Former bass player of Isifi Lokole, Zaiko Langa Langa, Langa Langa Stars, Choc Stars, Zaiko Familia Dei and Viva Cours des Grands talking about his career

Interesting revelation coming from Djo Mali is that apparently he and Evoloko are actual cousins. I find this believable because their faces are similar. I think it probably is from the maternal side.

I was also suprised to hear that he' s related to Evoloko. It's probably also the reason why Evoloko only wanted to force Djanana out, but not Djo Maly. However, Djo Maly still leaving with Djanana to join Choc Stars.

I was totally surprised that they were earning nothing when they were in Langa Langa Stars nor getting money for recording songs. The contract Langa Langa Stars had with Veve was a slave-contract. On tv they were giving the impression that they were having a good life. Now I see, why Zaiko Langa Langa refused that contract. But Verckys still wanting to make money from them and using Evoloko to get some musicians of Zaiko with him. It also explains why Roxy Tshimpaka refused to give Popolipo money, when he was asking about his payment, because concerts were the only way for the 7 leaders to earn money.

There was a part, where Djo Mali said that when Langa Langa Stars finished their succesful tour in Europe (Italy, Switserland, France and Belgium), Verckys refused to pay them, claiming that he spent all their money on paying their accommodation. This while they gave sold out shows in Europe, being the first Congolese band to perform at Le Bataclan. All those revelations made me wonder how the contract of Verckys with Victoria Eleison was.

Djo Maly version about Emeneya joining Langa Langa Stars is different from what guys like Petit Cachet, Popolipo and co said. Here he said that Emeneya and Huits Kilo joined them in the studio, after finishing their rehearsal camp (in kasangulu), while the rest always say that Emeneya but that he left when they went on rehearshal camp. Djo Maly also said that Huits Kilos interpreted two songs that were orginally played by late Nene Tchackou (inclu. Tantine Betena). Emeneya couldn't sing in the studio, because he didn't knew the songs and hadn't rehearshed with them and after the session Emeneya refusing the offer to join Langa Langa Stars.

I was also suprised to hear that he' s related to Evoloko. It's probably also the reason why Evoloko only wanted to force Djanana out, but not Djo Maly. However, Djo Maly still leaving with Djanana to join Choc Stars.

I was totally surprised that they were earning nothing when they were in Langa Langa Stars nor getting money for recording songs. The contract Langa Langa Stars had with Veve was a slave-contract. On tv they were giving the impression that they were having a good life. Now I see, why Zaiko Langa Langa refused that contract. But Verckys still wanting to make money from them and using Evoloko to get some musicians of Zaiko with him. It also explains why Roxy Tshimpaka refused to give Popolipo money, when he was asking about his payment, because concerts were the only way for the 7 leaders to earn money.

There was a part, where Djo Mali said that when Langa Langa Stars finished their succesful tour in Europe (Italy, Switserland, France and Belgium), Verckys refused to pay them, claiming that he spent all their money on paying their accommodation. This while they gave sold out shows in Europe, being the first Congolese band to perform at Le Bataclan. All those revelations made me wonder how the contract of Verckys with Victoria Eleison was.

What accomodations? Nice hotels, restaurants, maybe business class flights. A lot of these music executives play the same game to avoid paying real money lol

They were staying in flats. Verckys explained the day prior to the trip back to Zaire that he had spent all the money on the flats they were renting and the flight tickets, while all the concerts they performed in Europe were sold out and Verckys himself with a guy from Kinshasa being the one that sold the tickets for concerts. Djo Maly added that Verckys also hadn’t given them any money for food during their time in Europe. Because of all this, the cars and other stuff they bought had to stay in Europe because they had no money to bring them back to Zaire nor any money for customs. Additionally, they couldn’t ask friends for money since they had to return the following day. The drummer (Aimedo) and rhythm guitarist (Anto Denewade) decided to stay because of this. Bozi Boziana and Esperant Kisangani also decided to stay in Europe and followed them later.

Looking back on it, the musicians were really naïve. Verckys saying after the first concert that he would pay them at the end of the tour was already a bad sign. They should have protested after the first concert. Verckys didn’t even provide money for transportation. It was only thanks to friends and fans that they to get money and take public transport. Musicians who toured in the 1980s and early 1990s often lived off recording nzong-nzing anddoing session work, but Verckys had forbidden all of that.

Seeing how Bozi and Kisangani stayed in Europe, but not Evoloko, Djuna, and Dindo, made me wonder if Verckys had made some kind of arrangement with Evoloko, who was the main star. Or if Evoloko had an arrangement with Dindo Yogo and Djuna since they came from the same region. It would be interesting if they could interview Djuna Djanana about the tour, but he would probably be diplomatic, as he has good relations with Evoloko.

I remember, I believe Eddi Mabungu once saying that Esperant Kisangani, and I think also Bozi, were the ones who decided to fire Evoloko. But it didn’t work out, and Evoloko shaved off all his hair, claiming that he had become a "nkumu" (a term for a tribal chief from the Equateur region) and that he marched around Kinshasa. But I don’t remember if this happened before or after the European trip. I need to watch his interview with Mr la Rumba back. Anyway, after the trip, a leadership war started within the band and Esperant Kisangani would soon return to Europe to settle there. Bozi would also leave after a few months, wanting to settle in Europe, but he changed his mind after getting approached by Roxy Tshimpaka and late Ben Nyamabo, who had been fired from Langa Langa Stars, to form Choc Stars.

They were staying in flats. Verckys explained the day prior to the trip back to Zaire that he had spent all the money on the flats they were renting and the flight tickets, while all the concerts they performed in Europe were sold out and Verckys himself with a guy from Kinshasa being the one that sold the tickets for concerts. Djo Maly added that Verckys also hadn’t given them any money for food during their time in Europe. Because of all this, the cars and other stuff they bought had to stay in Europe because they had no money to bring them back to Zaire nor any money for customs. Additionally, they couldn’t ask friends for money since they had to return the following day. The drummer (Aimedo) and rhythm guitarist (Anto Denewade) decided to stay because of this. Bozi Boziana and Esperant Kisangani also decided to stay in Europe and followed them later.

Looking back on it, the musicians were really naïve. Verckys saying after the first concert that he would pay them at the end of the tour was already a bad sign. They should have protested after the first concert. Verckys didn’t even provide money for transportation. It was only thanks to friends and fans that they to get money and take public transport. Musicians who toured in the 1980s and early 1990s often lived off recording nzong-nzing anddoing session work, but Verckys had forbidden all of that.

Seeing how Bozi and Kisangani stayed in Europe, but not Evoloko, Djuna, and Dindo, made me wonder if Verckys had made some kind of arrangement with Evoloko, who was the main star. Or if Evoloko had an arrangement with Dindo Yogo and Djuna since they came from the same region. It would be interesting if they could interview Djuna Djanana about the tour, but he would probably be diplomatic, as he has good relations with Evoloko.

I remember, I believe Eddi Mabungu once saying that Esperant Kisangani, and I think also Bozi, were the ones who decided to fire Evoloko. But it didn’t work out, and Evoloko shaved off all his hair, claiming that he had become a "nkumu" (a term for a tribal chief from the Equateur region) and that he marched around Kinshasa. But I don’t remember if this happened before or after the European trip. I need to watch his interview with Mr la Rumba back. Anyway, after the trip, a leadership war started within the band and Esperant Kisangani would soon return to Europe to settle there. Bozi would also leave after a few months, wanting to settle in Europe, but he changed his mind after getting approached by Roxy Tshimpaka and late Ben Nyamabo, who had been fired from Langa Langa Stars, to form Choc Stars.

How much do musicians take home per concerts during their Europe tour? The way many run away from each group, it must be around 80 to 100 Euros, unless the boss or his staff gets greedy.

If only social media existed in those days, I feel like a lot of the money problems would have been easier to resolve. You have a direct to consumer relationship with donors which eases pressure on the boss to pay regularly and rival groups can access different producers to help record and promote projects without fear of sabotage because they're sharing the same pool of producers as their former boss.

At the same time, we have social media today and I feel like the music is less focused. Too many musicians are going solo without a catalog, just aura. They're paid enough to get by but they don't feel ambitious to prove anything big – Deplik, Prince Babia, Ibirator, But Na Filet, and Robino.

I do not pay attention to today’s music and musicians. I stick to the music of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

In the 1980s, the euro didn’t exist. Each European country had its own currency and the value of each currency varied. European countries started using the euro from 2002. Also, Congolese bands didn’t tour Europe every year at that time. It was mainly Zaiko Langa Langa  from 1983 and Empire Bakuba who toured in Europe each year and from the early 1990s more bands starting to tour every year. Most bands would tour every two or three years in the 1980s and in most cases, the tours didn’t last very long. It was quite rare to see musicians stay in Europe. From the 1990s it started to become more frequent.

I don’t know how much musicians  were earning. Payment also varied between bands, since you had groups like Viva la Musica and Afrisa that were led by one leader, but also bands like Langa Langa Stars, Zaiko Langa Langa, etc., who had several leaders. It had been said that Zaiko Langa Langa used to pay their musicians well when coming from European tours until the split of 1988, but musicians still not being happy.