I think that they were scared that he could dominate the Congolese music-scene again, like he did in the six first years of Victoria Eleison, so they did everything to block his career. Succesful Congolese bandleaders always block other bandleader who are a big treat to their succes and do everything to kill the artist who's on thrown and let replace him.
Emeneya's time wasn't really over, there some big events and succesful albums. It was just that he hadn't he same fame he had of 1982-1988 when Victoria Eleison was dominating Zaire and giving Viva La Musica a hard time. Another thing is that Clan Wenge and his brothers Papa Wemba & Koffi Olomide had big support from donors while Emeneya had only Didi Kinuani, also the same brothers were fighting Emeneya very hard to not get any contract abroad. Most people of Emeneya's staff were traitors, for example JDK Decor running away with the money of Longue Histoire to let Wemba perform at Bercy. Also Emeneya taking long to release Longue Histoire and not really being competitve in 1998/1999/2000 by staying months in long in Europe made him lose alot of fans (Bana Tshangu, etc.) to his "mpangi" Werrason, who he used to support openly since the split of Wenge until the Kibuisa-era. (He had still a big fanbase when he came back to Kinshasa. I think that it was mistake from Emeneya to support Werrason openly), while Wemba's fanbase was still intact (becoming every year a little bit smaller). I remember Emeneya complaining about Werrason in private, about not getting any support back or visit at home from. Saying that he's ungrateful.
Emeneya's concert at Zenith de Paris was almost cancelled, because his brothers. Wemba and Koffi met Felix Petit (the promoter of his concert) and tried to convice him to cancel the event, claiming that he was finished, but he refused. Then they sent guys in Kinshasa to manipulate Emeneya's musicians to form their own band, saying that the concert at Zenith will be cancelled,saying that it was better because they were already suffering alot in Kinshasa. Keymembers like Guy Moller, Zoe Bella, Anthony Sampaio, Sweet Elesse and Eric Masudi decided to leave Victoria Eleison to form their own band, just two months before his concert at Zenith. This all made Petit Felix not believe anymore in it and he wanted to cancel it, but Emeneya begged him to not do it and gave even his money back to perform for free. The rest of the story we know (Emeneya performing at a packed Zenith and Felix Petit being ashamed).
In 1985 getting all prices (best star, best singer, best band, best song,...).
I always questioned why Emeneya's brothers would do that I know nobody is perfect but let someone breathe air.
Emeneya never reached the level he had in 1988, from 1990 until his death. When he returned to Kinshasa it were Clan Wenge and his older brothers Papa Wemba & Koffi Olomide dominating the game. In 1997 when he came back it was JB Mpiana who became the star of the year because of the succes of Feux de l'Amour. In the year that he released Mboka Mboka, it was Marie Paul who became the star of the year because the huge succes of Couvre Feu and his concerts pulling huge crowds. He was then the first artist of Clan Wenge to perform at Esplanade de Palais du Peuple being carried by his guards on a tshipoyi (traditional chair of chiefs) during his entrance and cameramen falling down on strais when they tried to film the entrace with journalist Manda Tchebwa having something like wtf. The whole place was overcrowded and people were still coming while the concert was finished. (Marie Paul's nkisi-domination wasn't normal pffff). Unfortunately they didn't release a official VHS-tape for Europe like they did with his concert at Stade Tata Raphael one year later. In 2000 when Emeneya released Longue Histoire it was the year of Werrason having broke JB's record of Stade des Martyrs and filled Bercy.
This is completely subjective and will proably change - and I really stopped caring after 2009 tbh.
Group & Solo Artists 1990 - Wenge Musica "Kin e Bouger" 1991 - Viva La Musica & Bana OK 1992 - Defao with "Solange" & "Amour Scolaire" 1993 - Koffi 1994 - Wemba, Pepe Kalle & Quartier Latin 1995 - Koffi No-contest. Also have to recognize Wemba and "Emotion" 1996 - Wenge Musica BCBG 4x4 "Pentagone & Koffi/Wemba "Wake Up" 1997 - JB Mpiana/Koffi/Defao/Felix Wazekwa 1998 - Wenge BCBG 1999 - Wenge Maison Mere & Koffi. 2000 - JB Mpiana 2001 - Koffi, but technically Effrakata came out late that year. So I will include Werrason 2002 - Madilu & Extra Musica 2003 - Wemba & Quartier Latin 2004 - Wazekwa 2005 - Werrason 2006 - Fally 2007 - Ferre Gola 2008 - Werrason 2009 - Fally & Ferre 2010 - Wemba "Notre Pere" 2011 - Meh 2012 - Meh 2013 - Ferre 2014 - Fabergas 2015 - F'victeam 2016 - Defao (Any Time) 2017 - Ferre Gola 2018 - Blaise Bula
Just realised King Kester Emeneya was not on the list.
Musicians are difficult to deal with. Emeneya paid cars for his musicians and did everything to please them, but he only with 7 people in 2003. Adolphe Dominguez lost his head back in 2002 when alot of musicians decided to stay. He even let the rest of Wenge Tonya Tonya return by themselves and stayed in Europe to give the New Jack of Brussels alot of money to get for him Chibida Dumbu, Canard and Papillion back, but it didn't work.
I am reading these stories about the Late Madilu and how he used to treat his band members and must say his style of leadership is rather disappointing, like. I know its mostly considered bad according to African culture to say something negative about a deceased person. But in all honesty, I've never rated Madilu as an artiste very highly. I used to wonder why he got so much credit yet to me He was just another average guy, I know he has a big following and agree he was talented but I never saw nothing extra exceptional about him. Although dealing with humans can be tricky as @mvulusi96 has given an example of Emeneya, doing things for his band and they still deserted him, but if its true he did things like leaving his band stranded in a foreign country its was just rather shameful as a leader and an injustice to those band members, its like taking away their dignity. Taking people to Zambia or wherever from DRC then abandoning them in a foreign country its just shameful.
My mum likes his music but rarely listens to it because she does not like his behaviour
Guys, allow me to divert from the topic, About Bozi Boziana's Orchestre anti Choc. Been catching up on some old VHS clips of theirs "Pere Noel Confiance" Album to be specific then on further research I learnt that Lili Nedule passed away years ago. When was this? Was she ill or something? She seemed a much talented Lady. Any Info on whereabouts of those Members? Koffi Alibaba Lapino Betty Skola Flo Last time I checked Deo Brando, he seemed tobhave had an issue with Fally, I didn't get much because the interviews were in Lingala.
I think Lili Nedule passed away somewhere in 2000/01 because she sung on Aime's Buanga album "Rabbi" Koffi Alibaba is in Kinshasa, Lapino is in Kinshasa he is a brother in christ. Betty Bis and Skola Miel are in Paris and Miss Flo is probably in Paris.
Show Posts
