An overlooked album?

I feel like we as the listening public regard Kin é Bouge (groundbreaking opus) & Pentagone (nostalgia) with higher esteem than these two LPs. As time has passed, I starting to believe this was their most complete album, from a composition and acoustic sound standpoint.

Werra proved himself a chanteur here:


One of, if not the best forced praise songs (Saddam) by Masela:


JB had two hit songs; “Hi Ho Ha New Image” & “Cap de Benelux (really Makaba’s composition)”


Alain Mpela’s song which made him a huge sensation:

This is the 4x4 album with the songs I listen to the most nowadays but me personally I rank it just behind pentagone... but my mood always switches haha

 coincidentally its by far the album in which he was involved the most in rehearsing songs before recording  himself said in an interview that he knows a lot of people think like that

100% agree with you @Matebu and @CMPrince but I find that in this double album no song is to jump (except perhaps Willy Mputu) while in Pentagone some sounds can be easily jump (Djodjo Ngonda, Etepe-Buengo ...).

In my opinion, Les Anges Adorables could even be ranked second after Kin E Bougé (Wenge's album with the best recording quality).

the uploader made a mistake. Capiteine de Beneluxe is JB's song and Fi Carre played lead in that song.

coincidentally its by far the album in which he was involved the most in rehearsing songs before recording  himself said in an interview that he knows a lot of people think like that

Yeah, he's also credited as composer of every song, except Masampu & Capteine de Beneluxe where JB & Blaise were credited as composer with Fi Carre playing lead on both songs. The crazy thing is that Ekokota screamed in the sebene of Masampu "Alain Makaba ordinateur de 48 memoires" with alot of people then thinking that he was the one who played lead there. I wonder what JB & Werra's reaction were after seeing Makaba being credited as composer of the most songs on that album. Weren't they angry ? Because with that they would then get 25% less money and were they already member of SACEM. Because Nyoka Longo said in an interview that they first didn't even know about those copyrights, etc. and him then advising to become a member of SACEM or SABAM to get their royalties.

This is more me the last album of with that typical Wenge 4x4-cachet" which we also heard in Kalayi Boeing, Kin E Bouge & Pleins Feux. Pentagone was very different. I think that it was because of the style of playing sebene was different, Calugi being the main atalaku and Makaba being less involved

An overlooked album?

I think that it was because they proved already everything and they didn't brought a new clothing strategy like in Pentagone, Kin E Bouge (versace) and Kalayi Boeing (criss-cross style). On Kin E Bouge they wanted to prove people a point who were a little skeptical, because a lot of bands in Kinshasa dissapread after the succes of the first album. Don't forget that had to convince people after the death of Blaise Kombo, which made a lot fans ran away from them. On Kalayi Boeing they had alot of pressure because of the succes of their rival Wenge Aile Paris who released two albums Molangi Ya Malasi and Nganga Nzambe. So they had to react against it and like people in Kinshasa "kovandisa kombo ya mouvement" after the succes of Kin E Bouge which confirmed Wenge. The thing which made Pentagone a bigger impact than Les Anges Adorables was that they came with the generique-concept and that they toured in the USA for the first time with them talking alot about it (like Congolese artists would talk about Olympia, Zenith, Bercy, Palais des Sports, Stade des Martrys & l'Esplanade de Palais du Peuple). Btw the tour in the USA was a reaction against Koffi. Who also toured there with Quartier Latin and who was beefing against them, letting then Quartier Latin react in Sans Suite of Magie against Ekokota's 'tokendi liboso pe tokomi. ooh ba petit wana, ba petit wana rien, zero sur trente' with Suzuki and Willy Bula saying 'le zero ne compte pas' and Skola reacting against Wenge who were still bragging about their villa's and cars saying that Koffi has a villa in Ma Campagne and a swimming pool in the song Dessin Anime, but Koffi sadly removed it from the Magie playlist after her departure and released then 3 years later on Ultimatum. Nevertheless Anges Adorables was a huge succes, but people just forgot quickly about that album.

Anges Adorables had some attacks towards Koffi Olomide and Pepe Kalle who were calling them petits, because they didn't like the way the guys of Wenge were talking to much. The guys of Wenge were really irritated the way Koffi said in Classe Tendrence of Noblesse Oblige 'Boyebisa ba petit wana, ko kende liboso eza kokoma te' and Blaise Bula on Kama reacting against it 'tobima na biso ba petit na mokili oyo, mais eza nde complexe mutu ezo sala bango' and Ekokota on Hi Ho Ha New Image. I wonder it would be if Emeneya & Wemba was still based in Kinshasa, wouldn't they try to block them ? they those 2eme generation bandleaders used to do with musicans of the 3th generation (Zaiko, Thu Zahina, Papa Wemba, etc.) and musicians coming from their own bands? Emeneya started already dissing them in interviews, concerts and the song Riva Dimbala, before the left Kinshasa in 1991. The succes of Wenge made him lost his head a little bit. I think that that made him support Wenge Aile Paris when he was Paris back in 1991/92 giving them clohts, letting his singers participate on their album and bless his  'mpangi' Marie Paul. In the hopte that they would counter Wenge's succes.

Werrason was on his way to prove himself as a chanteur of "Jugement par Defaut" (Tchatcho Mbala) from the Pleins Feux-album, but he was unlucky that Kongolo Mobutu blocked the album 4 years long. Werrason made before that a good rumba (Nicky D) in Bouger Bouger. Makaba stay in Europe in 1991 made Werrason be more in spotlights and share it with JB, because before that he was a little bit in the shadow of Makaba & JB.

Damn, the way Makaba took credit for nearly every song is very Roga Roga-esque. Someone(s) had to be super pissed about that.

It's amazing how most things that occured during that period were reactionary towards the competition/rivals, even the littlest of issues ruffled feathers

Damn, the way Makaba took credit for nearly every song is very Roga Roga-esque. Someone(s) had to be super pissed about that.

If that was me I'd be livid

Did people quickly forgot this album because Koffi and Quartier Latin released Magie not long after ? The success of Magie was massive.

Les Anges Adorables is Classic album by the way. It was a little bit similar to Kalayi Boeing in the sense that they didn't brought a new style like in Kin E Bouger and Kalayi Boeing.

It seems like their beef against Kester, Koffi and Pépé Kallé wasn't as serious as those which occured years later during the polemic era from 1998 till 2004-05 (JB vs Werra, Koffi vs Wemba, Koffi vs JB,Werrason) and those silly polemics of today. It was just competition back then wasn't it ?

If that was me I'd be livid

It helps paint a clearer picture of why Makaba's contribution on Pentagone was basically insignificant compared to before.... In addition to him being an absentee session artist in Europe; working with whoever (including the enemy - Wake Up project) and also having people like Kester featuring on his album (who was against the Wenge movement behind the scenes)

@Matebu

In a way, Alain Makaba's absence from Pentagone compared to previous albums gave Maitre Ficcare a chance to really shine as a soloist!

Btw, what happened to Willy Bula? He was so talented, you'd think he would have participated on V12 or at least found success outside Quartier Latin.

Did people quickly forgot this album because Koffi and Quartier Latin released Magie not long after ? The success of Magie was massive.

Les Anges Adorables is Classic album by the way. It was a little bit similar to Kalayi Boeing in the sense that they didn't brought a new style like in Kin E Bouger and Kalayi Boeing.

It seems like their beef against Kester, Koffi and Pépé Kallé wasn't as serious as those which occured years later during the polemic era from 1998 till 2004-05 (JB vs Werra, Koffi vs Wemba, Koffi vs JB,Werrason) and those silly polemics of today. It was just competition back then wasn't it ?

Magie was released somewhere in November or December in 1994, while Anges Adorables was begin 1994. It happens sometimes. Couvre Feu of Wenge EL Paris was a huge succes in 1998, but who talks about it now ? The same with Techno Malewa in 2009 and Ici Ca Va of Zaiko in 1991.

Back in the days beefs were different. Artists would still talk with each other or inviting the enemy to eat at their home, etc. Or if the beef was to strong still having respect for the artist on tv. But this all changed when the Wenge BCBG vs Wenge Maison Mere beef really started in 1998 when they released Titanic & Intervention Rapide which changed the way of beefing in the Congolese-music scene for good with it becoming with the years. That's why alot of old people doesn't like Clan Wenge. Back in the days you have always to say yes to your elder brother in the Congolese-music scene even if you was against it. But Wenge came with that thing of say no. For example when Wenge Musica tried to short things out before the split, Tabu Ley didn't want them split, but JB Mpiana kind of talked against him(didn't want to have Werrason anymore in the band), which made Tabu Ley furious and she him as a impolite. This all made already alot of elder people turn against JB Mpiana from day 1 after the split with Tabu Ley in the background giving his brothers and people from his province bandundu the order to support Werrason. Another example was when Werrason refused to receive Simaro Lutumba in his house when he came to talk about Baby Ndombe with him staying minutes long outside the house. Or when Werrason & JB Mpiana refused to salute Simaro Lutumba when they weren't happy the way they didn't got a gold medal back in 2015/2014 for that Order of arts, scienes and letters (only receiving bronze and silver)

@Matebu

In a way, Alain Makaba's absence from Pentagone compared to previous albums gave Maitre Ficcare a chance to really shine as a soloist!

Btw, what happened to Willy Bula? He was so talented, you'd think he would have participated on V12 or at least found success outside Quartier Latin.

He was with Quartier Latin until 1997, when Koffi left him behind in Kinshasa and Quartier Latin then touring 8 months long in Europe & Africa, recording Ultimatum and Loi on the same time. With Willy Bula then deciding to join Zaiko. On V12 he was left behind, people say that Koffi was still angry the way he had a relation with dancer Jacky Bebeto who then went to join Zaiko  after that Koffi discovered it. Other say that there were other problems between Koffi & Willy. But in an interview Willy Bula said himself that he didn't want to tour with Koffi in Europe, which made him not being present in the recordings of V12. But I doubt about it, since that back in the days everybody was eager to go to Europe getting cloths, money, girls, etc. having a new skin "poso ya sika" hahaha. He participated then in the recordings of Ultimatum in Kenya in 1996 with Sam Tshintu, Babia Ndonga, Eric Tutsi, Lebou Kabuya, Modogo, Rocky Blanchard and Coco Tchomba, but he was like them bad luck that Koffi lost in Paris the hard-disc of he album which made Quartier Latin in France recording Ultimatum over again quickly with his vocals getting lost and Bouro Mpela who just joined with Modogo doing his vocals and in Loi doing his vocals he prepared in Kinshasa with those of Babia Ndonga, Eric Tutsi who didn't had to chance to be Europe for the recordings of Loi.

If that was me I'd be livid

It helps paint a clearer picture of why Makaba's contribution on Pentagone was basically insignificant compared to before.... In addition to him being an absentee session artist in Europe; working with whoever (including the enemy - Wake Up project) and also having people like Kester featuring on his album (who was against the Wenge movement behind the scenes)

I remember back in the days how pissed he was in Europe if they went to ask him questions about Wenge 4x4. Even after the split and then suddenly talk about him and Wemba, saying they are the only stars in Congo/Zaire which Laudert Londala said back in 1992. But he started to praise them when Werrason slowly started to get fame before Intervention Rapide and became then a big Werra-supporter, calling him petit-frere propre, etc. until that Werrason dumped him with him claiming that the beef was fake, etc. and that they had to stop to fool people.