Werrason and the others.

Longue Histoire had to be produced by JPS, but Emeneya didn’t like the contract and other labels couldn’t give him the money he wanted. (Don’t Forget that labels started to doubt since that his EP Never Again flopped). So he went to produce Longue Histoire like Mboka Mboka on his own.

Europe-tours were not organised by their labels. It were mostly Congolese and African concert-promoters who were bringing them to Europe for big events at Zénith, Olympia, LSC and Bercy. For example Koffi’s Olympia was done by Kokar Masakuba, Koffi’s Zénith was done by Junior Mac Kenro, Werra’s Bercy was done by mr Yann (a French Jew who used to do alot in Congolese music). It was very rare to see a Congolese band come directly to Europe only for recording an album.

Remember, Felix Wazewka had a somewhat similar problem in that his band was anxious to perform at the mystical halls, but the more patient members got to enjoy the glory (Eclipse, Pitchou Concorde, ect) while those who left the group got bad luck (Gesac, Hono Kapanga, Joss Diena, and Gabanna).

Yes bro. With Gesac, Hono, Joss and Gabanna joined QL (Mineurs). But why did Joss Diena and Gesac leaving the band again ? I don't hear them in Chicotte a Papa (especially in Skol Mandramanda). In the same maxi-single they used also not to play sebene with Bass and Solo Guitar. Only on Arabe's song i heard the bass. And i thought 10 years that Gesac and Joss were still in Que demande le peuple and during the Olympia they already left.

What is the name of the guy who sung in Guy Rene Ekanza ?

@mvulusi96

Why did the USA tour get cancelled so quickly? Was it because of the problems that Defao was having with Big Stars or was it a problem with the concert promoters?

I always thought it was Koffi that was doing nasty things to undermine Kester like stealing the the cry "kiwanzenza" for Force de Frappe even though Victoria Eleison presented it a year earlier.



Also, why did King Kester go with a better production company for Longue Histoire after the success of Mboka Mboka? It seemed like everyone in that area got ahead except for him; Extra Musica, Felix Wazewka, and Masion Mere went with JPS Production, Patrouille de Stars with Denide Productions, and Wemba as well as Koffi with Sono. Everyone of those guys recorded and toured in Europe because of that label

The tour got cancelled, because Emeneya because changed his mind on the last minute and went back to France.

Koffi didn’t nothing wrong by using Kiwanzenza. Back in the days all bands were using the same dance. Emeneya liked to attack Koffi  since that he saw him as his rival in the music-scene, but on the other side it still pissed him off because they danced it at Bercy while Longue Histoire was then not released on the market. Werrason, Jb Mpiana, Defao, etc they all danced Kiwanenza, but most didn’t use the cri, Coming with Coco Wele, Wende Sous Marin, Ma Kiliba, etc. It was a little bit hypocritical the way he attacked Koffi but not Werrason and the others.

Longue Histoire had to be produced by JPS, but Emeneya didn’t like the contract and other labels couldn’t give him the money he wanted. (Don’t Forget that labels started to doubt since that his EP Never Again flopped). So he went to produce Longue Histoire like Mboka Mboka on his own.

Europe-tours were not organised by their labels. It were mostly Congolese and African concert-promoters who were bringing them to Europe for big events at Zénith, Olympia, LSC and Bercy. For example Koffi’s Olympia was done by Kokar Masakuba, Koffi’s Zénith was done by Junior Mac Kenro, Werra’s Bercy was done by mr Yann (a French Jew who used to do alot in Congolese music). It was very rare to see a Congolese band come directly to Europe only for recording an album.

Not to revive an old topic, but how is producing the album independently is better than JPS Production? The label has a proven track record of quality sound for their albums and successful artists (Wenge MMM, Extra Musica, Madilu, ect.)

You think he made more money self-producing Lounge Histoire than with a label? I guess I'm not sure what artist look for when they sign to bigger labels, aside from a sizable advance?

I don't know because I am not from the music industry. The difference is that the musiclabels will promote the album still after years while when Congolese artists producing on their own  they already stop the promotion of the album, when seeing that they are making little profit from the money they invested. That is also why many albums of 2008, 2009 and 2010 who were produced on their own or by donors, friends weren't well promoted. The album being a succes, but after 4/5 months just 1 generique and 2 rumbas being known and the remaining videos-clips that had not be released on DVD not coming in the market or getting poor promotion. But the artists not caring about that and preparing the next album or maxi-single.

JPS Production was not the best musiclabel because you had also Sono and Syllart who were letting record their artists in modern studios giving them money they wanted. Koffi Olomide was producting albums independently when being with Sonodisc. He was producing Quartier Latin alone as executive producer and Sonodisc/Sono/Next Music doing the distribution. Seeing that nobody could give him the contract that Sono gave him when Sono closed, he would do the same strategy with Somina when working on his solo album Monde Arabe with Diego Music on his solo album B.E.K.

Not all bandleaders know business and went long to school, the majority were already used to let their albums being produced by musiclabels. When JPS Production closed and making Et Apres with Kiki Toure, Felix Wazekwa saw with the decline of musiclabels due to huge piracy that he could make more money when producing albums on his own then getting produced by musiclabels. So he decided to do Faux Mutu Moko Boye on his own and Kiki Toure helping him with the distribution. He was mocked for that, but it was only years later that Congolese artists discovered that it was better to do the production on their own. But when they wanted to try it, it was already to late and the music industry already being death.

According to Emeneya he made more money. Also if you look back when preparing the album nobody was trusting him anymore and his colleagues saying that he was finished, labels not wanting to give the money he wanted for the album, etc. After the succes of Longue Histoire, Jean Pierre Saah came back and wanted him to sign a 10 years a contract for 1.500.000 franc francais. But Emeneya saying that he made 1.000.000 franc francais with Longue Histoire in 1 year. Jean Pierre Saah not nobody in his label had a contract of 1.500.000 franc francais

Hello everyone,
I'm only writing this message because I'm so amazed at the huge knowledge you guys have about congolese music. It's mind-blowing. You guys have been active like this from years, so congrats !
I'm Bikoni, the guy behind the Bikoni243 channel, and I'm honoured to meet you all.
Safe 

Hello everyone,
I'm only writing this message because I'm so amazed at the huge knowledge you guys have about congolese music. It's mind-blowing. You guys have been active like this from years, so congrats !
I'm Bikoni, the guy behind the Bikoni243 channel, and I'm honoured to meet you all.
Safe 

Just subscribed to the channel