I read a Zaiko biography somewhere that mentioned an odd thing, I am not sure it is true or not: that when some former musicians, like Evoloko, who left the group in the middle of the 70's rejoined near the end of the decade, there were actually two branches in Zaiko, one belonging to Nyoka Longo, and the other to Evoloko and some others, and they released albums separately. Can you mention some albums from that time that was created by the branch of Evoloko and friends?

Maybe it's a mistake and they are talking about Langa Langa Stars

I read this on wikipedia. So this history is incorrect?

In 1979 with a line up of 10 singers namely Nyoka Longo, Bimi Ombale, Lengi Lenga, Redo Likings, Mbuta Mashakado, Bozi Boziana, Anto Evoloko, Yenga Yenga, Sheikedan and Otis Mbuta Zaiko will be revisited by the demons of division. The band will be divided in two groups hostile to each other and pursuing different music philosophy. Anto Evoloko will lead his group of Bozi Boziana, Lengi Lenga and the newcomer Yenga Yenga. Nyoka Longo too will lead his group of Bimi Ombale, Likinga, Shekedan. The two group will release songs that were artistically different of each other, the Anto Evoloko group will release 7 sacrament, Kemoussa, Belinda, esengo na bango, Betula and others while Nyoka Kongo group will release Pa oki, Cherie nzembo, Moni Amina, Cherie B Wabi and many more including best song of the year 1979 Sentiment Away. The band leader and guitarist Pepe Manuaku who was more focus into his innovative sounds and collaboration in the Ya Toupa group where he was experimenting sounds with the pianist Ray Lema with songs like Ange Bokumba, Revelation, Zaiko Wa wa however he will try to unite the two groups with songs like Obi, Kwiti Kwiti and Femme ne pleure pas but will fail as many band members considered him partisan and favouring the Anto Evoloko group. On the other hand, Teddy Sukami another veteran of the band will focus his attention more in releasing songs with the recording studio group Les Casques Bleus than with Zaiko even scoring 1978 song of the year Bongo bougé with Les Casques bleus. The conflict will result in 1980 departure of band leader, co-founder and lead-guitarist Pepe Manuaku, taking with him Shekedan and Yenga Yenga to start his own band Grand Zaiko Wa Wa.

It's not Langa Langa Stars since Langa Langa Stars was in the 80's.

I think they were still in the same band but you had two factions doing their own music on their side.

Oncle Bapius and Gina talked about such a split but it was in the early 70's, before the first departure of Evoloko.

I won't be surprised if something like that happened again when Evoloko came back.

I didn't knew about that, I only knew that from 1977 they had to much musicians in the band and them the band in 3 for concerts, performing then on 3 different places at the same moment (team of Nyoka for example in Lemba, the one of Evoloko in Matonge and the one with Shekedan in Kintambo) and them replacing each other after having performed 6 songs.

Like Paysan Congolais you had  from 1972 until the creation of Isifi Lokole in 1974, two bands in Zaiko, the one of Evoloko Lay, Gina Efonge, Jules Presley "Wemba", Mavuela and Pepe Felly Manuaku that was nicknames like Ajumagi, Isifi and Les Quartro (people mostly paid attention to them) and the section of Nyoka Longo, Bimi Ombale & Mbuta Matima who had not alot succes.

Pepe Felly Manuaku left because Nyoka Longo wanted to become Chef d'Orchestre and through Bimi Ombale he forced him out the band. They also fired many musicians who would later form with him Grand Zaiko Wawa (musicians like Djudjuchet Luvengoka, Shekedan, etc.), Evoloko, Bozi Boziana and Djo Mali would follow him in solidarty. They even gave 1 concert or 2 concerts. Franco and Tabu Ley tried to reconcile them with the camp of Nyoka Longo, but it didn't work. Bozi Boziana, Djo Mali and Evoloko Lay ended up by returning to Zaiko Langa Langa and Manuaku continued with Grand Zaiko Wawa.



(I think that it was in this interview where Manuaku explained his departure, the way Bimi Ombale wrote a letter with red ink, how they fired the musicians, etc.)

Evoloko was along with Nyoka Longo the main star of Zaiko. But Nyoka Longo wasnt liking him, because he felt like Evoloko was about to steal his leadership. But this time there wasn't Manuaku to protect him against Nyoka Longo, which made Evoloko fealing more and more isolated. He prepared his departure behind the scenes and went to contact Verckys Kiamuangana to sponsor his band, Verckys wanted only to help if he could get with him a few other stars of Zaiko, Evoloko then bringing with him Bozi and Djo Mali (Roxy Tshimpaka, Likinga and Lengi Lenga refused). At the same time Esperant Kisangani, Djuna Djanana, Dindo Yogo, Huits Kilo and Patcho Star left Viva La Musica, being fed up about Wemba not paying them. Like Evoloko, they went Verckys to ask if he could produce their band and Verckys saying that he would only accept to produce them if they could get Emeneya, to form a band called Viva-Viva stars (Emeneya was the main star of Viva La Musica after Papa Wemba). Esperant saying that it wouldn't work, because of Emeneya's love for Papa Wemba being to big and saying that he would refuse, that they could also to fuse with the team of Evoloko, which also happended. But for whatever reasons rumors were spread that Emeneya joined Langa Langa Stars, which wasn't true. Emeneya not being aware of that went to public rehearshal and was severly beaten by Viva-fans in Matonge. Emeneya decided then to leave and brought Beniko Popolipo, who was also in Viva La Musica, with him. They started rehearshing and recorded a few songs (those who have Emeneya's voice aren't released, but in the song you can hear Dindo Yogo giving Emeneya a shot-out and also Huits Kilos and Patcho Star). But Evoloko couldn't get along with Emeneya, wanting to be the main star of Langa Langa Stars and Emeneya's staff not liking Evoloko's behaviour toward Emeneya (Evoloko at some point saying that Emeneya has to cut his hair and become bold, knowing that the haircuts were Emeneya's trademark). Before going to Kasangulu in the Kongo Central province to train and prepare their "sortie officiel" for the national television and new songs, they performed at Veve Center or bar Vis-a-Vis and just after that concert Emeneya got approached by Franco at home (he was sent by Papa Wemba who was trying to get him back). Emeneya then came with the condition that he would only rejoin, if they could get his best friend Dindo Yogo and his friends Patcho Star & Huits Kilo with them. Patcho Star & Huits Kilo accepted, but Dindo Yogo refused (and his father also refused, being still furious how he was abandoned when he became seriously ill). Emeneya, Huits Kilo and Patcho Star ended up by returning Viva La Musica and Langa Langa Stars being in Kasangulu, in meantime advertisements of Langa Langa Stars were broadcasted on tv with Emeneya being among the les 7 Patrons (they would change it into les 6 patrons because of Emeneya departure until that Roxy Tshimpaka arrived the next year).

Langa Langa Stars would dominated the music-charts for months, Papa Wemba tried to respond with Mea Culpa and Ufukutanu, but it didn't work and after a few months  he would abandon Viva La Musica and move to France staying their for 6 months.



Zaiko Langa Langa on his side started to get problems with Verckys, with who they had still a contract. Nyoka Longo discovered that Verckys used to sleep with his wife and was furious, which made him record the diss-track SOS Maya when they were on tour in Europe, forgetting that the instruments they were using were owned by Veve. After a few days, Verckys ordered his team to confiscate the instruments, which made Zaiko Langa Langa not being able to perform for 9 months and them being broke. Roxy Tshimpaka being some being fed up, to wait for the new instruments and dedicing to join Langa Langa Stars.

Thank you! Mfumu Vata, you are an encyclopedia walking on two legs!