Congo Vibes
Music => Congolese Music => Topic started by: Mfumu Vata on March 26, 2026, 14:37
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thGeNVt-VzA
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that part from when pepe wanted djuna to go with the delta force delegation when they'd travel while he goes with the old guard and telling him he wont be there forever as to indirectly prepare djuna to leadership which he did not understand till the part where josé says he was impressed the first time he sang next to pepe kalle in a rehearsal and pepe wanted to start the rehearsal with prayer and adoration i have restarted it maybe 20 times without exaggerating,a mix of sadness,finding djouna's emotional theatric kinda funny to imagine and then the singing part which is just WOW especially when you imagine it with pepe's own voice
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Jose Likalako was confirming much of Lofombo's version of events but also confirming a few of Djuna's version of situation like the prayer that Djuna mentioned to Mukelenge years back. He is the first Delta Force to kind of publically call out Lofombo too. It is clear from this interview that after Pepe Kalle's trip if Pepe Kalle had not died, Empire Bakuba would split into two camps.
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The part of José Likalako explaining how dancers started to cry when Pépé Kallé started to sing a gospel song and Mbuta Likasu’s comments about it made me laugh so hard hahahahaha
I was so happy after years waiting to see someone from the Delta Force-line up finally accepted to do an interview, to hear their perspective from how the group started, how they left Empire Bakuba and the conflict between Djuna Mumbafu and Gode Lofombo. I hope that in the coming weeks and months guys like John Scot, Prince Bella, Strelly Mikobi, Pere Elanga and Thiro will follow.
I had alot of respect for José Likalako acknowledging Babia and calling him his musical father. It’s rare to see something like that. Others would just simply ignore him or just say that they were doing music in the same street-bands. I wonder why Manda Chante never had the idea to do a featuring with Babia Ndonga when he started his solo-career. You would except him to invite Babia atleast on one of his albums, when hearing their stories from N’djili.
I also liked how José admitted to have part of Celezino’s band despite Celezino’s behaviour on tv. Jose and Diamant Vert of Ponderation 8 are the only one from N’djili who admitted to have been part of Celezino’s Succes Ebende. Those streets-bands indirectly created those many dream-bands of the 1990s and early 2000s. It’s crazy that none of them breakthrough like Wenge Musica
The images of dancers and singers of Delta Force crying about the missed US-trip instead of Pepe Kalle was really embarrassing. Does it mean that if Pepe Kalle didn’t pass away, that he would leave Empire Bakuba without informing them ? Or was he just seeing it as a trip like he was doing sometimes with Nyboma and session musicians across African countries ?
Although, Gode Lofombo claiming that the guys of Delta Force already had done their test within Empire Bakuba before Pepe Kalle’s death. It was denied by former Empire Bakuba bandmembers and Dilu Dilumona himself. Hearing Jose speaking about how they left Empire Bakuba it’s still not clear to me who’s right between Gode Lofombo and the musicians of Empire Bakuba. Because he hadn’t confirmed that they were accepted within Empire Bakuba before Pepe Kalle’s death.
Two months ago, Elvis Kunku did some interviews with Mr la Rumba and claimed that Pepe Kalle’s show with Delta Force at the event ‘Megaconcert-Tofuka pona Congo’ was a huge flop and that Pepe Kalle went afterwards to them to apologize. But here Jose said that they pulled a great show. It’s giving me headache. Who’s telling the truth ?
It’s such a shame how Delta Force didn’t even last 6 months. When hearing how those conflicts started it doesn’t even make sense. It wasn’t mature from Lofombo how he said that Djuna wasn’t smart when struggling with reading contracts. We would have concluded that it’s because of them being young. But when seeing how Lofombo messed Empire Bakubaś reunion-event up, by attacking Djuna Mumbafu in different interview prior to the event, made me think that it’s just his behaviour.
My conclusion about their conflict is that the staff members of both Lofombo and Djuna Mumbafu contributed to their split by acting as double agents, trying to gain their trust while also passing information, gossips and insults. This pushed Djuna Mumbafu to distance himself from Lofombo by attempting to influence different band members. However, this strategy did not succeed and only those who were in conflict with Lofombo, such as Dokolos and the late Angelo Luvengoka following him. At the same time, Lofombo also worsened the situation through some of his decisions, who were irritating Djuna. For example, how he rejected the two contracts for Europe-tours mentioned by Jose Likalako. The first offer coming from tour promoters who wanted to pay the group afterwards (a perspective I can understand from Lofombo’s side), as well the proposal from Rigo Makengo, who also wanted to organize a Europe-tour. The nail of the coffin, although not mentioned by Jose Likalako, if I remember well, a contract involving Rami Amisi for a performance in Matadi. After a successful shows in Moanda, Amisi wanted to negotiate with them for an event in Matadi, Djuna had asked Lofombo to request a certain fee, but Lofombo wanted a lower price because the donor was close to Pepe Kalle and he did not want to bother him, while Djuna disagreed, as he saw it strictly as a business matter rather than a personal one. Instead of asking for the amount Djuna had proposed, Lofombo suggested his own price, which angered Djuna. This frustration was for Djuna the final blow, due to the earlier tensions, especially that Lofombo did not travel with Delta Force by bus but instead came to Moanda by plane. Although this was not Lofombo’s fault, as Ndiaye had asked him to stay in Kinshasa to complete Blaise Bula’s Ponderation 8 and arranging a flight for him. However Djuna interpreted it as a way for Lofombo to show who the real boss is, since that there was already a cold war going on. As a result, Djuna chose not to show up at the event at Matadi’s stadium two weeks later and instead left to form his own band.
The rumors that were spread by Djuna’s staff, about Lofombo being a witch and making from Djuna Mumbafu his horse in the night was really sad. However, my brother was back in the days convinced that it was true, giving the example that Lofombo was Shora Mbemba’s brother (back in the days people were believing that Shora Mbemba was strong in witchcraft) and them both coming from Bumbu. Since that people in Kinshasa having the perception of Bumbu and Selembao being the areas full of witches. It’s sad but I had to laugh, how Mbuta Likasu admitted how he started to look at Lofombo after the rumors were spread that he was a witch hahahahah. Djuna Mumbafu went even far by recording a diss-song against Lofombo in his first album, claiming that he's a witch. Koffi Olomidé revealed in one of his interviews with Ado Yuhe that during Maisha Parc, Djuna Mumbafu said that he doesn't have a problem with anyone but just with Lofombo, saying that he's a witch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHO9_juAV_k
Thinking about it, it could also be that Djuna’s staffmembers or Djuna himself consulted a witchdoctor or a ngunza, to know about the future of Delta Force or what's going wrong within the band and the witchdoctor lying about Lofombo being a witch. Because witchdoctors often spread lies. For example, I remember Djonolo once saying in I think Ado Yuhe’s interview or that with Teddy Mola, that Bozi went to his witchdoctor in Masina and the witchdoctor claiming that Djonolo was blocking Bozi to be mainstar of Anti Choc, while he was just lying and Bozi believing the witchdoctor and both arguing when walking back to the taxi. I believe that it was the same witchdoctor that Ngadiadia Ngadios and Siatula used to consultate back in the 1990s when they were on their prime but I am not sure, I don’t remember the name of the witchdoctor anymore.
Djuna’s departure from Delta Force a was huge blow for the group. Everything went down hill from than and Lofombo having bad luck that he was an instrumentalist, while in DR Congo people mostly not taking instrumentalists serious when they start a band. They made a great album “Confirmation” but it was not a big succes. While Djuna Mumbafu enjoyed great succes with Dokolos and his band with the recruited musicians Zagalo, DC-10, Jitrois, etc. Kis Kisombe even coming to Kinshasa to get them to Europe. It’s crazy that despite the succes, Djuna decided to abandon his band and travel with ngulu’s instead. Papy Tex who returned to Kinshasa to let Empire Bakuba rebirth did the same thing by announcing a tour for March 2000, but instead selling all visa’s to ngulus. However, from Papy Tex it was understandable because he demotivated, as he lost his childhood friend Pepe Kalle and no fame being there with Empire Bakuba, despite him returning to Kinshasa. Papy Tex tried to reconcile Lofombo and Djuna Mumbafu, asking them to return to Empire Bakuba, but Lofombo saying that he won't return if Djuna would be there and Djuna vice-versa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_Jryxnf800
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N8oPmx8ftY&t=1126s
Gode Lofombo often presents himself as a saint in interviews, but Jose Likalako says thatwhen Rigo Makengo came to Kinshasa to take them on a European tour, Lofombo left Delta Force behind and traveled with “ngulu’s.” Rigo Makengo himself also treated Lofombo unfairly by not to paying the promised money for Confirmation. At that time, Lofombo was not familiar with how royalties worked and Makengo registered all the tracks under his own name with SACEM without informing Lofombo about the possibility of joining SACEM or SABAM to receive royalties.
Lofombo was misled by Makengo, partly due to a sense of trust and solidarity, as he saw him as his brother since that they are from the same Bakongo-tribe Bantandu. Lofombo would get stuck for 3 years in Europe, being forced to rely on session work for years in Europe, collaborating with various artists such as Madilu, Deese Mukangi, Karmapa, etc. to get some money.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiOXu4pPc0Y
In the meantime, different bands were trying to recruit the bandmembers of Delta Force. Zaïko Langa Langa recruiting Père Elanga, Strelly Mikobi and Prince Bella, while Koffi Olomidé took John Scott and Île de Cambodge. Lofombo has normally not the right to be mad at Nyoka Longo when hearing how he abandoned Delta Force. e. During those Socoda wars a few years ago, he profited from those occasions to throw shots against Nyoka Longo by calling him multiple times Angolan saying that he’s not able to play rumba because of being foreign. Forgetting that Lutumba Simaro is from Angolan descent. In the many interviews he did in Kinshasa at that time, Lofombo later confessed that he still hold a grudge against Nyoka Longo for taking his musicians.
Although, Jose explaining how Lofombo went with ngulu’s to Europe. Lofombo himself denies it it by reacting on one of the comments who called him out for it by saying this "Bonjour Ndeko Ba vérité alobi pour ngá, okipé té Mbongo oyo ya producteur etalaki ngá kutu té yangó olingi o tyá même groupe électrogène po o amplifié."
Jose Likalako had bad luck, he rejected Adamo’s offer to join Zaiko and a few weeks later his peers joined Zaiko and getting some hype, being called “attaque lazer” with the EP “Feeling” boosting them even more and getting the chance to travel to Europe. Altough people hyping them up, I was never liked them in Zaiko.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MexEaIvMQcE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9mk1-zqPv0
It was a huge mistake from Kinanga Boeing to leave the list behind in Brazzaville, when travelling to Europe through Brazzaville and Cameroun. If he took the list, those problems wouldn’t appear in Cameroun. It’s mostly the admin or chef d’orchetre who takes the list with him. I wonder what went wrong. But we’ll probably never know, because bandleaders never talk about that kind of stuff. Did the person who was responsible for it, forget in Brazzaville or was it due to an angry admin, who didn’t make it on the trip and throwing the list away as revenge ? The part that made it to Europe was extremly lucky, because a few weeks after it, Papa Wemba got arrested for the ngulu-affair and Congolese bands not being able to travel to the Schengen Area for months. It was a bad strategy for them to do their first event at LSc on a thursday. The second concert of the tour at Cabaret Savauge the same week also being mpiaka. Europe-tours often flops when the first concert not being a success. It’s a shame that Empire Fondation collapsed in Europe, while they had a huge succes in DR Congo. I was excepting them to put Clan Empire back on the map and exist for atleast 10 years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsQph71RFB8
Jose really made me laugh with his comment about Zemano Kanza being cursed, hahaha. It immediately reminded me of what Mbuta Likasu once said about Desouza, that whenever he joins a band, it means the group is about to break up (Langa Langa Stars, Zaiko Familia Dei, Empire Bakuba),callling him 'croque-mort' (undertaker) hahaha. Desouza is lucky that when they took the plan in Cameroon, he wasn’t around Zemano and Jose, otherwise he might not have made it in Europe. I was surprised to hear that Pepe Kalle’s daughter, Mamie Bula was part of the delegation, but didn’t make it either and ended up being stuck for a week in Cameroon along with Jose, Zemano, and the “ngulu’s.” It must have been frustrating for the ngulu's not to make it to Europe, especially after spending so much money. I wonder what Mamie Bula and her mother were thinking when she came back to Kinshasa. It's insane how Djuna, Lofombo and Kinanga Boeing were all using Pepe Kalle's widow for their band, just to get some recognition for the public. At least Vieux Boeing was the only one from the Empire clan who managed to bring the group to Europe. I can understand why Kinanga is upset that none of them (Dokolos, Jolie Bebe, Biya Chante, etc.) acknowledge him for being in Europe, they would otherwise have been struggling in Kinshasa if he didn't brough them. It’s crazy how Dominique Mabwa decided to return to Kinshasa to manage his lucrative business despite being in Europe, only to lose it not long after when he returned. Today, he's struggling in Kinshasa and asking for assistance when doing interviews . Sometimes I see people commenting on tiktok or facebook when there are videos about Dominique Mabwa that it was a “réclamation familiale"