It´s actually smart to have a band in Kinshasa, when using session musicians. Because he don't have to pay them or just pay them peanuts and they will never leave you hahaha. If he hire session musicians you will have to pay them every concert. I remember a percussionst doing an interview on one of Kinshasa'smany tv-channels, saying that Koffi invited to help him with a concert at grand hotel. They agreed that he would pay him 50xthe amount of hours he performed. They performed like 5 hours with him. So when he concert was finished he tought he would get 250 dollars, but Koffi started running. The guy first thought that he was running because of being in danger until realizing that Koffi was actually running to his car to not pay him. The guy tried to contact Koffi multiple times, but Koffi was not getting his calls and ended up insulting him. He did apparently the same thing to Pathy Moleso after Zenith 2009.
Fally Ipupa and David Monsoh weren't happy the way they had to pay session musicians every concert during the short Europe tour they did in 2006 after the release of Droit Chemin. Djudjuchet wanted something like 400 every concert. Popolipo ended up by leaving them because he wanted get 300 euros every concert. The rest was ok for getting just 200 euros or 150.
Madilu had nothing to worry. Because he had already the label of being the heir of Franco's music. But yeah he could have been on a much bigger dimension if would do tours in Europe with his band and also play mythic halls on a later stage. His behaviour with his musicians could maybe has something to do with his childhood. His dad apparently didn't like him and did alot of mental abuse on him and his relatives. If I remember well Shora Mukoko or somebody else revealed that he even made a diss-song against his dad in Minzoto Wella. His whole music-career before TP Ok Jazz he went through deceptions and humilations. People often forget how hard it was for him to get a place in TP Ok Jazz. Before Non, Franco wasn't liking him, always insulting him (calling him big head) and said that he was a faux chanteur.
Franco had his moments. There were times that he would pay his musicians and give them alot of gifts (like buying cars for them) but there would also be period that he wouldn't pay them.
There were moments that Papa Wemba would pay his musicians. It was not that he was never paying them that's false. The problem was that he had to much musicians in his band and also alot of children and women. Plus the money they were getting although all succes in Kinshasa was not alot. So when he would get a huge amount for example the shows he gave at Cine Palladium in 1982 (when coming back from Europe after 6 months absence) he would give his musicians peannuts.
Koffi Olomidé was never Papa Wemba's musician. Koffi Olomidé used to collaborated with Papa Wemba and Viva la Musica for his singles. His first two singles Sango Ndambo and Asso were recorded by Pepe Felly Manuaku of Zaiko and his friends. He had normally to record with Papa Wemba on the lead. But Papa Wemba didn't show up (According late Verckys it was because he felt humilated that rumors were spread that the majority of his songs were written by Koffi Olomidé). So Verckys forced Koffi Olomidé to sing lead in the studio. After that he recorded also songs with Emeneya, Patcho Star and co of Viva la Musica without Wemba's permission which with those guys getting suspensed. Years later Emeneya would claim that he tought Koffi Olomidé to sing in these songs. It's after the succes of these songs Koffi started to record duets with Papa Wemba.
Koffi Olomidé wanted to come with something new in Congolese music. Seeing how his friends in bands like Viva la Musica and Zaiko were treated by bandleader, he wanted his band to be professional when creating Quartier Latin. All musicians that were part of his band to be paid. That's why he called it first "Quartier Latin Entreprise" before changing it in "Quartier Latin International" from the 90s.
