The protoype for what would become the modern generique, which has been a pillar for the genre for the past 20 years. It was also the first time a Congolese artist used sampling in a record like a DJ on 1's and 2's, which gave it a techno sound.

Biggest African dance record of 1995... and most famous Zong-zing album, ever? But really it was created after they (Alain) started struggling finacially due to Mobutu's banning of performances back in Kin. Afterwards he put his focus on the Wake Up project and started slowly drifting from Wenge

I remember when I was told it was Titina animating I was shocked. "L'artist Polyvalent" - he is animating, on drums, bass, and accompanying guitar. He also did an amazing job with the shakers you hear from start to finish

@Matebu

I was really impressed by this album, it was certainly ahead of it's time!

I thought Wenge Musica had reconciled with Sadam Hussien with Tempete de Desert from the 1994 album Anges Adorables, whay happened in 1995 that upset Mobutu so much to obstruct their careers in Kinshasa?

How did the Alain Makaba get involved in the Wake Up project with Koffi and Wemba? What songs did he play guitar on?

@Matebu

I was really impressed by this album, it was certainly ahead of it's time!

I thought Wenge Musica had reconciled with Sadam Hussien with Tempete de Desert from the 1994 album Anges Adorables, whay happened in 1995 that upset Mobutu so much to obstruct their careers in Kinshasa?

How did the Alain Makaba get involved in the Wake Up project with Koffi and Wemba? What songs did he play guitar on?

I believe what drove him was the fact that he was settled in Europe full time while Wenge BCBG 4x4 was still based in Kin, so this album was of financial necessity. It’s big  success was not really anticipated… it was to keep SonoDisc happy and recorded quickly, so some of the intended feature singers did not make it. Pepe Kalle had already to Kin after his Europe tour.

Wake Up was supposed to a trio-project Koffi-Wemba-Makaba, but Koffi wasn’t having that happen so he was demoted. The funny thing is that the album was created to take attention away from Wenge 4x4 and here you have a founder assisting.

The two songs where he’s credited on Wake Up playing Solo.
- Zaintoin
- Esakola
Makaba has a signature and intricate sound with his Steinberger M series guitar, so you can tell it's him playing. This goes for all his credited work

Caen Madoka, Beniko, Maika Munan, Do Akongo, & Yves Ndjock did the lion’s share of the work on guitars.

He’s not credited for it, but I know he assisted with arrangement. It was predominantly Philphe Guez in that department on synthesizer heavy songs - Avion (composer Do Akongo), Litio ya Calendrier (Colombani Wasenga), Maryama (Composer: Philphe Guez/Koffi), Esakola (Wemba?), Wake Up (Colombani Wasenga), Moussoukou-Soukou (Koffi)


The acoustic songs were handled by Maika Munan, Do Akongo, & Beniko
- Dodo (Maika Munan), Naomie (composer Koffi? or was there a ghostwriter?), Mi Amor (Koffi)

@Matebu

Thanks for the info, I had no idea about Makaba's involvement was so signficant on Wake Up! Can you imagine if Pepe Kalle was able to participate? That would of been fantastic!

Why was Koffi resistant to Alain Makaba receiving proper credits for the album Wake Up? I feel like had the trio been credited, the album would of recieved more succces due to the prior discography of everyone involved.

@Matebu

Thanks for the info, I had no idea about Makaba's involvement was so signficant on Wake Up! Can you imagine if Pepe Kalle was able to participate? That would of been fantastic!

Why was Koffi resistant to Alain Makaba receiving proper credits for the album Wake Up? I feel like had the trio been credited, the album would of recieved more succces due to the prior discography of everyone involved.

I meant Pepe Kalle participating on Pile ou Face. A rule for Wake Up was that other stars were not permited. Makaba being a big part of the trio would've compromised their effort to take attention away from Wenge who were on fire with Les Angles Adorables 1/2 and the build up to Pentagone release.

The problem with Wake Up is that people were not properly credited all over for doing certain things. All the songs are are listed as being composed by either Wemba or Koffi, which is not really the case upon investigation

Exactly wake up was exclusively koffi wemba(wemba's writers) papa wemba wanted  wazekwa to have two songs but the beefs had already started about his two customers lol
indeed makaba was 16 17 when he became father the first time so he was way ahead of the rest of his friends in terms of responsability to handle so he needed that album
guys like do akongo,yvon moumpala and co participated in the writing

@Matebu

I was really impressed by this album, it was certainly ahead of it's time!

I thought Wenge Musica had reconciled with Sadam Hussien with Tempete de Desert from the 1994 album Anges Adorables, whay happened in 1995 that upset Mobutu so much to obstruct their careers in Kinshasa?

How did the Alain Makaba get involved in the Wake Up project with Koffi and Wemba? What songs did he play guitar on?

I believe what drove him was the fact that he was settled in Europe full time while Wenge BCBG 4x4 was still based in Kin, so this album was of financial necessity. It’s big  success was not really anticipated… it was to keep SonoDisc happy and recorded quickly, so some of the intended feature singers did not make it. Pepe Kalle had already to Kin after his Europe tour.

Wake Up was supposed to a trio-project Koffi-Wemba-Makaba, but Koffi wasn’t having that happen so he was demoted. The funny thing is that the album was created to take attention away from Wenge 4x4 and here you have a founder assisting.

The two songs where he’s credited on Wake Up playing Solo.
- Zaintoin
- Esakola
Makaba has a signature and intricate sound with his Steinberger M series guitar, so you can tell it's him playing. This goes for all his credited work

Caen Madoka, Beniko, Maika Munan, Do Akongo, & Yves Ndjock did the lion’s share of the work on guitars.

He’s not credited for it, but I know he assisted with arrangement. It was predominantly Philphe Guez in that department on synthesizer heavy songs - Avion (composer Do Akongo), Litio ya Calendrier (Colombani Wasenga), Maryama (Composer: Philphe Guez/Koffi), Esakola (Wemba?), Wake Up (Colombani Wasenga), Moussoukou-Soukou (Koffi)


The acoustic songs were handled by Maika Munan, Do Akongo, & Beniko
- Dodo (Maika Munan), Naomie (composer Koffi? or was there a ghostwriter?), Mi Amor (Koffi)

I often heard that Naomie was written by the late Max Mongali "Idi Mane".

So sad that they didn't record the videoclips anymore of Wake Up, after that the conflicts started already before that the album was released. With Papa Wemba saying "casse toi pauvre con" and calling him a businessman, that he isn't a real artist, etc. All because that he didn't want to share the mabanga money he got from his friends and donors with Wemba. While Wemba sunged his friends and donors for free. With the conflict becoming worser after the release of the album, due to their common friends who were saying things who didn't have sens, but both artists still becoming angry about it. For example the thing Koffi said in Moussoukou-Soukou "pona kokanga kipungu-pungu, il faut kotia soyi " with Wemba claiming that he was mocking him.


I remember Maika Munan complaing in a interview 2 years ago about some artists being credited in Wake Up who didn't even participate in the recordings.

Did they every released a official VHS for Pile Ou Face ? I only saw the generic who was put on the Compil African Stars-VHS of Sonodisc, including Wake-Up and Tuna Tina Jack Kitshindja of Anges Adorables vol. 1. It looks like Wenge Musica 4x4 wasn't really interested in releasing offical VHS of their albums (Anges Adorables vol 1/2, Kalayi Boeing & Kin E Bouge). Damien Dimoneke was really pushing them to record videoclips. He was the man who made the videoclip of Kalayi Boeing and Hi Ho Ha New Image in 1993 and 1994, when the albums were released. In 1996 he made the Pentagone-VHS and the same year when Wenge came to Europe he recorded videoclips for some songs of Pleins Feux, Anges Adorables and Kalayi Boeing (C'est Trop Tard Djenga, La Vie, Masampu, Nazareth, Tcha Tcho & Promesse Bouboule) who were released in a video called Bokosepela, who had some extracts of Ndombolo and interviews from Wenge-members who were then making some hints about the problems in the band.

yes they seemed more interested in making an impact in concerts it did them bad service on continental level with their "rivals"having several clips promoted even loi vs feux de l'amour is same story

yes they seemed more interested in making an impact in concerts it did them bad service on continental level with their "rivals"having several clips promoted even loi vs feux de l'amour is same story

That's sad if you look well their concerts in Kinshasa were more destinated to the elite, performing at Intercontinetal and Palais du Peuple. Them not performing at Stade des Martyrs, Stade de 20 Mai and l'Esplanade de Palais du Peuple had in my opinion consequences in long terms. Because if you say to the people born in the 80's and 90's that Wenge 4x4 was the most popular band in the past, they wouldn't believe immediatly because they didn't perform in those places like Wenge BCBG and Wenge Maison Mere. People are also forgetting now how big the impact of their concert at Madeleine in 1992 and Bataclan 1994. Who were seen in that time as one of biggest events. Because at that time it was difficult to perform at Olympia and Zenith, since that you had to have a special status before Koffi performed there.

Feyx de l'Amour had a huge impact in Africa. But not releasing videoclips for that album, made JB miss several awards (Kora Awards, etc.). While it was the album that made Africa dance in 1997 followed by Sala Noki of Defao, Confirmation of Extra Musica & Ultimatum of Koffi Olomide. Which make people who were born later think that it was just a local succes. While it made Wenge 4x4 tour in many African countries, I think more than Kalayi Boeing did.

I often heard that Naomie was written by the late Max Mongali "Idi Mane".

Wow, I would've never guessed. RIP to the legend

So sad that they didn't record the videoclips anymore of Wake Up, after that the conflicts started already before that the album was released. With Papa Wemba saying "casse toi pauvre con" and calling him a businessman, that he isn't a real artist, etc. All because that he didn't want to share the mabanga money he got from his friends and donors with Wemba. While Wemba sunged his friends and donors for free. With the conflict becoming worser after the release of the album, due to their common friends who were saying things who didn't have sens, but both artists still becoming angry about it. For example the thing Koffi said in Moussoukou-Soukou "pona kokanga kipungu-pungu, il faut kotia soyi " with Wemba claiming that he was mocking him.


I remember Maika Munan complaing in a interview 2 years ago about some artists being credited in Wake Up who didn't even participate in the recordings.

I found it interesting that in many songs, Koffi was shouting out Wemba's friends while Wemba was shouting out Koffi's friends. Does that mean that all mabanga money went straight to Koffi. Or was that Coco Rubenga's job?

I guess after the immediate fall out after release, neither party cared about giving proper credits, full clips, that fabled Wake Up concert and etc. They acted that they didn't even release that album for a while.

Koffi went straight to preparation for Ultimatum, Loi, and that very long tour Europe/Africa he had in 1997. Wemba shifted to preparation for his two first Nouvelle Ecriture albums (Nouvelle Ecriture, Dans L', and also overseeing "Ya Biso Moko").

I often heard that Naomie was written by the late Max Mongali "Idi Mane".

Wow, I would've never guessed. RIP to the legend

So sad that they didn't record the videoclips anymore of Wake Up, after that the conflicts started already before that the album was released. With Papa Wemba saying "casse toi pauvre con" and calling him a businessman, that he isn't a real artist, etc. All because that he didn't want to share the mabanga money he got from his friends and donors with Wemba. While Wemba sunged his friends and donors for free. With the conflict becoming worser after the release of the album, due to their common friends who were saying things who didn't have sens, but both artists still becoming angry about it. For example the thing Koffi said in Moussoukou-Soukou "pona kokanga kipungu-pungu, il faut kotia soyi " with Wemba claiming that he was mocking him.


I remember Maika Munan complaing in a interview 2 years ago about some artists being credited in Wake Up who didn't even participate in the recordings.

I found it interesting that in many songs, Koffi was shouting out Wemba's friends while Wemba was shouting out Koffi's friends. Does that mean that all mabanga money went straight to Koffi. Or was that Coco Rubenga's job?

I guess after the immediate fall out after release, neither party cared about giving proper credits, full clips, that fabled Wake Up concert and etc. They acted that they didn't even release that album for a while.

Koffi went straight to preparation for Ultimatum, Loi, and that very long tour Europe/Africa he had in 1997. Wemba shifted to preparation for his two first Nouvelle Ecriture albums (Nouvelle Ecriture, Dans L', and also overseeing "Ya Biso Moko").

I don't know, I think that it was the way to show the love they had for eachother by shouting the friends of eachother out. About the money the way Koffi explained it in the interview with Papy Mboma back in 2014 after Wemba's wedding, was if it I remember well that he asked his friends and donors money for mabanga's and while Wemba did it just for free with him thinking that Koffi would share the money that he receveid. With Koffi then refusing saying that that money belonged to him and that he hadn't to shout is friends out for free and then the conflict starting,

It found it strange that Koffi never performed one of his Wake-Up after it release, while Wemba was always singing Mi-Amor in almost every concert until his death.

Was Ya Biso Moko a offical Nouvelle Ecriture-album or just a zing-zong album. Because it sounded more like an Nzong Zing album and it wasn't well promoted like Dans 'L. It was an excellent album.I like the way they were showcasing the fioti-fioti's in the videoclips. I tought back in the days that Bendoson would have a good solo career like King Kester Emeneya. But things turned differently when his friends Ramazani, Pompom and Christian left him alone with him joining Jolino.

So what happened to Bendo Son? Did he sign to Koffi at some point or was I tripping ? And while on the subject of Viva/Nouvelle Ecriture, i had heard Guyguy Fall from Extra went to Viva at some point but was never able to find any songs

So what happened to Bendo Son? Did he sign to Koffi at some point or was I tripping ? And while on the subject of Viva/Nouvelle Ecriture, i had heard Guyguy Fall from Extra went to Viva at some point but was never able to find any songs

Yeah Bendson was in QL for like 5 mins in 1999 for the purpose on pissing Wemba off, which he wasn't interested in doing . He didn't fit so went to create his own group Nouvelle Ecriture de l'an 2000 with other ex Ecrita members, which failed causing him to return to Ecrita in time for Somo Trop. Ramazani and Christian na Nzenze went to Quartier latin




Guy Guy Fall was in Viva Tendance from 2003-05. He was embarrassed his solo career didn't work but he swallowed his pride, which is a bit hard to believe knowing his temper

Hear him at (2:50). Also Serge Mabiala at (1:48)

Also see him Guy Guy Fall here:

Ya Biso Moko was a offical album because you also had the songs where Wemba sang and did mabanga. Also Wemba's featuring with Madilu System (RIP) on Plus Cinq.  At the same time this was Didier Milla's song


Bendoson was his favorite at the time so he gave him lots of space for this album. The one time it happened for a Ecrita member since later he had his issues with Reddy & Stino


The album is one of my favorites, so underrated. Great compositions and sound. It's also the first album where a young Lenny Bidens played a small role in production