Was JB Mpiana's show in Abidjan the first concert where JB Mpiana started to get his own entrace ? Because Wenge BCBG was normally always starting his concerts with all the 4 singers (Blaise, JB, Alain & Aimelia) getting on stage with the sebene of Titanic.




Jb Mpiana's entrance



here are Blaise Bula, Aimelia Lias, Alain Mpela & Tutu Calugi singing Tchane before JB Mpiana's arrival on stage. Btw this is Blaise Bula's last concert with Wenge BCBG. Some weeks after that Wenge BCBG held a big show at l'Esplanade de Palais du Peuple, where many people saw Jules Kibens for the first time. Who became then a frst, after being a PPU/Pipiyu for many months with Rio, Chai & Heritier.



Their succes was in Abidjan was big. They went their 4 times in one year. I remember Ahmed Bakayoko going to Cotounou with his friends and collegues just to watch JB Mpiana performing there. This show was during the new eve of 1999 with their new album Titanic being number one there.

@mvulusi96

Woah, thanks for the post! My mother is an avid collector of live concert tapes from Wenge, Koffi, and the like. This summer when I return from campus, maybe I'll convert those tapes to digital video and upload them on Youtube. I'm getting tired of watching these concerts in such poor quality!

What specifically caused Blaise to depart from Wenge BCBG? Did the formation of PPU have anything to do with him leaving? Usually Congolese bands suffer defections as a result of overrecruitment unsettling long-term members.

Who was the first to leave BCBG?

@mvulusi96

Woah, thanks for the post! My mother is an avid collector of live concert tapes from Wenge, Koffi, and the like. This summer when I return from campus, maybe I'll convert those tapes to digital video and upload them on Youtube. I'm getting tired of watching these concerts in such poor quality!

What specifically caused Blaise to depart from Wenge BCBG? Did the formation of PPU have anything to do with him leaving? Usually Congolese bands suffer defections as a result of overrecruitment unsettling long-term members.

Who was the first to leave BCBG?

It's Blaise Bula who came with the idea to create PPU. Alain Makaba was the guy who wasn't happy with it and it made him angry when JB decided to bring Rio, Chai & Kibens to Zenith while he as Artistic Director  only  wanted a to see a replacer for Blaise and Ekokota.

 Blaise left because JB Mpiana didn't want him anymore in the band. Like Werrason who didn't want Masela & Adolphe anymore. He wanted to be the sole leader in the band. So they were looking for reasons to get him out the band. Things between JB Mpiana, Blaise Bula & Makaba weren't going right already in Canada. When JB Mpiana decided to point Alain Mpela as chef d'orchestre.When they were  in Congo many things happened. Makaba and Blaise werently also happy why concert promoters started to write JB Mpiana & Wenge BCBG on posters. Then Blaise Bula made clear that he wanted to record his own solo album Ponderation 8 after the release of Titanic which JB Mpiana off. But he couldn't fire him, because hadn't the power to do that. After that JB Mpiana pointed Fi Carré as Financial director, while it was Blaise's position. Which created a conflict between both guys. So when they went to Abidjan the argument between the two guys became so harsh that Blaise beeted Fi Carré with a beer bottle. JB was absent during that incident, because he was in Paris toc sign contracts for Zenith and their next Europe-tour. Then after that concert JB profited from that situation to give him a "suspension indeterminee". Not long after that Blaise Bula became very ill and was then hopitalized in Clinique Ngaliema. But nobody of Wenge BCBG visited him there claiming that they were so "busy" with preparing their Zenith-concert. Then people of his entourage, his family and friends started claiming that JB wanted to sacrifice him and started to call him ungrateful. Since that they started Wenge BCBG at Blaise Bula's house and prepared their show for Bataclan there, it was also Blaise who did those nasty jobs to attack Werra before the split and his final words at GHK where they tried to reconcile Wenge made them split and earing him the nickname "Le Parrain de la Revolution". So after being abadoned  by his friends of BCBG he decided to leave after he was recovered and started his own band Ponderation 8 and started to record his album. In meantime he started to attack JB Mpiana very strong in interviews and became close to Werrason & Koffi Olomide. Then Alain Mpela attacked him in a vocal of the song Papito Mbala Remix. After that Blaise's departure they were looking for a way to get Makaba out the band. With Alain Mpela & Titina doing the nasty jobs and Makaba leaving after the Zenith-show.

They did Aimelia dirty too. Did he left right after the Olympia show ?

They did Aimelia dirty too. Did he left right after the Olympia show ?

No. Olympia was like the start of the Europe-tour after having toured in the USA & Canada. It was somewhere in September 1999. Aimelia's last concert was at Madeleine. The concert at Madeleine was in November 1999. It was their goodbye-concert before returning to Kinshasa.I had that videotape at home but my cousin took it15 years ago. In that videotape Pepe Akundji and Evelyne Ngongolo "aka Mere Eve" were talking and praising JB Mpiana and saying that he had to perform at Stade de France. I wonder where they are now 1998-2002 were their last year very active years in the Congolese-music scene.

It was also a little Aimelia own fault. Aimelia started to be big-headed after Titanic, because of the succes of his song Liberation. (Don't understand why is song doesn't have a videoclio). JB wasn't also liking why he wasn't a follower like Alain Mpela, Tutu Calugi and Titina Al Capone. So that made his relation with the boss and the rest of the band so so. Then after Bercy they went to Canada. Before or after the show (I don't remember) he asked Miette Shegue and Bingetox if they wanted to follow him in the car of a fan instead of going with the rest of band and they accepted. But then the car-driver made a big car-accident, which made Bingetox paralyzed. JB Mpiana was furious on Aimelia. So after that they decided to punish Aimelia very hard by not letting participate to the recording-sessions of TH and giving him a big suspension if he would return in Kinshasa. Nobody of Wenge BCBG was saying to him the days that they had to go to the studio. So when the tour came to an end he wanted to return, but didn't because he saw it as a huge humilation by not participation on TH with the big pride he had then and didn't saw how he would explain it to the press and his fans if the album would come out. Many people were waiting for his return after his remarkable participation at Zenith and Olympia, wanting also but witness that 1 minute eh-vocal without breathing. But they were ;eft all dissapointed when they heard that he stayed in Europe. Aimelia then tried to contact Koffi Olomide so that he could join Quartier Latin. But Koffi refused and said that he wanted Tutu Calugi in his band. So he then decided to work on his album Constat with help of Sec Bidens & Alain Makaba.

Koffi did good to refused in Quartier Latin. He would not fit in there. It was also a big mistakr for him to join Maison Mere. I might be the only one but I always think he didn't fit to Maison Mere even if his song Effet Placebo is a hit.

Koffi did good to refused in Quartier Latin. He would not fit in there. It was also a big mistakr for him to join Maison Mere. I might be the only one but I always think he didn't fit to Maison Mere even if his song Effet Placebo is a hit.

Yeah. It was a big mistake of him to join Maison Mere. In for me he didn't also fit there. Wenge BCBG was his place. The day before he had to join Maison Mere at Bercy, Wenge BCBG came to Paris. And JB Mpiana sended his staff to Aimelia, to propose him to rejoin Wenge BCBG at LSC. Because it would a big humilation for JB Mpiana if he decided to Maison Mere, since that Patient Kusangila and Burkina Faso joined. With them then saying that he had to talk first Titina & Alain Mpela, before meeting J.B. Mpiana. Which made Aimelia furious so he decided then to join Maison Mere.

yeah jb for some reason still maintain that policy that if a former important member wants to make a permanent return or some sort of return like tutu he has to discuss with the chefs first,but some like lias see it as humiliation while some like tutu see it like a normal process and then automatically reclaim their authority,maybe lias feared he'd end up being at same level as chai and rio
jb still holds some grudge against aimelia until today which is why when aimelia visited bcbg few years ago,he made a eye order to the th remaining team to leave podium and let aimelia with djino and co which aimelia found insulting

@mvulusi96 side note, Mere Eve passed away in 2008 after being sick for some years. Sad because she took car of most artists when they can to Paris early in their careers. Helped them with lodging, finding women, and papers. I heard it made Wemba depressed since they were so close. They seemed like lovers

 Pepe Akundji & Christiana Kwassa still have their restaurants, but are no longer active on the scene like they used to. They used to all go on stage at all the big concerts

@mvulusi96

Knowing Aimelia's strong personality, why would JB Mpiana require him to talk to Titina and Mpela first before rejoining BCBG? He should of known that such a gesture would of have been preceived as a disingenuous attempt at reconciliation by Aimelia.

 In the end, Aimelia made the right choice because if he returned to BCBG then they would of made less of him than what position he had under Werrason.

@mvulusi96

Knowing Aimelia's strong personality, why would JB Mpiana require him to talk to Titina and Mpela first before rejoining BCBG? He should of known that such a gesture would of have been preceived as a disingenuous attempt at reconciliation by Aimelia.

 In the end, Aimelia made the right choice because if he returned to BCBG then they would of made less of him than what position he had under Werrason.

I know, if he rejoined BCBG he would have the same role he had before TH. I don't know if heard the CD-version of Olympia & Zenith (both cd's vol. 1& 2). His voice is the "cachee" of BCBG, since that he is one of the co-founders. He didn't fit in Maison Mere. He far behind Baby Ndombe & Ferre Gola. While in BCBG he was the number three after Mpela. He didn't also know to dance, etc. Many fans of Maison Mere were complaing about him and that saying that he didn't fit. Digitalcongo made even an article about him back in 2003 about his poor dancing skills, that his voice wasn't made for Maison Mere and that it was a mistake to join them. He was just like an orange. They contacted him trought Didi Kinuani because they felt that Adjani would leave very soon. They were at that moment also looking for a replacer for Serge Mabiala. With Ferre Gola coming on the end with Kabose. But both artists didn't leave after pressure from Maison Mere-fans, which made return to Kinshasa. They dumped Aimellia when Maison Mere was fully recovered from Les Marquis-split, having Miel as his replacer and doing those nasty 12 to him. Which made him leave Maison Mere with tears

@mvulusi96 side note, Mere Eve passed away in 2008 after being sick for some years. Sad because she took car of most artists when they can to Paris early in their careers. Helped them with lodging, finding women, and papers. I heard it made Wemba depressed since they were so close. They seemed like lovers

 Pepe Akundji & Christiana Kwassa still have their restaurants, but are no longer active on the scene like they used to. They used to all go on stage at all the big concerts

I think that you mean Mere Malu.




Mere Evelyne Ngongolo is Brazzaville and was in the past a famous dancer back in the '60s & '70s. Then became one of those girls who were supporting artists of OK Jazz, Bantou de la Capitale, etc. Then settle in Paris in 1981. You celebrated her 60th birthday in 2013.

http://www.mbokamosika.com/article-evelyne-ngongolo-mere-eve-68777958.html



Tchoko really ruined Mere Malou's skin. I remember her being black, when she danced for Tabu Ley in the 70's.

@mvulusi96

The irony of Blaise's situation kiekiekie He used dirty tactics to isolate former members of Wenge Music which later became the reason of his own defection.

I had no idea that Aimelia tried to join Quarter Latin, could you imagine what Effrakata, Affaire d'État, and Monde Arab would sound like had he been recruited?

Aimelia's vocal work with Quartier Latin would likely mirror that of Mustapha, had he remained with the group since both their singing style is similar.

Why did Aimelia's debuting album Constat lacked impact upon it's release? It was a solid album, but it had no video clips or any kind of legitimate promotion. Which is sad considering the hard work that went into recording the album.

@mvulusi96

Why were they trying to replace Serge Mabiala, isn't he one of Maison Mere's most reliable vocalist? In addition to that, Werrason must have some serious respect for Adjani because I've seen him ignore other group members for far less serious problems.

 To this day, I can't understand how someone that talented could risk all that promised success for drugs...someone must of done kindoki or something towards him.

Your analysis on Aimelia's career with Masion Mere is right, he never really could settle with his band members. Although he could sing exceptional well, he fell far behind when it came to choreography just check out 5:35 of their Zenith dance section...I laughed the whole way through!

@mvulusi96

The irony of Blaise's situation kiekiekie He used dirty tactics to isolate former members of Wenge Music which later became the reason of his own defection.

I had no idea that Aimelia tried to join Quarter Latin, could you imagine what Effrakata, Affaire d'État, and Monde Arab would sound like had he been recruited?

Aimelia's vocal work with Quartier Latin would likely mirror that of Mustapha, had he remained with the group since both their singing style is similar.

Why did Aimelia's debuting album Constat lacked impact upon it's release? It was a solid album, but it had no video clips or any kind of legitimate promotion. Which is sad considering the hard work that went into recording the album.

Aimelia started to shoot videoclips when the album was released. But the during the shooting he received a call from Didi Kinuani to join Maison Mere and abandon that project.

Blaise Bula did not do the same dirty Mpela, etc. did to him. His role was just to attack Werrason on the mic with words in concerts. Since that JB didn't want to do that (hypocrite ?) so he used Blaise Bula. During that time there was a rivalery in the band bana mindele (JB, Blaise & later Makaba) vs Ba Japonais (Werrason, Masela & Adolphe).