Congo Vibes
Music => Congolese Music => Topic started by: Mfumu Vata on August 13, 2024, 23:29
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRx9Te6NjF4
This concert was almost cancelled. If the police didn't help to stop Bana-Congo activists of Brusssels (combattants) then the concert-ban would already have started in 2006. The tour had normally to start with a double event at Dock Eiffel, but it got cancelled because of combattans blocking the public to enter the hall and creating a big mess. It is just that the incident wasn't filmed and the most of the Congolese people not really being into youtube yet otherwise there would have been images on internet next to the many articles that were written at that time. Werrason was really mad and said that he would prove the combattants a point. Werrason was the biggest target of combattants, because they saw him as Joseph Kabila's favorite. He was already receiving death threats from them before the tour and they promised all Congolese bandleader just before the 2006-elections that they would do their best to not let them perform in Europe anymore.
In Brussels concert promoters Adrien Mukiadi (RIP) and Papy Mukiadi associated the police to their event. However, the combattants still managed to block people to go to the concert and Werrason ended up by performing in an empty hall. After this concert Werrason performed in Rotterdam (the Netherlands) without problem. But he realized that the tour would go wrong if he would not talk with the combattants, since that there were many tour-dates planned and the next concert being once again in Paris (Elysee Montmarte). After negotiating with the combattants of Belgium and France, Werrason was allowed to perform in Europe again, although some of the combattants still not being happy. When returning from his tour, Werrason explained in an interview with Marius Muhunga that didn't gain alot of money, because of the way the tour started wrong (the many concerts in the tour were probably to compasate the loss of the concertpromoters, because the tour was normally meant to be short, 3 months instead of 6 months).
Talking about the concert, some of the fans that managed to go to the concert were surpised to not see Bonbon Kojack & Kene-Kene who were one of the main-stars of WMM and who had an important role in Témoignage.
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This issue of combatants is very strange. Why musicians are only their target ?!!!!. For example, if congolese national football team go to play in France, are the combatants going to act the same way as with musicians ?, probably no. So why are they targeting musicians only ?. This question cannot be answered easily unless we have a full understanding of the followings;
1. Who are the combatants?
2. What is their main agenda and idiology ?
3. Who is funding them ?
4. What are their demands from DRC ?
Because it does not make sence for a small group of people with political motives to only target musicians, unless there are other reasons behind. Perhaps it would have been more logical if they go back to DRC and contribute in political changes, rather than staying in Europe obstructing any musical entertainment that comes from DRC.
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It is complicated to explain. Because ba combattant were not just one group. It was a bunch of activists coming from different political parties; Bundu dia Kongo (BDK), UDPS, MLC of Jean Pierre Bemba, Apareco of Ngbanda, etc. along with many former musicfans/donors/concertpromoters that went broke or were mad that bandleaders/musicians they helped, slept with their wife, daughter and/or mad them pregnant. To explain how it started, etc. will take long pages to explain it in detail, so I will try to have it short.
From 1998 to 2002, Congolese music was on its peak in Europe, due to Congolese artists starting performing at mythic musichalls Olympia Bruno Coquatrix, Zenith de Paris, Bercy, Forest National and Palais des Sports. Who were filled by the Congolese diaspora who were supporting them 100%, helping musicians by having a place to sleep, food, shekula, etc. You will be surprised, but back than Congolese bandleaders weren’t not really rich and just sleeping in small hotels like Ibiss when having big events and getting sponsored by people of the Congolese diaspora. But that era coincided also with Congo being in war with Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. Congolese people had already been framing since the 1980s in the African community of Europe, about people that like to party and do sape. But the war had a bad influence and gave a framing of Congolese people not being conscientious about what’s going on in their own country and how a small country like Rwanda could give them a hard time. It was frustrating the intellectual people in living who were organizing sometimes demonstrations in Brussels and Paris and they were wondering how they would get attention, because everybody was focused on music like being hypnotized while things were seriously going wrong in DR Congo. Those who were not focused on music, were focused on those pentecost church. They came to the conclusion that music and church were used to make the people distracted and were already thinking about to change that.
From 2002-03, things started to change, the Congolese diaspora started slowly to turn their back to musicians, because of their behavior, starting concerts late, not having any respect and also complaining about them staying to long in Europe tours of 7, 8, 9 months. Many that put their money on bandleaders and musicians were also disappointed, discovering that the bandleaders or musicians that were sleeping at their house, had orgies with their daughter or wives. Or bandleaders scamming their manager that contributed to get the band in Europe, etc. (for example how things went wrong between Claude Maluma and Werrason). Concerts also started to get empty. For example all the Zenith’s of 2003 were not sold out. It also coincided with the revolution of Coupe Decale, bars/nightclubs in France not playing Congolese music that much anymore. A
When coming to Kinshasa in 2003 & 2004. Those coming from London noticed that Kinshasa/Congo didn’t go forward although the chance of the regime since 1997 and that it was only going backward, the life becoming everyday harder for people living over there, a bigger amount of shegues on the street, etc. Those who supported musicians and bandleader financially in Europe, also noticed that bandleaders would not let enter them when coming to their homes or humiliate them, show them that they are nothing, well they were the people that bought and/or stole cars for them and feeling guilty when seeing that their own own family struggling are in Kinshasa. So when coming back to Europe, they promised themselves that there would be one day, that they would prove/punish those musicians.
Nobody of these opposition parties and group were financing ba combattants. It were just themselves doing the actions. Each group/political party had his own ideology and ideas, which also made it hard to have negotiations with them, because there is no boss. But everybody had his common goal, which was having Joseph Kabila removed from power. Alot also wanted the whole system out, claiming that Uganda&Rwanda had some control in Congo’s politics and the politicians were just marionettes and the army and parliament being infiltrated.
From 2004 in UK itself those who were disappointed in musicians already started making plans how to block music, pastors and politicians in London. In Brussels there were no plans until the DVD of JB Mpiana’s FIKIN came on the market, how the police disrupted his show. Which made activists in Brussels believe that Werrason was close to Joseph Kabila and that they had to stop him. When seeing the DVD they were shocked about the amount of minors just stood there from 10 in the evening till 2 in the afternoon to watch the shows of JB and Werra. Concluding once again that music was next to religion used to have the population distracted instead of standing for their rights. When seeing how all bandleader were present during the wedding of Joseph Kabila in 2006 before the elections, they said that they do everything to not letting perform in Europe anymore and give pastors, politicians and musicians a hard time when coming in Europe. Which also happened Olive Lembe getting attacked when coming to Brussels to visit Matonge, Vital Kamerhe’s getting interrupted by Henry Muke and Bana Congo, etc.
The first musician being victim of combattants in London was JB Mpiana. He was attacked by UDPS-activists. I don’t remember what they wanted, they were not happy and said that he would not perform anymore. When seeing what happened in London, it motivated those living in Brussels and Paris to do the same thing. However many were still close to musicians, which made the concert-ban not starting yet. Those who were really anti-concerts tried their luck at the Zenith of Werrason in 2008 (almost kidnapping Werra and Koffi’s Zenith of 2009 until succeeding in 2011 during Werra’s event at Elysee Montmarte. I don’t think that the concert-ban would have existed without Werrason, because back then the hate against Werra was really big.
In 2006, when seeing that MLC of Bemba accepted to work with Kabila after the elections, they also promised to politicians of his party, to give him a hard time. the combattants of London were a cartel of “Bundu dia Kongo, Apareco and UDPS”. Politicians, musicians and pastors often made the mistake to eat at Schengen Place, because they didn’t knew that the head of the restaurants would call the combattants then to attack them and humiliate them. Videos would getting posted on internet how they were seriously beaten, spat on, cleaning down, etc. The first victim was Manda Chante, who was really traumtized and hadn’t returned to Europe anymore till last year. Politicians like Yves Kisombe and She Okitundu also got attacked and received mutakalisation (left naked on the streets). Koffi Olomidé (2007 & 2008) and Fally Ipupa (2010 & 2011) tried multiple times to perform in London, but combattants did their best to have those concert cancelled.
From 2011, the concert ban also came in the Schengen area. Combattants then attacking musicians, politicians and pastors. Politicians then having to disguise as women to not being recognized at the airport, when coming to the airport. But after 1 year it slowed down, because of politicians paying combattants not to attack them. Many who were following combattants also seeing that there not a real plan and discovering that the most of them just that personal issues with musicians. The concert ban could have been finished in 2016/17, but it was just that bandleaders themselves were also supporting combattants financially and through fans to have concerts have rivals getting blocked out jealously not wanting them to have the label of being the first musician to perform in Europe after concert ban. The combattans themselves also became old and just being lucky to have nerds, who were writing multiple letters to the municipality, to have the concert cancelled without creating a mess, an example is Fally’s event at La Cigale in 2017 and Ferre’s event at Casino de Paris in 2021
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Thanks bro. I think you explained it very well and it's clear now.
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Thank you Mfumu Vata, thats the best explanation I've seen so far. Over the years I was mad about the combatant's situation, but now I understand that the musicians brought it on themselves. The decline after 2002/2003 is all on them. If they were respectful to not only their own bandmembers, but to the fans, donors/those that helped them, the industry wouldn't have declined as fast as it did. That 1999-2002 period would've extended further well into the 2010s if lucky. They just never learned.
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I think that the succes of Congolese music would extent, if they came with new concepts or try perform in stadiums. For example, the missed projects of 2003 & 2004; Papa Wemba & Koffi Olomidé still managed to do their double Zénith-event in 2003, Koffi Olomidé finally performing at Parc des Princes in 2004, Werrason doing Stade Charletty in 2004 and JB Mpiana having his long awaited comeback at Zénith in 2003. Those who were not victims of artists and those wanted to have a big name would throw their money for support, also those fanclubs giving all their 100% to get the event succeeded.
These events would have helped a lot. But without it not. People like to see new things, if they are used to something the interest and curiosity will stay low. The excitement makes people often forget about bad things. Look how Photo Joel Mbetenge went crazy for Double Zénith, forgetting the conflict he had with Werra and preferring event to help out during day II while his wife had to give birth
About the music, back in 2002 you had people complaining that our music hasn’t evolved for like 3/4 years and that songs don’t make sense anymore, because of singers only doing vocals with just names or vocals that are off-topic with the theme of the song. Then in 2003 you had RFI having criticism about the albums Affaire d’Etat and Eureka who were just released at the market, saying that Congolese music stagnated and thatthere was no evolution, etc. Not long after that the Coupe Decale-revolution came and it changed everything. The French-speaking press was over-hyping them and starting to denigrate Congolese music, saying that it was just “communautaire”. Despite everything there was still succes with Tindika Lokito, Et Apres and Alerte Generale at that time, but it was like there some kind of a boycott against Congolese music behind the scenes.
Congolese music started to make its comeback from 2009-10, when Werrrason released Techno Malewa, the coupe decale version of it was played alot in African nightclubs of Paris. Also the featerings Fally made with Krys and Olivia in A2BM contributed alot. JB Mpiana later on coming with Mpunda and Congolese artists restarting performing at Zénith de Paris and projects being there to have concerts at Bercy in the future. Back at that time no Coupe Decale artist still managed to perform in mythic hall of Paris despite having a lot of a lot of promotion in France. Congolese artists had just bad luck that the concert-ban came in 2011, while they were making a comeback. It coincided with the succes that Nigerian music started to get in France and the French-speaking countries of Africa, after that P-Square, Flavour and J. Martins started making featerings with French speaking artists.
Coming back to concerts at mythic halls in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Compared to the concerts of 1998-2002, you had a new generation coming of youngsters born in the 1980s and early 90s in Europe that became adults and were able to buy tickets. Also the amount of Congolese people living in each European country grew much more. You will notice in most concerts the hall itself was for like 75% itself being filled by people coming from France, which wasn’t the case of concerts of 1998-2002. Because back then you would have a huge mobilization within the diaspora of people coming everywhere (Belgium, UK, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Sweden, etc.) for like 6 months. That’s why Werrason often used to brag to have done Bercy in 3 months.
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I think that the succes of Congolese music would extent, if they came with new concepts or try perform in stadiums. For example, the missed projects of 2003 & 2004; Papa Wemba & Koffi Olomidé still managed to do their double Zénith-event in 2003, Koffi Olomidé finally performing at Parc des Princes in 2004, Werrason doing Stade Charletty in 2004 and JB Mpiana having his long awaited comeback at Zénith in 2003. Those who were not victims of artists and those wanted to have a big name would throw their money for support, also those fanclubs giving all their 100% to get the event succeeded.
These events would have helped a lot. But without it not. People like to see new things, if they are used to something the interest and curiosity will stay low. The excitement makes people often forget about bad things. Look how Photo Joel Mbetenge went crazy for Double Zénith, forgetting the conflict he had with Werra and preferring event to help out during day II while his wife had to give birth
About the music, back in 2002 you had people complaining that our music hasn’t evolved for like 3/4 years and that songs don’t make sense anymore, because of singers only doing vocals with just names or vocals that are off-topic with the theme of the song. Then in 2003 you had RFI having criticism about the albums Affaire d’Etat and Eureka who were just released at the market, saying that Congolese music stagnated and thatthere was no evolution, etc. Not long after that the Coupe Decale-revolution came and it changed everything. The French-speaking press was over-hyping them and starting to denigrate Congolese music, saying that it was just “communautaire”. Despite everything there was still succes with Tindika Lokito, Et Apres and Alerte Generale at that time, but it was like there some kind of a boycott against Congolese music behind the scenes.
Congolese music started to make its comeback from 2009-10, when Werrrason released Techno Malewa, the coupe decale version of it was played alot in African nightclubs of Paris. Also the featerings Fally made with Krys and Olivia in A2BM contributed alot. JB Mpiana later on coming with Mpunda and Congolese artists restarting performing at Zénith de Paris and projects being there to have concerts at Bercy in the future. Back at that time no Coupe Decale artist still managed to perform in mythic hall of Paris despite having a lot of a lot of promotion in France. Congolese artists had just bad luck that the concert-ban came in 2011, while they were making a comeback. It coincided with the succes that Nigerian music started to get in France and the French-speaking countries of Africa, after that P-Square, Flavour and J. Martins started making featerings with French speaking artists.
Coming back to concerts at mythic halls in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Compared to the concerts of 1998-2002, you had a new generation coming of youngsters born in the 1980s and early 90s in Europe that became adults and were able to buy tickets. Also the amount of Congolese people living in each European country grew much more. You will notice in most concerts the hall itself was for like 75% itself being filled by people coming from France, which wasn’t the case of concerts of 1998-2002. Because back then you would have a huge mobilization within the diaspora of people coming everywhere (Belgium, UK, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Sweden, etc.) for like 6 months. That’s why Werrason often used to brag to have done Bercy in 3 months.
How's the combatant situation going right now? It seems like there's more planned concerts for 2025 from our musicians, do you think some negotitations happened behind the scenes to allow more concerts? Or did the regime change in Congo act as a pressure valve to calm down the cultural critics?
Personally, I do believe the bad business practices and infidelities greatly exacerbated the problem. Because those donors know the technical details that goes into organizing concert venues and likely gave intel to protestors trying to disrupt the concerts. I'm just surprised that Werrason and others didn't seek the assistance of police or professional security to protect their venue from disruption.
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When Felix Tshisekedi became president in 2018, many coming from Brussels stopped and went back to Kinshasa to try their luck to get a place. But most of them returned disappointed 2 or 3 years. Those who were anti-UDPS stayed, but their activism didn’t had any impact, them only standing up when an artist would announce a concert, music-fans of rivals joining them along with those who don’t like musicians at all because of the past. They had created a big mess during Fally’s Bercy in 2020.
The combattants situation is basically death. No one is taking them serious, them only making videos. Some like Babin Masombo making videos accusing others why it went wrong, Also most of them are already old being in their 50 and 60s. People just watch Boketshu to laugh. Most people just watch Kerwin Mayizo and journalists in Kinshasa talking about what is going in Kinshasa. It’s the generation born and raised in Europe that is organizing protests and doing fundraising for victims of the war in Eastern Congo.
Negotiations didn’t help anything, because Kinshasa based tried it through Rouph Mbuta Nganga Nyboma with his association Congo-Sebene or something like that since 2013 till 2019, but it wasn’t working. It was because of Fally’s insistence that concerts return in Europe, the support he had from Emmanuel Macron for Paris and in Brussels support from the Mayor, who invited him to have a drink. The huge amount of police and barriers in front of Paris la Defense Arena scared them away. Also many youngsters promised that they would fight against them physically and not being scared like in 2020, when they were attacked by them.
late Adrien Mukiadi and Papy Mukiadi asked assistance from the police for the show at Brussels in 2006, but it didn’t help it only made it worser. The same thing happened in 2011, when Werrason tried to perform at Concert Noble. When the show with Papa Wemba and Werrason got canceled, they both made an interview, Papa Wemba claiming the situation and pointing the fingers to politicians that they are victims because of them. But Werrason making it worser by saying that he isn’t afraid for “Bana Poto” and that he would prove them a point. Which motivated combattants to fight him. Already before the show of Elysee Montmarte, he made people mad by saying “people of Europe are nothing, they just do work in the construction (echaffaudage)”. Making him no time, the most hated of the Congolese diaspora, alot in Europe already hated him since FIKIN 2005. The interview motivated people to block the show of Elysee Montmarte. The video used to be on Drigombaki’s channel. But the youtube is sadly closed since 5 or 6 years otherwise he would have posted it here.
So when the day came to perform in Brussels the police had created barriers and came with a big amount. But the amount of those not wanting the concert was bigger than who wanted to go and those who tried to go were insulted by combattants and they were also throwing stuff to them. On the end, the police decided to cancel the concert due to security measure and the combattants being happy saying that they won. Werrason then the same evening being disappointed and making an interview with combattant Jeannot Kabuya and saying that he wants to negotiate with the combattants (it crazy how many videos on youtube got lost). There were talks, but they didn’t allow concerts and Werrason then just having a showcase in a nightclub to make his fans happy. Meganet Production and David Monsoh tried to the same thing for Fally’s Zenith of 2011, but the combattants were standing in front of Zenith and also blocking people at the metro station to come to Fally’s show. Fally then only performing in front of 50 people, who were just people of his staff, close friends and journalists and Fally was on the end forced to be escorted by police with combattants calling him pede, rwandais, traitre, etc. All those images got lost, because most were filmed by Congomikili of Yves Kabemba and only posted on his website but not youtube. After that incident made a press-conference where talked about it and later on they tried negotiations with the combattants, but it didn’t work out. In the same period Fally tried to record a song for Congo with Serge Mabiala, Soleil Wanga and co. but it was not a big succes. People were to focused on what was happening in Congo with the elections coming.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcvyTommUms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJLoxmEZkpU
On the other side Badive who was the concert-promoter of Werra’s show at Elysee Montmartre wanted to prove the combattants and them starting the movement anti-combattant, who were pro-kabila and financed by late ambassador Myra Njoku, but it didn’t work out. Journalists Addy Londole and Cesar Ngadi became immediate targets of the combattants for having interviewed them and they were accused for being pro-kabila.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYSqzyCsEgk