Congo Vibes
Music => Congolese Music => Topic started by: Manzambi94 on February 22, 2018, 19:42
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The function and the work of Congolese orchestra's system is something a lot of you asked for so I have decided to show you and explain you how it works.
LEADER
I will take Werra's example because I am a Werrasonique
He is the guy making the big money and has the legal and financial responsibility of the group he is in charge of everything and has a very small group of friends/colleagues that works with him advising him the better choice to make, most of his income comes from commercial deals especially with Primus, every time you see a Primus albums or song is due to this deal that they have, being in Primus has an artist gives you the chance to control another artist's life since no new musician can join Primus unless old musicians agree on him or her.
After the publicity most of the leaders have private business JB, Fally for example have a strong Hotel marketing so they can fund on their own the music or live a good life without risking to become poor if the music goes down the third and last type of income that leaders make is by music, basically in the music of Congo the leaders sign all the papers for the royalties, whole the solo albums and has generic song (typically and historically the most successful songs) on his name for example Werra in 7 Jours is a solo Album with Werra having whole the money for him, not like Ingeta group album that had only Werra's name only in the generiqye and some rumba/sebenes, everything that happens in the orchestra need to be told to him, and most of the time (the only guy who accept advices from his musicians is Wazekwa) his leadership is untouchable, if he does have a second job or a trip for personal reasons that brings him out of time for a lot of time he hands it all to the Chef D'Orchestre for the artistic part and to the administration for the financial part.
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ADMINISTRATION
The administration is a group of friends of the leader or professional stuff that helps the leader to decide which direction the group should take, what members should have been take for bettering up the movement, and what lucrative deal could bring more money and more power to the group, most of the time in group that are not very professional these guys are in charge of checking nice women for the boss so they can go to bed with him since unfortunately in Congolese mind for being a strong leader you have to be strong with everybody for imposing your authority and have a lot of unofficial women to show that you are limitless, in fact there are cases of leaders having children with their own musicians wife's or spouse's.
If the staff it is very professional will deal with whole the "boring" aspect of the organization of the music read contracts, talking to journalist for setting up read press or interviews directly to the boss himself, organizing trip to play abroad, paying the musician in time, and paying the promoting of the song for TV Channels and internet, speak up when a polemic is heading high and to keep the passports of the members (yes musicians in the orchestra literally give their passport to the administration, and if they want to take a trip they need to ask for it)
for example the staff of Fally (which are two staff French staff AZ label under Universal and Congolese staff F'VICTEAM of Fally himself) did an excellent job of promotion of Tokos if an Orchestra isn't professional of course they will eat the money the boss gave them by inventing excuses to not pay musician and not even promoting the single, for example Roger Ngandu (JB's manager) did everything to block the promotion of Je Ne Te Calcule Pas in the clubs in Kin blocking the DJ with treats after he was puting the song in fact in the forum we were very confused about the low resonance the song had at the time despite being an excellent song (now it has 1.5 million but after a month of release were barely 180k) Roger's justification was that the generique couldn't be promoted since it would have put distraction to BDM's official generique (who was out by three years by the way) and album
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CHEF D'ORCHESTRE
The Chef D'Orchestre role is a role given to the leader onto the best component between the musicians that can combinate being the best in terms of talent and being one of the oldest for example the original Chef D'Orchestre in the Operation Dragon/A LA Queue Leu Leu days was Ferré, and after the big departures (Ferre, Celeo, Bill) it has become Papy Kakol.
The Chef D'Orchestre has the role of communicate to the members the days and the hour of rehearsals (usually three times a week plus concerts on Saturday) sending them messages for the kind of dress (colour and brand principally) that they should wear on the concerts, and make sure that the new members (along with his staff of musicians for example Papy Kakol works with Makaba Bicorine and Hugo Symthe mainly) get in the movement to know the songs and to create new ones as well.
Usually he is even the artistic director and gives advice on the arrangement, like Kakol who is always in the studio with every musician when the recordings of the songs are made (you can see on YouTube a lot of videos of Kakol giving advices to Ali Mbonda, Diego, Ambulance, Bercy and so on, but even give advices to other musicians) he usually has two or plus songs on the group albums and doesn't have any on the solo album of the leader, unfortunately most of the chef d'orchestre in Congo sometimes bullies components like asking them money to perform or taking the mic out of a musician for giving it to another using most of the time their songs in concert and in 90% of the time giving their selves more space than the other.
He is seen as the best friend of the leader in the musician area and having a problem with him will lead you to leave the group since on the music side he is the guy that controls everything.
For example a lot of departure in BCBG (Abraham, Metrau, Abel) WMMM (Bercy, Prince)
Gessac (Quartier Latin are due to the fact of Chef D'Orchestre being too much bully, invasive, or harsh
Tomorrow I will come with the other roles
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songs of group-albums are credited to the musicians of the cd-cover, but if you go to SACEM (France) or SABAM (Belgium), you will discover that all songs are credited to the bandleader. Many musicians doesn't even know that. Do Akongo for example,, who is credited as author of the Coucou, Sens Inverse, Avion, Kot Kot & Fois Cent discovered it when he came to France, with alot people asking him if doesn't get any money from SACEM.
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GOLDEN CHILD
The golden child is a name I have been given to this phenomenon but in French is the enfant Cherie, is an unofficial role that the leader don't even give but shows to the guy whom he thinks he will be his heir, the guy has preferential treatments doesn't get punish much for bad behaviours and his given at least two songs (not max since he doesn't have the authority of the Chef D'Orchestre) in group albums, he has the spot next to the right or the left of the leader which is of massive importance since visually is the spot that will get you more attention.
Usually unlike the Chef D'Orchestre roles that can be made by any musician the Golden Child is usually a singer that the leader take like his own son.
GENTA and ABRAHAM for BCBG, FALLY IPUPA and BOURRO for QL, HERITIER and ELVIS for Werra.
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DONORS
Donors are the 15/20% of the whole orchestra's income and they are short in number but with high money income, most of them are members of the Congolese diaspora and most of the time lives in France, Belgium or in minor cases, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Congo Kin/Brazza.
The more money they give the more they will be praised for example it is crazy the amount of times Didi Kinuani has been named by MM in songs J'en Ai Assez (song in A La Queue Leu Leu dedicated to him) Bercy Mwana crie (Sengaka na Ya Didi) BCBG with Ya Saint Mwanangani or Patrick Bolonia, Ferre & Koffi with Adolphe Muteba, Heritier & Fally with BM Bernadette Massengo and so on.
Most of the time guys with honest reputation like Wazekwa has troubles finishing the album because most of the donors love artists on the peek of popularity and the rest who didn't make money in an honest way (the way Wazekwa likes) doesn't like as well dealing with not very popular artist because mainly for them having name on the song is mainly for promotion of their own companies since it is a way to create buzz curiosity on their brands.
Musician cause of that buzz know that they have to make their best for making the song for donors since people and other donors will love to have the same success for the song.
BM - Heritier (Bernadette Massengo), Judgement - Ferre Tshilamwila - Koffi (Adolphe Tshilamwila) Liyebo Le Serpent De Moise Werrason (Grevy Futila "Liyebo") sometimes the biggest donors are African president themselves like Nguema Obiang (Equatorial Guinea) Sassou Nguesso (Congo Brazzaville) Kabila (RD Congo) or members with less power but still important like Paolo Tudilu (Angola) or Moise Katumbo Chapwe (DRC)
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So from '97-2004 during the first generation of WMMM, Ferre wasn't both the Golden Child and the Chef D'Orchestre?
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So from '97-2004 during the first generation of WMMM, Ferre wasn't both the Golden Child and the Chef D'Orchestre?
Hmm let say it was half and half with Bill, Werra had pure admiration for Bill, giving him more space on the generiqye, sometimes giving him the role of making complicated choreography while Ferre was more of the guy who could do it all but I don't know how was the relationship between them it took a huge blow once he left and joined QL and since that time they don't have much relationship of talking between them
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MUSICIANS
Musician are usually the ones who have more space on the stage, on the lyrics, and on the song usually if they aren't natural born songwriters they buy some songs by other small musicians outside of the big group's system (Paroliers)
It can't be different type of musicians that can be of two type mainly the singing musicians, and the instrumental musicians
SINGERS
Singers are usually divided in voice type (1er voix, 2 void don't know well the division I ask brother Mvulusi to help me on this) they get space in function of how much talent they have and on how close they get to other musician or to the leader himself, they usually sing rumba songs in group albums and have the chance to put at least one song, more sing if they are Chef or if they have showed to be skilled enough to deserve more than one song, they sing even in the seben songs (Songs who are half rumbas and half generique)
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@Manzambi94
Thanks for the breakdown, I always wondered about the specific responsibilities of chef of orchestra. No wonder why that position is so often fought after! Is that role credited as artistic director for albums of large groups?
I had forgotten Ferre was Chief of Orchestra for a time, what about after their departure for Les Marquis? Who replaced Ferre as Chief of Orchestra in Maison Mere?
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it was about to be aimelia,then celeo but it ended being kakol who forced his way up in the hierarchy like his mate seguin did
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@archos
Makes sense, Kakol can do almost no wrong in Werra's eyes...same as Heritier. I'm surprised that Celeo attempted to seize that position, Werrason never seemed to like him.
Even before Bill Clinton's departure, Celeo really stepped up as an atalaku with A La Queue Leu Leu and General Alerte! This perhaps was too much of an improvement to ignore.
Although Kakol was likely the better choice between the two, he's an apt musican who can understand the technical aspect of the job (musical arrangement) better than singers who are made Chief of Orchestra.
Unlike Seguin, he's been consistent behind the drums! His techniques may lack the sophistication of his peers, but he's fefinatly top five in terms of power. Which is probably why Werrason's recent music has been better recorded and arranged than JB Mpiana's.
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Actually kakol is one of the only chef d'orchestre is not the only one to be artistic director aswell, not too long ago the guy had pretty much all the roles before they organized elections which saw taddet arc en ciel olivier get role
funnily enough heritier never was an official chef of anything but was always the obvious number 2
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Wenge1995 sorry if I didn't answer you I am with some internet pro Lem's and I am using public Wi-Fi for getting the net
Archos perfectly responded :)
SPOKESMAN
Is usually the guy who is on the frontline for promoting the album or communicate concert's date and placement, it is usually a very close friend of the leader who does the dirty work (Sankara, Marchouse, Roger Ngandu) of telling nasty things that the leader thinks but cannot really say it because of an image fact there are some rarity though like when Koffi usually provocate people in first place, or Ferre Gola answering to Fally and Koffi in a nasty way, or when Sankara spoke madly bad of Heritier after he left the group and Werra told him to f**k off for the first time since they are basically brothers (because Sankara asked Werra some money since he had problems with his son and Serra answer him like that because Heritier despite all to him it is like a son) or when Sankara always speaking of Heritier admited that Heritier did bad things had a daughter with Mampata's sisters (always because in WMMM mentality Mampata is untouchable and so are untouchable her relatives) made Brigade run after he beats him bad and the biggest thing he said was that Werra really regrets loosing Bill.
Or when Marchouse said that Kirikou didn't participate to QQJD because of spiritual reasons
ATALAKUS
Atalakus are the one who gets space in the song that have only seben section (generique) and sometimes in folklorique ones usually folkloric song from start to end are sang by the leader alone or plus some guest like Eboka (Werrason plus René and Mabele Elisi Group) or Elok'Oyo (who is sang by the leader alone Fally) but if the sing is composed to atalaku the folklore is by the atalaku himself (Style Moomberg by Bill or Mipende even though is not credited to Lobeso) in 100% of the cases if it is a solo Album or a generique album they aren't credited as composer or singer but the credit goes to the leader himself or the group as a whole for example in the group album of F'VICTEAM Libre Parcours whole the three generique are credited to the group and to Kabuya, Boussoule, Identitè and so on but sometimes in a very rare case the generique song is credited to the atalaku himself (Code Pin by Brigade, Kata Fumbwa Lobeso/Bercy) and most of the time the song is a generique but there are some cases of Seben songs like (Ezala Zala by Genta or J'en Ai Assez by Celeo Scram) or pure rumbas like Guantanamo of Tutu Caludji, even though the atalaku is the most marketable and recognizable the atalaku can live well only if he is in a Big group the moment he start to go solo he needs to be a superstar to live well without music (like Celeo whom have so much donors that music or not he is rich and Bill which through Skol's bonus and maxi contract for singers he is a millionaire) or being well organized to survive (Brigade started well but really lacks money to fund his career) most of the atalaku post Bill and Celeo tried to go solo to have stunning careers but really none of them succeeded Prince (ex WMMM) is in Europe, Lobeso generique wasn't well received same with Tresor's Nzinga (ex QL) Brandon Avatar (ex WMMM, Team Wata) Bercy Mwana (ex WMMM now with Jet7) Sabena (ex WMMM) mostly because they get little money and they don't have a salary since only four groups out of all pay employees (Wenge BCBG, QL, F'VICTEAM and 'S Grave) the rest of the groups simply waits on donors to pay employees or in most cases most of the musicians not only atalaku have second jobs.
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INSTRUMENTALIST
Most of the instrumentalist aren't played directly from the boss or administration and when that happens usually administration slip most of the money or don't even say to the guy they payed him, usually big donors decide to pay them some money or gifting them for example Kakol has been gifted a car by Gilles Massua along with other component, Kimbangu Luxembourg, literally said that without Cardozo Mwamba "Le Bill Gates" he wouldn't have eaten anything both in Bill's Les Samourai and in Wenge, Mboka Liya said that left JB because his car was dying, he made Anti-Terro (Caludji and Genta made even a cry about him and his car the most famous crie became the one against Werra "Mboka Liya why you came back from JB you have prayed Yuda (Werra) you have danced for the Judas (Werra) JB will never disappoint you) and still got not payed but when he was searching for JB JB was flexing and then he came to him and said go back to Werra if you are able to not get slapped again and then he decided to leave since the responsibilities were growing and he had to feed family leaving going in England, the most famous case of not payed musician is Kapaya Mwengi a.k.a. Flame who were promised a house by Werra that never arrived so he decided to leave, not for being stubborn or harsh but Werra actually promised a lot of things that didn't happened (Gift to Gents for loyalty in Wenge, Guitar to Polystsr, Bill Clinton participating in Ingeta and so on)
GUITARIST
They are the one who gives the pace to the whole orchestra with the guitarist being the most important ones of the musicians since 90% of Congolese songs are with the heavy presence of guitars of whole type acoustic, electric, of accompaniment and so on (song with heavy electric song are etat major especially to the end Libre Parcours #1, Je Ne Te Calcule Pas by JB since the 1:34, Diemba by Werra, with acoustic Deplick Kao Kao, Polystar's, Judgement Merlin credited to Werra, Deplick Kiti and for accompaniment Nande By Werra)
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BASSIST
The bass especially in traditional songs is of vital importance to give some groove to the rhythm, in the past the bassist was onlutan accompaniment for the guitar but later became more and more independent with bassist coming with very strong melodies that were both good for accompaniment of the guitar but at the same time able to being played alone, old style bassers are Sunda Bass, Didier Massela (even though he was able to play very good by only accompaniment, new ones Mimicha Bass)
DRUMMER
Drummers are the one that makes along with guitarist the success of a band, Wenge Musica MM, for example, became famous for the crazy fast tempo style of aggressive music they were playing Kakol in the drums (plus Flamme Kapaya and Bill on the animation) that created or made famous (it can be one or the other) the 6 beat fast drums with rapid changes that became a sort of a national style of playing for Congolese and Congolese diaspora, (Anti-Balle's Part in Se Na Se is even a faster pace of Kakol and MM's style) the beat of the drums were so famous that inspired what we called today Azonto (5 beats instead of one with drums change) Gweta and Toofan's style (6 beats with no drums change) and the most famous but highly hated by Congolese Coupe Decale (Fast beat of 6 or 4 dreams) the respect and reconnaissance of Ivorian people to Congolese because of the Wenge style of ndombolo is sooo big that most of the time Congolese people are invited to do feat or to play in albums (Sarah Solo has a long history with 90% of CIV singers and DJ's, Magic System guitarist is Congolese)
But even tough this type of drumming is the one who became famous there are plenty if drumming style in Congo Libre Parcours #1 is a great example with Arnaud doing an even more fast pace with two beat of drums going on Bill's Palpitation Totale since 2:39, Bill Clinton's Kibota, Charge's Beginning by Werra
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SYNTH
Congolese guitar's fast pace has been brought high by Wenge MM but at the same time Franco was the one who started first when in the middle of a concert he started improvise fast pace music that created the genrique.
Emeneya is the guy who brought the synthesizer into the sebene and gave a huge spark to it, resulting in him becoming the biggest Congolese star of his time and to him making tours in Asia Japan especially (the same path that Fally is doing now but on opposite coast USA) and now Synthesis is a huge component of seben songs since with more technology the sytnhe guy can even use bass, or other instruments in absence of the original one, synthesis type by Emenya is the one that inspired a lot of Nigerian music especially P-Square even though a lot of Nigerian people know Congolese music because of Awilo Longomba, the guy became so popular that in Nigeria Ndombolo music is not ndombolo music but Awilo music.
One of the best Synth players is Thierry Synthe of Werra, Billy Synthe of Fally, Cedric Guez of JB
DANCERS
Usually dancers are females and male dancers like Lambio Lambio (which is very old ex F'VICTEAM) or Mulala, Trezeguet Selemba (BCBG) are a rarity usually dancers (female ones) after being enter in the group are conducted to the leader so he can f*** with them, leaders of whole the groups (except for BCBG where musician of whole the kind are very free to do whatever they want at least until seguin started to take over control) strictly forbid male musicians of whole kind to speak, touch, kiss or even date dancers since Brandon has been kicked twice (once by Werra and Heritier) for being caught with a dancer Fally and Bourro fought hard in QL by gossiping to Koffi of relationships with dancers which got Koffi furious, Fabregas stopped the relationship with Koffi over a common dancer they were engaged and so on.
Their monthly pay if they are payed is of 50$
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SONGWRITERS
Songwriters after atalakus and instrumentalist are the one who are paid less and get very little credit, for example Leader Kashama a songwriter of Ferre and many others died early and even if he wrote great songs for great singers no one really cared about his death unfortunately, Pida Star now in prison for songs against the government did many great lyrics for Fally and he came out with a solo album but people didn't care about him since he doesn't wanna go deep in the game, most of the time these guys aren't paid in money but with clothes, food and so on so a lot of times these guys send to multiple croe the same crime or the same song.
FANS
Are the one who got the most control over movements I remember some years ago when unfortunately they were booing Cellulaire and some years even before they were demanding even violently to kick out Seguin, Rio, JDL, and Kibems they knew right, or when ex members of WMMM were forced to being kneed down for entering the group (Lacoste did it, Japonais didn't) the question is how can they afford to attempt every concert to go whole the tour and ecc. Usually donors with huge money but 30 or plus ticket gifting them to those who can't come and most of the times people who are part of the fans are part of the small Borghese of Kin it is a very small minorance to the 60 plus million inhabitants of Congo but enough for keep fueling the music
And what sometimes forces back the "World Music" Ndombolo, Rumba etc. Is the fact that Congolese people are very very very religious especially Christian but there are some Muslims as well and traditional religious, the problem is that people with a lot of faith know really well what happens spiritually in groups so they really don't like world music and listen only to God's music or religious music as they call it, a huge example of this is me, even though I want to be a musician my mom being born and raised in Congo Kin she tried with every force to stop me to pursue the music as a job, a passion or even a dream because she feared that I might get Into that world.
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PROBLEMS
The main problems of the Congolese music orchestras can be assumed in some points.
1. Money
Since there isn't a system of payment it is normal to see 50 or 100+ musicians that plays and dance at concerts but start to demand more after they grow old and responsibilities start to get bigger, Bercy officially said that Werra didn't payed him but only got him gift which got Bercy nervous since what he is anxious about is to feed his babies, and many stories like that that you can almost photocopy Bill who left because they stole (officially stolen but token by administration) the money of the Zenith, Deplick saying he wasn't getting paid and the time he asked Werra money the 300$ became 50, Gemerose loosing a car and not getting payed for years and so on.
2. JEALOUSY
Way too much jealousy over the music world the most tangibls proof are for example Metrau loosing his eye over some jealousy since he was starting to get a lot of credit, or the gossiping of Baby Ndombe who tried to have sex with Werra's wife (do something like that in Wenge and you are lucky to be alive) or the gossiping about Miel that Kakol did in front of Miel and Werra about his solo album
3. GREEDINESS AND WILL OF POWER
A lot of greediness for example Fabregas starting to avoid paying his employees like Ibrator well explained in Kaniaka, Bill that despite being a milionare give only 400 to 500 dollars to his musicians if he decides to give it, Werra eating big part of the money he had by the Nguesso song he made (200k) giving only a hundred dollar to every musician and so on.
4. LOST OF THE EUROPE CONCERTS
The system of not paying musicians and relaying on donors was going because in the Europe tours fans with big money or even guys and girls with pure admiration would give the musicians cars or give them direct money and so on, to the biggest members (Heritier, Kakol, Celeo, Fally, Ferre, Genta) in the groups.
The amount of money was 10k or plus and knowing that for having a good life in Congo you need 200 dollars a month make your counts.
Of course now musicians took a very low blow with most of them forced to make other jobs to feed them and their families this is why you see going everywhere to search the best group that pays a little or that has bigger donors
5. THE COSTANT SOLO PROJECTS
Even though the money of the tour Europe got lost and many musician cannot afford a dignity life most of them make some 3/4 years in big groups then leave most of them because of problems with members, the others because they feel that in the good or in the bad they can be the maker of their own destiny
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Of course this is a partial report of how a Congolese Orchestra works for knowing everything that happens inside we should all have experience to stay in Jet 7, F'VICTEAM, Wenge Musical, Light Music VILLANOVA, 'S GRAVE, BCBG, QL, and many orchestras
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@Manzambi94
No worries, Manzambi94! Both you and Archos have given very informative responses, thank you guys.