Plus an interview with Zacharie Bababaswe

I'm surprised to hear JB Mpiana saying in this interview that TH would have 13 songs (which would become 15). In this interview he explained why he didn't release TH in November 1999 like promised and it's talking a long time to get released (people were claiming that he was scared for Solola Bien and not wanted the same experience, that happened to Titanic when Force d'Intervention Rapide got released in the same period, prefering to release Bonne Année "Ya Pas Photo, Ya Pas Match"), JB gave the example of Titanic and people started later discovering songs that they didn't knew and discovering late that it was a top album, while in the beginning it got heavily critized and adding the way artists kill were killing their own album (Defao,..) by releasing every year a new one. JB also said that Kaludji joined the singing section, after seeing that he alot atalaku's followed his style "Ecole des Calugistes". (It made later Bill and Celeo mock Kaludji for quitting his role as atalaku. Creating thea cri "Ya Mavondo" in Terrain eza Mine, claiming that Bill Clinton finished Kaludji). They also talked about his event at Stade de France hahahaha. Saying that he's isn't scared for Stade de France. Zacle also asking at some point about Wenge BCBG later being based in Europe, but JB saying that Kinshasa would still stay the headquarter of Wenge BCBG (after coming back from Zenith & Olympia, a rumor kept haunt for 2 years, about JB wanting to not wanting to live in Kinshasa anymore for the way he was treated by the press and influent musicians and politicans trying to kill his career). At the start of the interview Zacle, asked him why he doesn't decide to have a solo career with session musicians backing him, instead of having a real band and JB Mpiana saying that it's not bad, but it would be selfish on his side to fire his own musicians out of nowhere. They also talked about the departures of Aimelia & Burkina Faso (who just left when they came in Europe) without naming their names, saying that departures in his bands are due to indiscipline.

After it Zacharie Bababaswe went to interview Titina, Kaludji and Alain Mpela who came in Europe to finish TH (I wonder how Gentamicine felt when hearing that they erased his parts to replace it with the new animations of Kaluji, creating debts from the people he received money to mention their names in his cri's) and also Francis Kalombo & Dominique Kabengele. Alain Mpela and Titina dissing Werrason "Alain saying a monkey is looking a way to bleach his skin, Titina adding but he will never get the beauty of a human", refering to the way Werrason bleached his skin during the Solola-Bien days, they also explained the meaning of the nickname Bin Adam. Later they were bragging about their new cars, (Imagine Burkina Faso not being left behind and also getting his car, hahahahaha). Titina again explaining why TH took a long time to get released and him indirectly dissing Werrason, saying that he they used record albums under high pressure in Wenge 4x4 and someone "Werrason" stealing their money and putting pressure on them. Alain Mpela joining saying that there are comedian-artists in music (reffering once again to Werrason and also Adolphe, for the way he used to do multiple chereopgraphies in his concerts) and real-artists (giving himself as example, and calling Adolphe a faux chanteur, saying he doesn't know how to dress and just talk bullshit, while he could sing with Julio Iglesias and Stevie Wonder), saying that Bercy pass and their event at Stade de France is there. Titina and Alain Mpela saying that the PPU's had to be patient, giving their hard time towards stardom as example (Titina then having once again to attack Werrason, talking about the way he refused to give him money, to help him pay the rent and water).

I'm surprised to hear JB Mpiana saying in this interview that TH would have 13 songs (which would become 15). In this interview he explained why he didn't release TH in November 1999 like promised and it's talking a long time to get released (people were claiming that he was scared for Solola Bien and not wanted the same experience, that happened to Titanic when Force d'Intervention Rapide got released in the same period, prefering to release Bonne Année "Ya Pas Photo, Ya Pas Match"), JB gave the example of Titanic and people started later discovering songs that they didn't knew and discovering late that it was a top album, while in the beginning it got heavily critized and adding the way artists kill were killing their own album (Defao,..) by releasing every year a new one. JB also said that Kaludji joined the singing section, after seeing that he alot atalaku's followed his style "Ecole des Calugistes". (It made later Bill and Celeo mock Kaludji for quitting his role as atalaku. Creating thea cri "Ya Mavondo" in Terrain eza Mine, claiming that Bill Clinton finished Kaludji). They also talked about his event at Stade de France hahahaha. Saying that he's isn't scared for Stade de France. Zacle also asking at some point about Wenge BCBG later being based in Europe, but JB saying that Kinshasa would still stay the headquarter of Wenge BCBG (after coming back from Zenith & Olympia, a rumor kept haunt for 2 years, about JB wanting to not wanting to live in Kinshasa anymore for the way he was treated by the press and influent musicians and politicans trying to kill his career). At the start of the interview Zacle, asked him why he doesn't decide to have a solo career with session musicians backing him, instead of having a real band and JB Mpiana saying that it's not bad, but it would be selfish on his side to fire his own musicians out of nowhere. They also talked about the departures of Aimelia & Burkina Faso (who just left when they came in Europe) without naming their names, saying that departures in his bands are due to indiscipline.

After it Zacharie Bababaswe went to interview Titina, Kaludji and Alain Mpela who came in Europe to finish TH (I wonder how Gentamicine felt when hearing that they erased his parts to replace it with the new animations of Kaluji, creating debts from the people he received money to mention their names in his cri's) and also Francis Kalombo & Dominique Kabengele. Alain Mpela and Titina dissing Werrason "Alain saying a monkey is looking a way to bleach his skin, Titina adding but he will never get the beauty of a human", refering to the way Werrason bleached his skin during the Solola-Bien days, they also explained the meaning of the nickname Bin Adam. Later they were bragging about their new cars, (Imagine Burkina Faso not being left behind and also getting his car, hahahahaha). Titina again explaining why TH took a long time to get released and him indirectly dissing Werrason, saying that he they used record albums under high pressure in Wenge 4x4 and someone "Werrason" stealing their money and putting pressure on them. Alain Mpela joining saying that there are comedian-artists in music (reffering once again to Werrason and also Adolphe, for the way he used to do multiple chereopgraphies in his concerts) and real-artists (giving himself as example, and calling Adolphe a faux chanteur, saying he doesn't know how to dress and just talk bullshit, while he could sing with Julio Iglesias and Stevie Wonder), saying that Bercy pass and their event at Stade de France is there. Titina and Alain Mpela saying that the PPU's had to be patient, giving their hard time towards stardom as example (Titina then having once again to attack Werrason, talking about the way he refused to give him money, to help him pay the rent and water).

I don't believe JB Mpiana, because Titanic was pretty celebrated album but Intervention Rapide Force came out of nowhere. What do you think?



Did an album every year for people like Defao hurt or help his career? You barely have time to enjoy the album in nine months, there's another album lol why so fast to release albums?

I can't imagine losing voices like Blaise Bula and Aimelia, but feel confident about TH with Chai and Rio...especially when the other team has Ferre Gola, Adjani, Baby Ndombe, and JDT. Chantal Switzerland would of had me worried if I was a staffer at BCBG, do you agree?

I think that you didn’t witness the era. Titanic was a huge succes, but not that what people attended due to the succes of Force d’Intervention Rapide, also the way many fans turned JB Mpiana their back and also being in war against a big part of the press (in this interview he keeps saying that he’s not understanding why he’s so hard attacked by the press). Alain Makaba at a point wasn’t understand why most people were preferring Force d’Intervention Rapide, who had a bad sound above Titanic. Many people felt sorry for Werrason for the way he was left alone with Adolphe and Masela, the difficulties he had, the hard times during the recording (curfew, civil war starting, etc.). While on the other side people started to dislike JB Mpiana, seeing him as arrogant for the way he tried to denigrate Werrason and those coming from poor areas feeling like JB was attacking them, when he said that Werra wasn’t able to perform for rich people. Another thing was that people were already used with Wenge BCBG because they all came from Wenge 4x4, while Maison Mère a new team, which made them having a lot of curiosity and the early release of the videoclips also helping a lot. It’s only months later after Zénith, that people really started to discover Titanic and time to listen after months of biais.


The concert you posted was their first concert after coming back from Europe in the summer of 1998 just before the civil war started. Titanic came months later in November 1998. 

I think that it helped for his fanbase in Africa, who were more focusing on sebene than the songs. For example in Congo, many even don’t know about the album Bana Congo. I think that it was more due to the demand of songs from donors and fans, who were giving money to get song. Back in the days artists weren’t releasing double-albums yet and I think that Défao wasn’t asking a lot money to record songs, which made the demand being high.The album Tremblement de Terre was a album with the most songs being remix versions of tracks he recorded in the time of Choc Stars. Most of the songs were dedicated to the members of presidential family of Ivory Coast at that time. They helped him during the time he spent there and Défao wanted to thank them.

TH is a solo album, so being worried about bandmembers doesn’t matter because people will focus more on the lead-singer unless you are faux-chanteur or instrumentalist.

I think that you didn’t witness the era. Titanic was a huge succes, but not that what people attended due to the succes of Force d’Intervention Rapide, also the way many fans turned JB Mpiana their back and also being in war against a big part of the press (in this interview he keeps saying that he’s not understanding why he’s so hard attacked by the press). Alain Makaba at a point wasn’t understand why most people were preferring Force d’Intervention Rapide, who had a bad sound above Titanic. Many people felt sorry for Werrason for the way he was left alone with Adolphe and Masela, the difficulties he had, the hard times during the recording (curfew, civil war starting, etc.). While on the other side people started to dislike JB Mpiana, seeing him as arrogant for the way he tried to denigrate Werrason and those coming from poor areas feeling like JB was attacking them, when he said that Werra wasn’t able to perform for rich people. Another thing was that people were already used with Wenge BCBG because they all came from Wenge 4x4, while Maison Mère a new team, which made them having a lot of curiosity and the early release of the videoclips also helping a lot. It’s only months later after Zénith, that people really started to discover Titanic and time to listen after months of biais.


The concert you posted was their first concert after coming back from Europe in the summer of 1998 just before the civil war started. Titanic came months later in November 1998. 

I think that it helped for his fanbase in Africa, who were more focusing on sebene than the songs. For example in Congo, many even don’t know about the album Bana Congo. I think that it was more due to the demand of songs from donors and fans, who were giving money to get song. Back in the days artists weren’t releasing double-albums yet and I think that Défao wasn’t asking a lot money to record songs, which made the demand being high.The album Tremblement de Terre was a album with the most songs being remix versions of tracks he recorded in the time of Choc Stars. Most of the songs were dedicated to the members of presidential family of Ivory Coast at that time. They helped him during the time he spent there and Défao wanted to thank them.

TH is a solo album, so being worried about bandmembers doesn’t matter because people will focus more on the lead-singer unless you are faux-chanteur or instrumentalist.

I'm surprised Werrason had to record the album in such tough conditions, because he was practically second in command in 4×4. How come he couldn't get Visas to record in Europe or outside Congo like Koffi did with Ultimatum?

It was strange watching him "start over", with those smaller and less organized concerts. You watch their concerts in Benin, it's not the same as JB Mpiana. The instruments aren't as finely tuned, but they played their hearts out!





But I suppose that adds to the mystique, because Werrason seem to have come up from the "people".

It's due because their split came when JB Mpiana's solo album Feux de l'Amour was number one in the music-charts. People were really surprised that JB could come with songs about the daily life Bana Lunda (youngsters who weren't able to get job in Kinshasa despite having studied and deciding to go to the dangerous diamond province Lunda in Angola, to become rich, not knowing the dangers of the civil war in Angola), Conseil Patcho (advicing people living in Europe to come back and construct in Kinshasa instead spending all money on parties and clothes) and Feux de l'Amour (explaining what love is and the new realities in Kinshasa, people only wanting to marry those who have money or a known family, etc.) and romantic songs like Recto Verso and Cavalier Solitaire. Because before alot people said that the songs of Wenge 4x4 didn't make sense, because of their basic lyrics and them only praising people and singing names. So when the split came they thought that Werrason would never be able to fight, also because almost the whole band left him alone.

When they started Wenge Maison Mere, Werrason wanted immediately to prove JB Mpiana a point. He planned a VIP-concert at Intercontinental (GHK), but it was a huge mpiaka. Many concerts didn't work out. then later on Marie Paul adviced him to perform in popular areas like Masina, N'djili, Kingasani ya Suka, Camp Luka, etc. and it started to work out. People were saying that his band was not experienced, them being to young and not able to fight Alain Makaba, Titina Al Capone, Aimelia, Blaise Bula, Tutu Kaludji. It made Werrason contact Japonais who was in Europe to join them. In meantime Tabu Ley donated him his sets of instruments and made him close to politicians of their region (Kwilu/Kwango), politicans like Theophile Mbemba and co. and there was a tribal-lobby created for him to gain massive support from his region. Tshala Muana also helped him by making close to the ADFL-regime and toured with Tshala Muana for president LD Kabila campaigns in the cities of DR Congo (Goma, Bukavu, Likasi, Mbandaka, etc.). The video you posted was one of those concerts, they were performing at Kisangani. Those of the Maison Mere-camp claimed that JB Mpiana was a mobutist and still had contact with their family, which would create some problems for JB in the coming years and JB giving them still shout-outs in his album making it worser.

There was a tour planned for mid-1998 to record Force d'Intervention Rapide in Europe, but the Schengen embassady refused to give them visa's. Because JB's manager did everything to block them in Kinshasa and at that time promoter Kapesa wanted to get his money back from one of the tours of Wenge 4x4, because they didn't respect the contract. You in the VHS of their concert in Pointe Noire you could Roger Mayemba announce their tour in Europe. After Force d'Intervention Rapide they still struggled to get visa's for the schengen-area. Which is why they started their tour first in U.K., Switserland,  Canada and the US before coming in the schengen-area.

Jb should’ve released TH in November 1999 it would’ve given him a bigger boost because his momentum was high and he was on fire that year, after performing in Zenith, Olympia, Madeline and Stade de Martyrs. Jb was untouchable that year

Lol Jb was talking about artists releasing every year but what about Koffi who was releasing every year and his albums were always a success. Also the way Titina and Mpela were attacking Werra over payment they themselves were barely getting paid by Jb lmao, and ironically Titina ended up leaving a year later.

It's due because their split came when JB Mpiana's solo album Feux de l'Amour was number one in the music-charts. People were really surprised that JB could come with songs about the daily life Bana Lunda (youngsters who weren't able to get job in Kinshasa despite having studied and deciding to go to the dangerous diamond province Lunda in Angola, to become rich, not knowing the dangers of the civil war in Angola), Conseil Patcho (advicing people living in Europe to come back and construct in Kinshasa instead spending all money on parties and clothes) and Feux de l'Amour (explaining what love is and the new realities in Kinshasa, people only wanting to marry those who have money or a known family, etc.) and romantic songs like Recto Verso and Cavalier Solitaire. Because before alot people said that the songs of Wenge 4x4 didn't make sense, because of their basic lyrics and them only praising people and singing names. So when the split came they thought that Werrason would never be able to fight, also because almost the whole band left him alone.

When they started Wenge Maison Mere, Werrason wanted immediately to prove JB Mpiana a point. He planned a VIP-concert at Intercontinental (GHK), but it was a huge mpiaka. Many concerts didn't work out. then later on Marie Paul adviced him to perform in popular areas like Masina, N'djili, Kingasani ya Suka, Camp Luka, etc. and it started to work out. People were saying that his band was not experienced, them being to young and not able to fight Alain Makaba, Titina Al Capone, Aimelia, Blaise Bula, Tutu Kaludji. It made Werrason contact Japonais who was in Europe to join them. In meantime Tabu Ley donated him his sets of instruments and made him close to politicians of their region (Kwilu/Kwango), politicans like Theophile Mbemba and co. and there was a tribal-lobby created for him to gain massive support from his region. Tshala Muana also helped him by making close to the ADFL-regime and toured with Tshala Muana for president LD Kabila campaigns in the cities of DR Congo (Goma, Bukavu, Likasi, Mbandaka, etc.). The video you posted was one of those concerts, they were performing at Kisangani. Those of the Maison Mere-camp claimed that JB Mpiana was a mobutist and still had contact with their family, which would create some problems for JB in the coming years and JB giving them still shout-outs in his album making it worser.

There was a tour planned for mid-1998 to record Force d'Intervention Rapide in Europe, but the Schengen embassady refused to give them visa's. Because JB's manager did everything to block them in Kinshasa and at that time promoter Kapesa wanted to get his money back from one of the tours of Wenge 4x4, because they didn't respect the contract. You in the VHS of their concert in Pointe Noire you could Roger Mayemba announce their tour in Europe. After Force d'Intervention Rapide they still struggled to get visa's for the schengen-area. Which is why they started their tour first in U.K., Switserland,  Canada and the US before coming in the schengen-area.

Damn, I didn't realize Marie Paul was so instrumental in helping Masion Mere build a fanbase! If I'm not mistaken, he even helped Kester with Longue Histoire. For someone that is a difficult personality, he really seems like a loyal friend.

At the time, Koffi was more popular in Europe than Kinshasa right?

Marie Paul was often guest of Werrason in those concerts, but he kind of killed his own career by doing it. Because they started sharing the same fans. Through those concerts, Werrason also discovered that the majority of those people weren't really El Paris-fans, but just Wenge 4x4-fans who weren't able to pay tickets for normal concerts and Wenge 4x4 barely performing there which made them supporting Wenge El Paris. Many supported both guys for tribal reasons, because most living in Masina and Kingasani ya Suka came from their region. You will notice that when Werrason always perform in Masina, he calls the fans "bana secteur" and/or "Ba Ngwashi" to refer to their background. When the conflict between Marie Paul & Werrason started a part stayed loyal with Marie Paul, but most decided to follow Werrason.

Marie Paul only helped by mobilizing his fans for Emeneya's concert at Stade des Martyrs and also received him at the airport, because alot don't know that Emeneya is acutally his oncle. King Kester Emeneya had already strong fanbase in Kinshasa and many stayed loyal despite his 7 years long stay in Europe. But he messed it up by taking to long time to release his album Longue Histoire, which made most fans go towards Werrason, who Emeneya used to support openly in the media.

Koffi was more popular in Europe, because he basically started his career there and spent most of the time there. Those who used to love his music in Kinshasa were mostly women and those coming from rich families. When he tried to implant his base in Kinshasa, he had a difficulties to have a real fanbase next to the elite who was supporting him, because Kinshasa was already of Papa Wemba, King Kester Emeneya, Choc Stars, Bozi Boziana and Zaiko Langa Langa and the new wave of Wenge Musica was also coming. But he was still respecting because of his skills as songwriter and his solo-albums who were always a high succes. He started to lose respect when Quartier Latin became a proper band, it boosted his succes, but people and the press were accusing of him copying Wenge. But now 30 years later, he 's still in the spotlights compared to Nyoka Longo, Bozi Boziana, General Defao and he's one of the biggest African legends, performing several times at Zenith de Paris, has hits on his name, etc.