Like title says i will be posting in this thread biographies of some other people who caught our attention during the golden era of ndombolo,feel free to make requests and will try to make as much as i can
i will be starting with montana,mirage supersonic and modogo abarambwa
stay tuned

Thank you in advance brother

Can you do ?

- WILLY BULA
- Djanana
- Stino Mubi
- Eric Tutsi
- Atshuda
- Apocalypse Ya Jean
- Burkina Faso
- DEFAO

Thank you !!!

Can you do ?

- WILLY BULA
- Djanana
- Stino Mubi
- Eric Tutsi
- Atshuda
- Apocalypse Ya Jean
- Burkina Faso
- DEFAO

Thank you !!!

That of Djanana will be difficult and he isn't a ndombolo trendsetter is a pure Quatro/Viva product. He is active since 1971. So he more experienced the legends Defao, Koffi Olomide, Reddy Amisi, etc. He started in Cavacha of Mopero & Dona Mobeti. He was Evoloko's best friend and joined Isifi Melodia back in 1975, when Wemba, Bozi & Mavuela left to form Yoka Lokola. Then he joined Viva La Musica around 1978/79 and became friends with Emeneya. Then created with Esperant Kisangani, Dindo Yogo, Evoloko, Djo Mali & Bozi the band Langa Langa Stars in 1981. Then in 1984 he joined Choc Stars and went around 1989/90 on his own to Europe and rejoined Langa Langa Stars. Then after 2 years he joined Viva La Musica "Made in Paris" on Wemba's request until 2004 when the band disbanded. Then in 2008 they created with former Viva La Musica-members the band La Musica Act 2, but leadership issues made the band split after some months




Stino is also not a ndombolo trendsetter he is also a pure Viva product. He started in streetbands and then joined Viva La Musica in 1984, encouraged by friends to do a audition. Back in the days he was not really a keymember. Lidjo Kwempa & Luciana had more succes then him. When Papa Wemba moved to Paris in 1987 he was left behind and joined Maray Maray's Rumba Ray. With them he played concerts and recorded some songs (the first version of MJ Ngoyi) In the late 1987 he came in Paris and rejoined Viva La Musica. He also joined Papa Wemba's worldmusic-band Molokai and toured with them in the USA, UK, etc. In the late 1989 he released his first solo LP (femme sans bijoux), which was a huge succces. He was one of the guys who created the split-band Nouvelle Generation in 1992, but decided then to stay with Viva La Musica. Then he released his second solo album Romeo & Juillet in 1994, then his thrid Invitation in 1998 and released a duo-album with Reddy Amisi called Fin d'Exil in 2000 and then left Viva La Musica to form his own band in 2001.


Defao carreer is also very long. He was already a big star back in the '80s. He is born in Kinshasa and went to study in Kisantu (Inkisi). He had his band Lay West or something like that in Inkisi, which was a big village in Kongo-Cental (ex' Bas Congo). He was a big star in that province performing in other towns (Kasangulu, Mbanza Ngungu, Kimpese, etc.).  Pepe Felly Manuaku-Waku recuited him there in 1981. With a journalist writing that Manuaku recruited a musician in Kisantu, which was a error. From that day everybody is calling the town Inkisi Kisantu. From then he was a member of Grand Zaiko Wawa. In 1983 he joined Choc Stars. After Bozi's departure he became a important member having a lot space and forming a dangerous quartet with Carlyto Lassa, Debaba Mbaki & Djuna Djanana. In 1990 he relased his solo-LP Hitachi which was a huge succes and made the press him vote as best star of the year. In 1991 he decided to form his own band Big Stars and from then his solo career started.

@archos

Could you do a biography of Roga Roga of Extra Musica, Awilo Longomba, and  Roberto Ekokota (idk if he's gotten a proper biography)?

Archos can you do one on depitcho willy bula mbochi lipassa and somono dolce parabolique

Can you do ?

- WILLY BULA
- Djanana
- Stino Mubi
- Eric Tutsi
- Atshuda
- Apocalypse Ya Jean
- Burkina Faso
- DEFAO

Thank you !!!

That of Djanana will be difficult and he isn't a ndombolo trendsetter is a pure Quatro/Viva product. He is active since 1971. So he more experienced the legends Defao, Koffi Olomide, Reddy Amisi, etc. He started in Cavacha of Mopero & Dona Mobeti. He was Evoloko's best friend and joined Isifi Melodia back in 1975, when Wemba, Bozi & Mavuela left to form Yoka Lokola. Then he joined Viva La Musica around 1978/79 and became friends with Emeneya. Then created with Esperant Kisangani, Dindo Yogo, Evoloko, Djo Mali & Bozi the band Langa Langa Stars in 1981. Then in 1984 he joined Choc Stars and went around 1989/90 on his own to Europe and rejoined Langa Langa Stars. Then after 2 years he joined Viva La Musica "Made in Paris" on Wemba's request until 2004 when the band disbanded. Then in 2008 they created with former Viva La Musica-members the band La Musica Act 2, but leadership issues made the band split after some months




Stino is also not a ndombolo trendsetter he is also a pure Viva product. He started in streetbands and then joined Viva La Musica in 1984, encouraged by friends to do a audition. Back in the days he was not really a keymember. Lidjo Kwempa & Luciana had more succes then him. When Papa Wemba moved to Paris in 1987 he was left behind and joined Maray Maray's Rumba Ray. With them he played concerts and recorded some songs (the first version of MJ Ngoyi) In the late 1987 he came in Paris and rejoined Viva La Musica. He also joined Papa Wemba's worldmusic-band Molokai and toured with them in the USA, UK, etc. In the late 1989 he released his first solo LP (femme sans bijoux), which was a huge succces. He was one of the guys who created the split-band Nouvelle Generation in 1992, but decided then to stay with Viva La Musica. Then he released his second solo album Romeo & Juillet in 1994, then his thrid Invitation in 1998 and released a duo-album with Reddy Amisi called Fin d'Exil in 2000 and then left Viva La Musica to form his own band in 2001.


Defao carreer is also very long. He was already a big star back in the '80s. He is born in Kinshasa and went to study in Kisantu (Inkisi). He had his band Lay West or something like that in Inkisi, which was a big village in Kongo-Cental (ex' Bas Congo). He was a big star in that province performing in other towns (Kasangulu, Mbanza Ngungu, Kimpese, etc.).  Pepe Felly Manuaku-Waku recuited him there in 1981. With a journalist writing that Manuaku recruited a musician in Kisantu, which was a error. From that day everybody is calling the town Inkisi Kisantu. From then he was a member of Grand Zaiko Wawa. In 1983 he joined Choc Stars. After Bozi's departure he became a important member having a lot space and forming a dangerous quartet with Carlyto Lassa, Debaba Mbaki & Djuna Djanana. In 1990 he relased his solo-LP Hitachi which was a huge succes and made the press him vote as best star of the year. In 1991 he decided to form his own band Big Stars and from then his solo career started.

Thank you Mvulusi 96.

do you know Djodjo Bayinge ?

Yeah I know him. But I don't know alot about him. Just that he started in a band from Matonge called Asha Dynamique, which had Nseka (who played for Koffi) & Lofombo. Then he was recuited by Defao, when he started Big Stars. With the most musicians coming from Kasa-Vubu/Ngiri Ngiri and Kisantu (where Defao's former band was still existing). Then he went on tour with Defao in Europe with the whole band staying there and him joining Viva La Musica.

@archos

Could you do a biography of Roga Roga of Extra Musica, Awilo Longomba, and  Roberto Ekokota (idk if he's gotten a proper biography)?

the Ekokota's biography has already been made : http://congovibes.com/congolese-music/the-greatest-atalakou-battle-ever/msg52197/#msg52197

@Congolitude

Thanks!

That of Awilo is a long story. This is until his solo career.  Awilo Longomba is the son of the legend Vicky Longomba who was the first president of OK Jazz, the lead singer and one of the founders. He father didn't want him to do music. But he wasn't listening and started drumming in streetbands. Later he was recruited to play for Lita Bembo's band Stukas. He was an excellent drummer. Than around 1984/85 he joined Viva La Musica. People were saying that he was recruited because of his sister Patricia Longomba, who was then Wemba's girlfriend before coming that of Alain Makaba. But that wasn't true. He went there on his own and the staff of Papa Wemba and the musicians were happy, because Richacha became bigheaded. Since that he was the only drummer, coming very late in rehearsals and concerts with Viva not being able to perform. Back in the days bands had 2 drummers. Otis Koyongonda who was the second drummer, but he left to join Victoria Eleison. So Awilo saved them. Awilo became quickly a important member.



In 1985 there was a moment that Richacha disspeard. People were looking for him everywhere, but he was in Brazzaville with his father. Awilo profited of that situation and went with Viva La Musica on tour in Europe and Japan. He came then back with the band in Kinshasa in 1986, after spending 8 months abroad.



 Then when Papa Wemba decided to settle Viva La Musica in Europe in 1987. Awilo was then left behind in Kinshasa. He went then on his own in Europe some months later and rejoined Viva La Musica there. He played on several solo albums of Viva La Musica-singers (Stino, Reddy, Joly Mubiala, etc.), sapeurs albums (Modogo Gianfranco Ferre, Pacha Mikili, Rive Kono,e c.), Soukous Stars, Tshala Muana, etc. and went sometimes even on tour with them in Africa. Then in 1992 a split came in Viva La Musica with Reddy, Stino, Luciana Demingongo, Awilo Longomba, Bongo Wende, Boss Matuta, Lidjo Kwempa, Jose Fataki & Fafa de Molokai forming "La Nouvelle Generation de La Republique Democrartique". After that Wemba went wild on them in their rehearsal room and saying that if somebody doesn't agree with him he can go. With them all leaving.

This because they were fed up to live as gigolo and asking people money, having kids and wives. So they asked if Wemba could share the money he was getting from his worldtour with Peter Gabriel with him agreeing. But after talking with his staff and wife he refused and made a reunion where he attacked them all. Since that the musicians themselves were saying that Wemba was jealous of the succes they got with their solo-albums. Hence why Stino was the most attacked person on this video. But Reddy Amisi & Stino Mubi returned after some days.
Nouvelle Generation had a huge succes in Paris and the rest of the Congolese diaspora in Europe. They released Luciana's solo album Station Radar in 1993. In 1994 they released Zipompa Pompa, where Awilo putted the song Porokondo.




Their succes was to big. With those madame ya poto and Wemba staff to everything to reuin their career, but it wasn't working. Then in 1995 there was a fara-fara concert planned against Viva La Musica. The founding-members agreed, but after some days on the end Lidjo Kwempa & Awilo Longmba refused. Because there mediums said that if they performed there, then it would have bad bad consequences. With people calling that they saw the way people were putting throwing nkisi on the door of LSC. So Lidjo & Awilo asked the rest if they could cancell that show. But the rest refusing, because they received alot of money and wanted to use it for their families. After that concert nothing special happened and Awilo & Lidjo who didn't participate to that show tried to return. But the rest refused calling them traitors (Fafa de Molokai, Bongo Wende, etc.) , etc. so they left.

here's Lidjo Kwempa what went wrong in those days before the fara-fara

Then Awilo decided to record his solo album Moto Pamba. But the singers who he invited didn't show up. So he had to sing himself, while didn't like his voice. But the arrangers and sound ingeniers encouraged him. Then he toured with Oliver Ngoma (if i'm right) as a drummer  in Uganda and then havoc started hahahah

CLAUDE NZIASA KAMENGA AKA MONTANA KAMENGA SOMMET DES SOMMETS

claude was born on 17th of november in 1972,is married to "madova" and father of 6 children and will quickly have at home level already what will become his artistic nickname
in fact,his father goes on mission in europe sometimes and  claude will often like his father to bring to him claude montana clothes and from then his family already starts calling him claude montana
he will like most singers make his debut in music at church aged 11 and 4 years later will start to perform in street groups of his area like biomo musica,latoronto geneva,kv musica and will quickly appear like a natural leader with his singing,dancing and stage charisma
and he will be spotted already by defao matumona but he will only join the group in early 1991 and he will straight away become a very important member of the group big stars and will participate in the groups tours in africa and europe and will quickly become popular among fans,some even thinking he is defao's brother,with him having the same taste for fancy clothes and a similar haircut
in 1996 he will have opportunity to release his first song madova dedicated to his life long wife in album amour interdit and this album will be a big hit and defao loving montana so much that he is called the president of the group while defao is the leader
one year after when the mythic wenge musica split,he will be approached by some members of wenge musica maison mere but he politely decline as he does not want to betray defao and will decline quartier latin's approach aswell
he'll then continue with defao until 2000 when the group big stars is on the verge of collapsing after a tour and he remains in europe and starts working on an album as he is feels ready to know show one more songs on his own how good he is,but he is be approached again by quartier latin and will end up accepting  while he  will release his album millenium 2000 which was almost ready when he made his move
towards the end of 2000 he will then go back to DRC with quartier latin and will settle very well in the group with his professionalism and calm personnality
two years after he will be allowed to add his first song  in group album affaire d'etat,love story which will get a decent reception and will continue to be a very active member of the group's successful tours and koffi who jokes with montana calling him his "vieux"(despite being 16 years older) due to being one of the very rare artists having all his 6 children with the same woman
in 2006 he will get his second opportunity in the "real madrid" quartier latin lineup of fally,him,jipson,soleil wanga,ferre,mirage,junior...with the song general major but two events will hamper his year,first at personal level with the new house he just bought completely burning and at professional level with the massive exodus of stars having huge impact of promotion danger de mort
as he remains one of the rare members of that generation to remain loyal to koffi,montana will be rewarded by vice-president role while joss diena takes chef d'orchestre role
he will be given responsability to test new members in order first to reinforce first team of quartier latin but also a reserve team called les mineurs and will be promised several intervention including a duet with koffi in koffi's solo album but fallout will start as he is denied along with shella mputu and asso to participate outside chorus and the nail in the coffin will be in 2008 with new musicians starting to take his microphone by force or sing his parts on koffi's order and he will end up leaving in 2008
he will bring with him some members of les mineurs like scottie pippen to form his group staff influence and makes sure to have his first concert in his village in bandundu in order to get blessings from ancestors and he will record with some financial support of donors and artists like felix wazekwa and jb mpiana his second solo album conclusho renverso featuring fally ipupa and some other artists but he will struggle with promotion as his producer does not even give him his money from album release but will have some concerts in DRC and some eastern africa countries
after a quiet period montana will make the headlines against unfortunately with a sad event as he is visited at home by burglars who steal over 300000 dollars which his wife just assembled from a very positive period in her business and over 10 kilos of jewels
in 2014 2015 deeply affected by this event,montana put his studio sessions on hold to start another project which is to do some religious songs to thank God for giving him and his family to have kind of overcome such a strong situation and people will interpret it quickly as him becoming a gospel artist but he will explain in a press conference that he always believed in God and he only thanked Him through music because he is a musician if he was a writer then he'd write a book about that or a pastor he'd make testimony and went on to release two songs as extract of his album and he plans to release his album before the end of this year

I always tought that Montana was from Kongo Central. Because he tours there alot like Gode Lofombo and Djuna Mumbafu.

Why have bandleaders always have to dismiss musicians on a nasty way if they don't need them anymore in the band instead of good conversation and with a decompte final, which create not alot of drama.

Montana was the number two of Big Stars and in Quartier Latin he was like one of the last. It would have been intressting to see him start a band after being fired by Defao. All have been almost impossible to succeed with everybody being focused on Nouvelle Ecriture/Maison Mere/BCBG and Quartier Latin. Big Stars was with Montana able to perform without Defao. I dream about a reunion-concert of Big Stars and Defao (with Theo Mbala, Montana, Debleu Kingana, Makuta, Kabose, Jirbo Ntuta, Burkina Faso, Renato Mundele, Laby Mbala, Jean Louis Bikunda, Djodjo Bayinge & Guy Wa Nzambi).

LEONARD BALONGANA LUFUMA AKA MODOGO ABARAMBWA YALE LUFOS BALOS

his name was often announced as leopold but he cleared out it is leonard,leonard was born in 1969 and once planned to be like his father a diplomat but will quickly attracted to music in early years as his older brother and mother sing in a church
 around 10 he will start singing aswell but also will try to play mbonda and drums when older musicians take a break and will find it fun
in early 80's he will be playing football where he earns the nickname modogo referring to a former football(and will explain that abarambwa will be added not too long after because of a scene of him having to kill a mad dog to save a friend as the dog was already causing a lot of havoc in the quarter biting people for fun,so people will taunting him calling him abarambwa(he killed the dog))
and in the weekends he will perform with street groups and will be spotted to join shata junior,the junior section of the studio bobongo arrangers al nzimbi,shakara mutela and co where he will play drums,alain makaba bass, sometimes ficarre who will come to coach the younger soloist...
in the meantime he will sing and play drums in school's group itc flash were he will try to emulateis " his role models esperant djengaka,king kester,eboa lotin and co as he develops a wide range of models across the world thanks to cds his father brings from his trips
he will follow his "older brother" from the area sam tshintu into street groups like irania musica and whenthe group flash musica is born from them graduating from the itc school modogo will take the drummer spot and perform alongside suzuki,sometimes willy bula,sam,rocky blanchard,lebou kabuya,sunda bass...and he will catch attention of koffi olomide along with most of his band members at funerals of wenge musica's blaise kombo
in 1991 he is approached to join wenge musica as a backup to blaise bula as jb mpiana and werrason see their friend jules kibens decline their offer but he declines having big hope for flash musica but in 1993 suzuki who has joined quartier latin alongside lebou,blanchard and willy bula brings him to the group and reveals to koffi he actually is a singer and koffi asks him to sing and he is so impressed that he is straight away given songs to rehearse and participate to next concert
he will join the singers lineup then and will be allowed a song sylvekou on album magie and will become a regular member of the singers lineup and two years later will add second song ali deb's in quartier latin's ultimatum
his importance in the lineup is so big that koffi calls him le professeur and its well rumoured that on several songs he often is told to do the pre record and koffi sings following the same paths and he will often be bantered by quartier latin for his soundcheck "antics" randomly singing depending on his mood of the day cameroonian music,latin music in spanish,south african music and so on while other guys just try their normal vocals or do singing shoutouts
in 1998 when musicians are starting to rebel against koffi olomide for the fact they think their salary is not anymore matching their growing responsabilities,modogo is one of the most determined to leave and ends up co forming quartier latin academia in early 1999 with sam tshintu,lebou,pathy bass,mboshi,somono and bouro mpela
he will be a pivotal member of the group,quickly appearing as a second leader especially with some of the main stars bouro lebou and somono quickly leaving within the two first years
he will remain with sam mboshi and beniko when they record new album quatre coins kandala under new name l'akademia but relationship
in 2004 he will fall out with sam over issues of ngulu and whether to settle in kinshasa or remain in europe and it will go so hardcore that they threaten to beat each other and modogo who have been approached for years by people of quartier latin will decided to rejoin in 2005 but quickly the team which records danger de mort will split and he will decide to record a solo album knowing koffi will not allow him and in 2008 he releases album envie
Nevertheless he will participate on remix of sisi silivi along with ferre chair de poule and will have a memorable contribution which will be requested to almost all younger 2eme voix singers in interviews to assess their level and participate on fally ipupa's droit chemin
his album envie,funded by himself and bit of contribution of an unexperienced producer is of a good quality but will greatly suffer from lack of promotion
he will then participate on several album as a session artist and like many colleagues will also need to find another job and will again have a public beef with sam tshintu literally fuming at him for calling him petit in a heated argument but they will quickly make peace as they remember they are godfathers for each other's children so they can dwell on little things too long
both will participate on black bazar project of writer alain mabanckou and he will start announcing he is working on another album sala nga vrai(be nice to me) which he will again fund himself

@archos

Did this eighties line-up of Shata Junior (Modogo, Makaba, ect) ever record music professionally or were they just a reheasal music team?