Congo Vibes
Music => Congolese Music => Topic started by: Mfumu Vata on August 26, 2024, 23:46
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Today, it’s 20 years ago that Anti Terro of JB Mpiana got released. It was the most awaited album for 2004. After long delays of the release date it got finally released on August the 26th. Apart the generique and Vicky Nsongi at that were recorded in South Africa, the rest of the album was recorded in Kinshasa. Like most albums of the JB-Werra rivalry, Roundabout Victoire (Rond Point Victoire) was full with fans that were waiting to buy cd’s and cassettes of the album and listening at the same time. The album was well received, but it didn’t reach the success that fans expected. The generique flopped and apart from JB's songs, Plainte A of Bikou le Brun (who left just before the release) and Bogus’ Doleance that had alot of succes, many songs weren’t doing well compared to Internet. In the months that followed, fans would start getting irritated by the presence of the old guard (Seguin, Chai, Rio, Kibens, Bogus and co). However, singer Bogus Bompema would receive the award of ‘breakthrough artist of the year’ (revelation de l’annee). The song Doleance would get silver as best second song of the year behind Karmapa’s Amanda la Duchesse and the song Esau getting bronze. JB Mpiana would receive silver as best songwriter behind Karmapa, because of the depth the texts songs Esau, Guy Mbuala and J’Suis La had. JB Mpiana would be voted by ACMCO as best singer of year, which would be 5th time in his career and also receive bronze as 3th best star of the year, behind Werrason and Wazekwa, who ended n1 because of Et Apres’ success.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSI0v3a82_g
Because of the song Esau, where JB Mpiana mentioned Werrason, people were speculating that Werra and JB already had made peace in private. In the same period, the streets claimed that said JB used to sing about Amida in the song Guy Mbuala and the same people claiming that Doleance, not being Bogus' song, but that of JB, to cry about Amida. The Maison Mère camp would mock JB about the two songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfaTdeIM9q0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCVo8--TFt0
Talking about the generique, it was for the first time, a generique being recorded by 3 lead guitarists, Pathy Moleso, Burkina Faso Mbokaliya and Patou Solo. The generique sadly flopped, probably because of having too many transitions or the exceptions being too high because of Pelisa Ngwasuma’s success some months before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3YB3rIry0U
When Anti-Terro got released, longawaited solo-album Chemin de Fer, was announced as follow-up project for September 2005. However in the following months, Badive would fell out with JB Mpiana and join the Werra-camp. In meantime musicians like Pathy Moleso and Jules Kibens said that it was better to record a maxi-album (which would become a group-album) first, naming it Balle de Match before Kipe-ya-Yo, because in their opinion it was better to record it in Europe than Kinshasa, because of the bad conditions Anti Terro was recorded.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNjOrUQp6_Y
Background/History;
The project of Anti-Terro started in 2001, back then they were preparing Bercy with Titina Al Capone and Alain Mpela pressuring JB Mpiana to bring the PPU’s to Europe. The PPU’s were Wenge BCBG’s second team. It was founded in 1998. It was normally Blaise Bula's idea to have a reserve team, since that Wenge BCBG just had 4 singers and in his opinion being better to have a reserve team in case that a singer or guitarist would fall ill or wanted to rest. They called the second team, PPU Mossad (Presidential Protection Unit) in reference to the presidential guard of president LD Kabila. They were feared (not like Mobutu’s DSP), but still having some influence and musicians mentioning them in concerts as Pipiyu Musada.
The singers got recruited in 1998 at Studio Bobongo, when Wenge BCBG came back rom the Titanic tour. Many musicians tried their luck (Fally Ipupa, Soleil Wanga, Papy Bastin, Spino la Djatence, etc. just to name a few). But only Rio, Kibens, Heritier, Strelly Mikobi and Chai Ngenge made it. Months later, after the release of Titanic, JB Mpiana would perform at l’Esplanade de Palais du Peuple, where he presented Heritier, Rio, Chai and Kibens as official members but as PPU (Kibens doing Blaise Bula’s role whole concert, because of Blaise not showing up). The event itself, started the contest between Maison Mere and BCBG about crowds. Maison Mere performing 2 weeks later at that same place (Werrason then arriving with a horse)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvuUcilizhI
All singers that got presented at Palais du Peuple, except Heritier made it at Zenith de Paris. In meatime during the Europe-tour of 1999, guitarist Djolina Mandudila would recruit a whole team of drummers, bass-players, guitarists and singers. That team would do from JB Mpiana’s Stade des Martyrs in 1999 till Bercy, the first-part of Wenge BCBG’s concerts, sometimes it would happen that one singer of that team could join to sing 1 song with the first team. The PPU’s would often make tv appearances and at some point gain popularity, fans being impressed by the singing talent and wondering if they would ever have a chance to sing in the first team or record an album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZn2LeIArnk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdydbjYliow
from 13:00 min Roger Ngandu talking about the PPU and them singing Sultan de Bruneil.
The cassette of ‘Taxi pour Bercy’ was a turning point. During the tour of JB Mpiana in Europe for TH’s succes and the recording of Internet, JB Mpiana received several awards in Kinshasa from ACMCO (best album, best star of the year, best song of the year, best songwriter, best singer, etc.) and during that event the PPU’s performed. They impressed the journalists, musicians and donors present at that event. Mbuta Kis Kisolokele who represented Wenge BCBG at that event, decided to bring the cassette of PPU’s performance to Europe, to show it to JB Mpiana, his staff and circle (Mpela, Titina and Tutu). They were really impressed and since there was a project to work on cassette that would announce their way to Bercy, they decided to put the footage of the PPU along with the BTS of the Europe-tour, as Taxi pour Bercy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXxniBhApFs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5onvvEot6E
When returning to Kinshasa, Titina and Mpela kept pressuring JB Mpiana to bring them to Europe for Bercy. The PPU then also participated to the preparation of the Bercy-show. At the same time spokemen and musicians would make noise about Bercy and JB Mpiana’s upcoming album Chemin de Fer (which was first called 11ème Commandement) with the slogan “l’Homme doit se battre”. Coming to the list of musicians that would make it to Bercy, all instrumentalists got left behind and only bass-player Makosso Police Break making to Europe. For singers, many were surprised to see Gessan Sakoko (who was singing like Emeneya) being left behind and also late Armand Ngolo who was acting like being their leader in tv-appearances. The singers coming to Europe being Dolin Masengi, Chikito Mutakatif, Didi Kalombo, Djo Lockis and Yondi Okosha. Just before Bercy, during the promotion of Bercy’s show and the hype of Chemin de Fer “11eme Commandement”, it became clear that the PPU’s would record an album, but the title wasn’t known yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doZTzM3pvoc
With the events of 9/11, George Bush declaring “the war against terrorism” and the beef with Koffi coming to another level after Koffi’s interview Zacharie Bababaswe (where he mocked JB Mpiana for not selling Bercy out), the album of the PPU’s got named “Anti-Terrorisme” in reference to the unit that got created in France just after 9/11 to fight terrorism and avoid terror-attacks in France. The BCBG-camp claiming that they were there to fight terrorism in Congolese music and that it was time to surrender Ben Laden along with the all bands of Congo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr6shMxmVwI
It was planned that the album who have 10 songs, each PPU-member having song, JB Mpiana two and also Bogus who just joined Wenge BCBG. In the period of Bercy, each PPU-member presented his song to JB and them preparing it slowly. However, when Wenge BCBG returned to Kinshasa for the Bling-Bling show at Stade des Martyrs, the PPU’s were also excepted to return, but they stayed for whatever reason in Europe. Because of JB Mpiana not having finished his tour-dates in Europe, he returned in Spring 2002 with Wenge BCBG and the PPU’s joining them. They started then the recordings of both Chemin de Fer and Anti-Terroisme. Rigo Makengo then presenting himself as producers of PPU’s album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh0_jeNZTbo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ2Jnm_ruMs
Because of having a contract with Bralima, JB Mpiana had to return to Kinshasa for a serie of concerts (FIKIN, l’Esplanade de Stade des Martyrs, etc.). The PPU’s along with the newly recruited CNN waited for BCBG to return to Europe, after the concerts of Kinshasa and a show in Luanda, it was time to return to Europe to finish the tour. But JB didn’t manage to get visa’s for strange reasons. They tried twice to get it, but Maison Schengen kept refusing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSDARHCezkk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgYdqIRGFMo&t=2865s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8uPp1eIFIs
While stressing about receiving visa’s, the BCBG-camp announced a Triple Zenith-event for 2003 which would later become Double Zenith, to correct Maison Mère. Seeing that they couldn’t release Anti-Terrorisme on time, also being already 1 year to not having released an album (Internet being released in Sept 2001), BCBG planned a maxi-single for december 2002. They already started the recordings, but when announcing it during a public-concert, BCBG-fanatics refused and declaring that just wanted the release of Anti-Terrorisme or nothing. With BCBG falling to make it at Elysee Montmartre for New Year-Eve, JB Mpiana starting re-recording songs in Kinshasa, because of many cri’s being passed and the Europe-recruited musicians (JDL, Richard Mukena and Bikou le Brun) also wanting to have songs on that album. In the same period, music-fans in Europe wanted to see JB Mpiana back with a huge event, which hasn’t happened since Bercy 2001, the event Palais des Congres meant for June 2002 not taking place and replaced by small events at Trabendo and Elysee Montmartre during the 2002-tour. After seeing Zenith events getting canceled twice due to problems with visas (March 2003 and July 2003), the PPU’s that stayed in Europe were wondering what they should do. After an intermediate phone-call of a staff-member with JB, they decided to leave the band and start their own career. At the same in Kinshasa, Alain Mpela got offered 6 songs by JB Mpiana and the musicians that hadn’t any songs in Internet also got the opportunity to put their songs in Anti Terro (Sunda Bass, Alba Accompagnero and Gentamicine) alongside Clan-Wenge veteran Fi-Carré.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b1RHjOdrL4&t=919s
To still stay relevant in the game, despite the many rejections of visas and rivals (Quartier Latin and Wenge Maison Mere) being triumphal with their albums and return from tours, the BCBG-camp kept making many tv-appearances and confrontations on tv. 2003 was a difficult year for Wenge BCBG, fans started to get impatient with Anti-Terrorisme and some fans that were glory hunters decided to leave or be on stand-by. In the same period JB Mpiana and did a serie of concerts around the cities of Congo DR (Tshikapa, Kananga, Mbuji Mayi, Matadi, Boma and Lubumbashi). They also performed abroad in Niger (Niamey), Guinee (Conakry) and Angola (Soyo). The events at l’Esplanade de Stade des Martyrs and the double event at FIKIN (JB won the confrontation against Werrason, making him earn the nickname 5ème Vice-President as reference to the 1+4 governement. President Joseph Kabila governing from 2003 till the 2006 elections with 4 vice-presidents; Yerodia Ndombasi, Jean Pierre Bemba, Zaidi Ngoma and Ruberwa most of them being former rebels of the Congo-War 98/03)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfT1H4EHEGQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCGWLRHEBIs
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Journalist Djo K Kabengele then doing all his best to hype these events up. However in private it was not going well with JB Mpiana, shortly after his tour in West-Africa, he got robbed at home and not long later his ex wife Amida, with whom his relationship wasn’t going well since two years, decided to leave the house. The situation got JB Mpiana really depressed. Alain Mpela who himself had 6 songs on Anti-Terro, saw it being reduced to 4, because of JB staff claiming that, it would give him to much influence. Not long after, the order was giving to Alain Mpela, to not having his own intro anymore, that he used to have before JB introduction on stage. After that he saw his songs on Anti-Terro being reduced to 2. In October 2003, Alain Mpela decided to leave Wenge BCBG, was a huge blow for not only BCBG-fans but also JB Mpiana himself. There were many versions (Alain Mpela being influenced by his family to waste time in Wenge BCBG, Alain Mpela getting caught talking with Koffi on the phone during the rehearsal and not wanting to get humiliated by a suspension, Alain Mpela wanting to get back in Europe, etc.). In November 2003, just after Mpela’s departure, BCBG went to the embassy of Belgium to apply for visas. They thought that everything went to their favor and the people working at the embassy being positive about the case, BCBG already announcing at the same time an European-tour. However, on the last minute the embassy rejected the visa’s. The BCBG-camp was really disappointed and Mbuta Kis was furious. He went on tv, to explain what went wrong and claimed hat there was one artist (Koffi Olomidé) who was behind all the problems of Wenge BCBG not receiving visa’s anymore. The incident claimed a lot of polemic and even reached Europe, where it was released on the VHS “Heure de Poinet” volume 3 produced by Martin Mapangu.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8bqz5zKoNQ
Because of the difficult year JB Mpiana had in 2003, his sponsor Bralima started to doubt him and was even thinking about cutting their contract. To prove them a point, JB Mpiana recorded the generique Pelisa Ngwasuma. The generique was a huge succes and brought not only the trust back with his sponsor but also his fans. In the same period, JB Mpiana performed at Boulevard Triomphale on December the 27th, which attented by a huge crowd. The succes of the event, created a trend of not only popular bands but also gospel bands, performing there to show there popularity. Wenge Maison Mère being the first, the following to prove their rivals a point. Because of the Alain Mpela departs, vocals got erased and replaced by other bandmembers. JB Mpiana himself added a few songs and also gave the PPU’s of Kinshasa that had alot of succes in Kinshasa-concerts the chance to put vocals in the song Vicky Nsongi. However, because of a small conflict about mabanga’s, artistic director Pathy Moleso decided to erase their vocals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARmG9p9W5J4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEDC38jQzTc&t=3994s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcTbCbm5h68
In 2004, the conflict of Koffi against JB came into another stage, because of an incident where a relative of Koffi bumped to JB Mpiana’s entrance. Journalist Djo Kabengele, went hard on Koffi, claiming that he sended someone to do so, because of being jealous for JB Mpiana having a entrance gate that opens automatically when coming with a car and him (Koffi) not. Koffi replied furiously from Europe, where he was touring with Quartier Latin and denying the allegations. However 20 years later, former spokemen Zobozi, claimed that Koffi indeed sended people to do so. Anyway, when coming from the tour, Koffi changed his entrance gate, having also an automatic one, being written in golden letter with MM.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjnI_B5gIDY
In 2003, there were already ideas to finish Anti-Terro in South Africa and record a part there, but it didn’t happen at that time. In 2004, Wenge BCBG went to South Africa for a serie of concerts and did recording of the generique, re-recorded Vicky Nsongi, the mixing of Anti-Terro there. After months long delays of the release date, the album was finally released on August 27th 2004
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Great history on this. On Saturday night I played a couple of songs from Anti Terro. It’s crazy that the generique was not well received. I feel like Congolese really don’t market well.
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Anti Terro was not a great album, I only like the générique Plainte A, BK le sénateur, the clips were trash too. Titina and Alain Mpela’s presence were missed badly and Rio, Kibens and co were finished by this point.
My question is during that Bercy tour why didn’t they just record the album like they always did during their Europe tours? Because they were in Europe for a little while before returning and they could’ve done it then. Jb picking the old guard over the PPU will always be strangest decision a leader has ever made.
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They didn’t record it, because the tour wasn’t finished. Congolese artists mostly record albums towards the end of Europe-tour. One of the reasons, is to find donors/fans around Europe that would like to have a song or shout-out on the album. After Bercy they just did a few concerts (Elysee Montmartre, Madeleine, etc.), being busy working on the video and cd-album of the Bercy concert.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiu6RoNuVs4&t=4169s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqmxlCZTtDw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLM3iB2JaHo
After that BCBG went to Canada without Titina and the PPU. Because of PPU’s being left behind in Europe, made rumors being spread about Wenge BCBG being split and that Alain Mpela left to form with the PPU’s a band called BCBG Musica. But the rumors were quickly denied by JB Mpiana and Alain Mpela.
Wenge BCBG and the PPU’s had normally to continue the tour after the Canada-trip. But Bralima with whom JB just signed that year, requested them to return in December for a series of concerts in Kinshasa and other cities of Congo for end of the year activities and to re-do a Stade des Martyrs (which they missed when returning from the previous tour). BCBG went back to Europe through Switzerland with the aim to return to France, to get their money, clothes, gifts, etc. But when coming to Switzerland, they got deported and went back to Kinshasa. They didn’t know that Bralima already fixed something with their tickets to return from Canada through Belgium, to get into the Schengen-Area, but it was already too late. Fans who were aware that they returned tried to give them a triumphal return, but they didn’t understand why JB and Mpela just drove immediately away from the airport, not knowing that they were deported.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHo2nQsKKSM&t=284s
It was when BCBG returned to Europe that they started recording some tracks for Anti-Terro, since that was meant to release the album of the PPU’s before Chemin de Fer. It was normally planned to return back to Europe, in the period of JB Mpiana reconciling with Werrason in front of Joseph Kabila. But there was already a plan made by rivals and angry concert promoters to get them blocked in Kinshasa. The DMG did their best to not let them go abroad, when they were about to travel back and missed their flight with the tour-dates getting postponed by 1 month.
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Wow History could be so different.
Didnt know that Fally tried there. I now its a differenz topic but where did Fally try before coming to QL?
Like everywhere there are so many what ifs….
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Being like many youngsters impressed by way of wearing fancy clothes, the charisma and looks of Savanet Depitcho and Jus d’Ete Mulopwe when they came in 1992 with Wenge El Paris from Europe for a serie of concerts in Kinshasa, Fally Ipupa tried somewhere in 1996 or 1997 his luck in Wenge El Paris. Sadly, Manda Chante rejected him because seeing more as a dancer than singer.
In 1998 shortly after the split of Wenge Musica 4x4, Wasenga Kipuni introduced him to Werrason. But like many musicians they were not giving him a proper chance. Not long after it he would join the Talent Latent-project
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BCBG and Maison Mère missed out on a LOT of musicians after the split. I still don’t understand how of all the musicians that were tested JB and Blaise only picked Kibens, Rio and Chai that’s insane there were so many better singers that were tested cause those three couldn’t even dance when they arrived which was essential for clan wenge
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BCBG and Maison Mère missed out on a LOT of musicians after the split. I still don’t understand how of all the musicians that were tested JB and Blaise only picked Kibens, Rio and Chai that’s insane there were so many better singers that were tested cause those three couldn’t even dance when they arrived which was essential for clan wenge
Thats so crazy! Who else for exp. was at the Test?
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BCBG and Maison Mère missed out on a LOT of musicians after the split. I still don’t understand how of all the musicians that were tested JB and Blaise only picked Kibens, Rio and Chai that’s insane there were so many better singers that were tested cause those three couldn’t even dance when they arrived which was essential for clan wenge
It was because they were recruited based on the voices of the 4 singers of Titanic (Mpela, Aimelia, JB and Blaise). Kibens as Blaise, Chai for Aimelia and Rio for Mpela (Rio also having the ability to sing as a woman and do the lines Mimi Ciel did on JB's Feux de l'Amour), Sterlly Mikobi for JB (I don't know why he left, to join Delta Force shortly after that) with Heritier as bonus (he basically a child) and Bidjana as Tutu Kaludji (he would perform straight away with the first team and was already before the tests like Alba Accompagnero and Sunda Bass). Then just before Zenith, they recruited Djo Lockis who was brought by his friend Tutu Kaluji (they used together in Promise Musica) and Dolin Masengi.
According to Kibens, Alain Makaba was apparently not really impressed by them (I think that recruitment was done by Titina) and even critized JB Mpiana for choosing them, saying that Kibens was not real musician, but just a simple songwriter. I don't know if it was Chai or Rio, but one of the two said that he was not happy when he saw them in Paris preparing for Zenith.
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JB has faced many challenges, both in his private life and his musical career, just like Ferré Gola
They never bowed their heads, even though 80% of leaders would have quit their careers.
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Sometimes I wonder if the things that went wrong in 2002 and 2003 weren't because of Tshibawu. Because with Baluba, if the wife isn't muluba, tshibawu will not hit her, but the husband will see his business and anything else in his life going backwards. If I am not mistaking just before the period that the problems started, Bebe Ramazani got fired because of an affair with JB's ex'wife. Some people say that it was as revenge, but they forget that in some tribes/ethnicities it create serious problems with the man
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BCBG and Maison Mère missed out on a LOT of musicians after the split. I still don’t understand how of all the musicians that were tested JB and Blaise only picked Kibens, Rio and Chai that’s insane there were so many better singers that were tested cause those three couldn’t even dance when they arrived which was essential for clan wenge
Thats so crazy! Who else for exp. was at the Test?
CNN, Joss Diena, Gabbana, Shella Mputu, Lola Muana, Jordan Kusa all tried. Suzuki tried to join Maison Mere but Werra refused not wanting to start a war with Koffi and experienced guys like Depitcho, Manda Chante and Montana were approached to join Maison Mere but they all declined. There were a lot of singers
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BCBG and Maison Mère missed out on a LOT of musicians after the split. I still don’t understand how of all the musicians that were tested JB and Blaise only picked Kibens, Rio and Chai that’s insane there were so many better singers that were tested cause those three couldn’t even dance when they arrived which was essential for clan wenge
It was because they were recruited based on the voices of the 4 singers of Titanic (Mpela, Aimelia, JB and Blaise). Kibens as Blaise, Chai for Aimelia and Rio for Mpela (Rio also having the ability to sing as a woman and do the lines Mimi Ciel did on JB's Feux de l'Amour), Sterlly Mikobi for JB (I don't know why he left, to join Delta Force shortly after that) with Heritier as bonus (he basically a child) and Bidjana as Tutu Kaludji (he would perform straight away with the first team and was already before the tests like Alba Accompagnero and Sunda Bass). Then just before Zenith, they recruited Djo Lockis who was brought by his friend Tutu Kaluji (they used together in Promise Musica) and Dolin Masengi.
According to Kibens, Alain Makaba was apparently not really impressed by them (I think that recruitment was done by Titina) and even critized JB Mpiana for choosing them, saying that Kibens was not real musician, but just a simple songwriter. I don't know if it was Chai or Rio, but one of the two said that he was not happy when he saw them in Paris preparing for Zenith.
Loool see even Makaba himself knew they weren't that great, Amelia too because he kept calling them fake musicians. This is why I always said it was important for Makaba to stay in Kin after 4x4 split cause then I'm sure they wouldn't have recruited Rio and Chai and maybe Kibens
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They were mostly giving the privilege to musicians that came from Bandalungwa since that Wenge 4x4 is from there and also those who had the same profile of those that used to play there. For example Bill Clinton was like Tutu Calugi from Ngiri-Ngiri and it was also known that they used to work together. Adjani was just lucky that Werrason was liking him a lot and they just fabricated the story that he came from N'djili like Manda Chante while he was just from Mombele. Many musicians were just rejected because of not coming from "Bandal". However, it is important to note that Wenge Maison Mere was already complete from the second week. The team that performed during the first public rehearshal at la Zamba Playa and live at VSS was the team that participated on Force d'Intervention Rapide (except Aridjana that joined Super Choc of late Shora Mbemba, Djolina Mandudila that joined Wenge BCBG, Mpaka Lingomba who was Ali Mbonda's backup mbonda-player and Fiston Bass who was the third bassist). So it was already difficult to get a place in that team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf6xOCa9CoQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FECl52IUbic
I forgot to mention that Lola Muana also tried his look in Wenge BCBG, during those tests at Bobongo in 1998.
If CNN lied that he was from Bandal, then maybe they could have accepted him. He did it well, but when he replied by Barumbu as anwser of where he came from, they rejected him. Shella Mputu was unlucky to be introduced by Adolphe, Werrason thought that if he would accept him, Adolphe could form a band in the future with Didier Lacoste and Celeo, who were recruited by Adolphe. Bob Lorenzo (the child of OK Jazz singer Checain Lola) followed his friend Baby Ndombe and was there from the beginning. He was accepted because of the looks and stage presence, but not long after it, he got sidelined because of Serge Mabiala discovering that he was a 'faux chanteur' at Werra's house, when asking to sing in front of him. Not long after that he joined Wenge El Paris. Kabose Bulembi was approached by WMM staff to join, but he got attacking by the staff of Big Stars, before even being able to join them.
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BCBG and Maison Mère missed out on a LOT of musicians after the split. I still don’t understand how of all the musicians that were tested JB and Blaise only picked Kibens, Rio and Chai that’s insane there were so many better singers that were tested cause those three couldn’t even dance when they arrived which was essential for clan wenge
It was because they were recruited based on the voices of the 4 singers of Titanic (Mpela, Aimelia, JB and Blaise). Kibens as Blaise, Chai for Aimelia and Rio for Mpela (Rio also having the ability to sing as a woman and do the lines Mimi Ciel did on JB's Feux de l'Amour), Sterlly Mikobi for JB (I don't know why he left, to join Delta Force shortly after that) with Heritier as bonus (he basically a child) and Bidjana as Tutu Kaludji (he would perform straight away with the first team and was already before the tests like Alba Accompagnero and Sunda Bass). Then just before Zenith, they recruited Djo Lockis who was brought by his friend Tutu Kaluji (they used together in Promise Musica) and Dolin Masengi.
According to Kibens, Alain Makaba was apparently not really impressed by them (I think that recruitment was done by Titina) and even critized JB Mpiana for choosing them, saying that Kibens was not real musician, but just a simple songwriter. I don't know if it was Chai or Rio, but one of the two said that he was not happy when he saw them in Paris preparing for Zenith.
Loool see even Makaba himself knew they weren't that great, Amelia too because he kept calling them fake musicians. This is why I always said it was important for Makaba to stay in Kin after 4x4 split cause then I'm sure they wouldn't have recruited Rio and Chai and maybe Kibens
I’m not sure if Makaba was present during those tests. But at that time he was in Kinshasa. I think that Makaba wasn’t taking them seriously and just saw them as simple reserve, thinking that they would stick to the 4 mics, not knowing they would use Blaise Bula’s own plan as a hidden agenda.
It was in the period that they came back to Kinshasa from Titanic, that they recruited them along with the female dancers on the same moment. The dancers performed with them during the vip concert at Palais du Peuple and traveled to Abidjan the following week. Things totally changed when Blaise Bula wasn’t showing up anymore to concerts. Them working on TH in private with the instrumentalists and the preparations of Zénith at Base Kanima, also had an important role of them traveling to Europe.
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Thank you Mfumu for the history of Anti-Terro. I don’t like the generique Anti-Terro but this album does have some good sebene. Pathy Moleso did his thing. Was BCBG not getting visas due to The Papa Wemba trial? Alain Mpela was missed as he was the only good singer in BCBG at the time in my personal opinion.
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No, the Ngulu-Affaire of Papa Wemba started in 2003, while the problems of visa's with BCBG started in 2002. According to people in the game, rivals started to team up with concertpromoters and went write letters to embassies, snitching that Wenge BCBG were doing human trafficking (ngulu's), which made them everytime getting rejected. It became harder when they were doing their best to finish those problems with the best lawyers, because some politicians that didn't like JB also got involved and BCBG ending up by getting a 5 years ban for the Schengen-Area. The ngulu-affair of Papa Wemba only had a bit of influence when they tried to plan the Zenith of July 2003. Maison Mere almost got blacklisted for schengen, for what happened during the tour of double zenith, but they were really lucky for getting visa's after Alerte Generale
Many bands got victim for snitching in that period. Zaiko saw their demand for visa's getting rejected in 2002. The same for Wenge Tonya Tonya in 2003 for LSC, Adolphe being furious and going hard on Koffi along with his musicians, claiming that it was because of him
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No, the Ngulu-Affaire of Papa Wemba started in 2003, while the problems of visa's with BCBG started in 2002. According to people in the game, rivals started to team up with concertpromoters and went write letters to embassies, snitching that Wenge BCBG were doing human trafficking (ngulu's), which made them everytime getting rejected. It became harder when they were doing their best to finish those problems with the best lawyers, because some politicians that didn't like JB also got involved and BCBG ending up by getting a 5 years ban for the Schengen-Area. The ngulu-affair of Papa Wemba only had a bit of influence when they tried to plan the Zenith of July 2003. Maison Mere almost got blacklisted for schengen, for what happened during the tour of double zenith, but they were really lucky for getting visa's after Alerte Generale
Many bands got victim for snitching in that period. Zaiko saw their demand for visa's getting rejected in 2002. The same for Wenge Tonya Tonya in 2003 for LSC, Adolphe being furious and going hard on Koffi along with his musicians, claiming that it was because of him
Why would a band leaders risk access to Europe by bringing ngulu's? How does that process work, are they bribed by the fans trying to immigrate to Europe? Or are the ngulu's typically family members and close friends? I can't imagine someone like JB or Werra risking legal troubles to sneak random people through the Schengen-Area; especially if they're making money from donors, touring, and beer sponsorships.
Maybe JB should have returned to Europe by himself to record Anti-Terror with PPU because the reserve team was already a complete band. Also, he doesn't have to wait on the embassies to approve 20+ visas to complete the album, but I'm guessing the old guard talked him out of it. If he couldn't enter Europe at all, he should have hired JP Kyss to record the album; just listen to the quality of Alerte Generale and Quatre Coins Kandala.
Also, why did Bikou le Brun and Richard Mukena leave BCBG?
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It was not only to complete an album, they wanted to get visas to make their fans in Europe happy with concerts. These Europe-tours were the only way for bandmembers to gain properly money, cars, etc. because since the late 1990s, Kinshasa concerts became peanuts. It was said that JB was afraid to go to Europe on his own at that time, because he thought that he could get arrested because of the ngulu-affair.
Quatre Coins Kandala is not of good quality. Anti Terro itself has a much better sound (drum, guitar, etc.) than Quatre Coins Kandala, which sound is very poor. The sound engineer of Kinshasa did a good job on Anti-Terro and they worked on mobile-studio with the materials coming from Europe. If you listen to Anti Terro you would think that it was recorded in Europe. When people used to wait for Anti Terro in 2003, many were afraid that it would have a bad sound like A La Une, Bouclage, Cocktail and co that were recorded in Kinshasa.
Bikou le Brun left because he was in conflict with JB Mpiana about dancer Anya Star, who was dating both guys at the same time. About Richard Mukena, I don’t know, but at that time he had already a relationship with his wife Bibi Sucre and Bibi already became old and wanted to stop dancing. So after Dock Eiffel 2006, she ran away and Richard Mukena doing the same thing. They had probably both the plan to stay in Europe.
Congolese music was not that lucrative like it was today. When artists would tour in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s, they would not stay in hotels but just rent a house. In the 1980s many popular musicians just used to rent houses in Kinshasa or still live in their parents house. Only Tabu Ley, Franco and Verckys had a decent life that was corresponding to their fame. Things started to change slowly when tobacco and beer companies started to sponsor artists and start giving villa’s as rewards. But it was not that bandleaders became millionaires. The boom of “Bana Lunda” in the early 1990s and the determination of Congolese people living in Europe to change the life of musicians in Kinshasa by helping them out financially and by buying/stealing cars and expensive clothes for them, also the boom of “Bana Londres” and later “Bana Schengen” due to chekula, made artists upgrade their way of being compared to how they were before. Also with the years coming, Europe would become more and more important.
Bringing people to Europe was seen by Congolese artists as a business and because the amount of people that wanted to leave Congo was growing, the business started to become even more lucrative with the years that followed. Many people also started to get scammed.
People that wanted to settle in Europe would pay artists x amount of money. Artists would then use passeports of musicians that would be left behind in Kinshasa and let those people travel with it. Back in those days you could easily remove the picture of the passeport with another picture (systeme ya bangula). Some artists were liking that business alot, that when those people arrived in Europe, they would send those passeports back to Kinshasa to the admin or sending the passeports of the artists that were already in Europe, the admin then bringing the people that were waiting for their turn and the people traveling to Europe with the same passeports. The artist that started it was Franco in the 1980s, then Ben Nyamabo of Choc Stars followed, Bozi doing the same thing with Anti Choc. Wenge was first only bringing their friends, family and people of their staff, but later also entered the business. Bozi is the artist that has brought the most ngulu’s to Europe. There was a point that he was not bringing the whole band anymore to Europe and just brining 8/9 bandmembers every tour until he got arrested in 2002.
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It was not only to complete an album, they wanted to get visas to make their fans in Europe happy with concerts. These Europe-tours were the only way for bandmembers to gain properly money, cars, etc. because since the late 1990s, Kinshasa concerts became peanuts. It was said that JB was afraid to go to Europe on his own at that time, because he thought that he could get arrested because of the ngulu-affair.
Quatre Coins Kandala is not of good quality. Anti Terro itself has a much better sound (drum, guitar, etc.) than Quatre Coins Kandala, which sound is very poor. The sound engineer of Kinshasa did a good job on Anti-Terro and they worked on mobile-studio with the materials coming from Europe. If you listen to Anti Terro you would think that it was recorded in Europe. When people used to wait for Anti Terro in 2003, many were afraid that it would have a bad sound like A La Une, Bouclage, Cocktail and co that were recorded in Kinshasa.
Bikou le Brun left because he was in conflict with JB Mpiana about dancer Anya Star, who was dating both guys at the same time. About Richard Mukena, I don’t know, but at that time he had already a relationship with his wife Bibi Sucre and Bibi already became old and wanted to stop dancing. So after Dock Eiffel 2006, she ran away and Richard Mukena doing the same thing. They had probably both the plan to stay in Europe.
Congolese music was not that lucrative like it was today. When artists would tour in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s, they would not stay in hotels but just rent a house. In the 1980s many popular musicians just used to rent houses in Kinshasa or still live in their parents house. Only Tabu Ley, Franco and Verckys had a decent life that was corresponding to their fame. Things started to change slowly when tobacco and beer companies started to sponsor artists and start giving villa’s as rewards. But it was not that bandleaders became millionaires. The boom of “Bana Lunda” in the early 1990s and the determination of Congolese people living in Europe to change the life of musicians in Kinshasa by helping them out financially and by buying/stealing cars and expensive clothes for them, also the boom of “Bana Londres” and later “Bana Schengen” due to chekula, made artists upgrade their way of being compared to how they were before. Also with the years coming, Europe would become more and more important.
Bringing people to Europe was seen by Congolese artists as a business and because the amount of people that wanted to leave Congo was growing, the business started to become even more lucrative with the years that followed. Many people also started to get scammed.
People that wanted to settle in Europe would pay artists x amount of money. Artists would then use passeports of musicians that would be left behind in Kinshasa and let those people travel with it. Back in those days you could easily remove the picture of the passeport with another picture (systeme ya bangula). Some artists were liking that business alot, that when those people arrived in Europe, they would send those passeports back to Kinshasa to the admin or sending the passeports of the artists that were already in Europe, the admin then bringing the people that were waiting for their turn and the people traveling to Europe with the same passeports. The artist that started it was Franco in the 1980s, then Ben Nyamabo of Choc Stars followed, Bozi doing the same thing with Anti Choc. Wenge was first only bringing their friends, family and people of their staff, but later also entered the business. Bozi is the artist that has brought the most ngulu’s to Europe. There was a point that he was not bringing the whole band anymore to Europe and just brining 8/9 bandmembers every tour until he got arrested in 2002.
Is the ngulu thing still as popular as before or have the conditions gotten too difficult to continue at the rate they used to? I know the War on Terrorism brought scrutiny to immigration that wasn't a high priority prior to 9/11
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Doesn’t exist anymore since 2003. Bands were from that moment only bringing journalists who were reporting about their concerts in Europe on Congolese tv-channels, close friends, admins and on rare occasions familymembers. At the same time Maison Schengen wanted to see bands coming back to Kinshasa with all people that they asked visa’s for. But sadly every tour at least 2 or 3 musicians would run away. This was making Maison Schengen mad and Werrason explained it a few times in 2007 amd also 2010, when coming back from Europe. Saying that Maison Schengen don’t see the difference between ngulu’s and musicians/journalists that decide to stay, calling them all ngulu’s and saying that bandmembers are messing up for all bands in Congo. The big amount of musicians running away in 2010 after the Zénith’s Fally and Ferre. Made Maison Schengen reject the visa’s that bands would apply in 2010 (Wazekwa, Ferre & Fally).