So after the Bonbon Cojack testimony and tons of previous testimonies (a weekly thing) also mysterious deaths... it  got me thinking, would you guys recommend your musically talented friends and family to join a big band in order to become a DRC star?

The quick answer would probably be no, but we have remember it’s basically a “passage obligé” in order to get exposure, then potentially become a leader. As we known them, no Maison mère... no Ferré, Héritier, Fabregas, Famme etc. No QL... no Fally, Suzuki, Sam Tshintu, Babia, Champion etc.

Are the negative things associated with band operations maybe worth it for some in the long run?

@Matebu

Considering the spiritual and physical risk, it doesn't seem smart to advice friends or family to pursue a music career. After all, how many of the artist that have come and gone have peaked in their career with a happy ending? Many of the most gifted Congolese musicans to ever perform have either died prematurely or lived long enough to struggle financially in their later life.

Perhaps the business of Congolese music industry hasn't modernized enough to protect songwriters and performers (music publishing & royalties), which is why the they seek other forms of "protection".

You have to also consider the fact that most of the musicans that have come along came from poor background; their hard work and sacrifice improved their economic standing and that of their loved ones. Had music not been an option, many would be languishing in proverty.

You have to also consider the fact that most of the musicans that have come along came from poor background; their hard work and sacrifice improved their economic standing and that of their loved ones. Had music not been an option, many would be languishing in proverty.

You point to the single biggest reason right there. A lot of African musicians ( and Also to a large extent, Black American Musicians ) use music to raise themselves from poverty, and they become big stars making big bucks. Unfortunately, for most of them, the story ends there.

A very select few of them actually take music as a business. They focus on the glamour music offers, and leave the business end to managers or trusted  band members to handle, with disastrous results.  Tales abound of mega stars who made it big and squandered their fortune.

If my family member was to go into music, I would first ensure they understand that music is a business, it has to pay for their way of life, and like in any other business, it has a sell-by date. That means that there must be a plan B for how the family member is to continue life after his spot in the sun is gone. Talking investments, alternative skills to ensure they can do something else when music does not pay them, e.t.c.

The other issue I would caution them is to ensure they maintain a suitable lifestyle, taking care to handle themselves properly and taking care of their body. Musicians are constantly tempted by the trappings of life on the fast lane, be it women throwing themselves at them, drugs, peer pressure to conform, jealousy and polemics the list goes on.

I personally do not believe in the spiritual attacks stuff, mostly I put to Psychology and the insecurities of the musicians as well as the back stabbings that the members carry on each other to impress the boss. In Africa, nobody of note dies of natural causes; Either one is bewitched, sacrificed or some such explanation. There has to be someone to blame, it goes deep into our cultural belief system where death was this mysterious thing that befell someone wither at the behest of enemies or some supernatural powers we could not explain.

the attacks do happen,seriously,especially in the wenge's and its offshots,having a sorcerer is almost as vital than having a toothbrush lol funny comparison but its pretty much that,i personally know people who were tested in many groups,and most of them tell me the same thing,from the moment you step on stage and the guys look at you,you feel like your legs have become three times heavier
its true that part of it is belief but anormal things happen too often to just be beliefs,sometimes i am with people who used to have a bit of experience in those things,and i cant count the number of times they'd tell me x is doing this and that to y,and him and his friend are laughing on stage and we random fans can't notice anything especially in groups where leader only cares about group issues when its become too serious
and then the other side of the thing,is no matter how christian or muslim or whatever you are,there are loads of people around which will put pressure on you do get into things,their secret tactic even being to get you to somebody who is kinda christian or kinda muslim but with strange stuff hidden behind,so you'll get there then with time you'll start to see conditions change
so yes in terms of improving life,its interesting but even that aint so easy, because you'll have to beg for money,to rely on sugarmommies and even there there is always mysticism around as they will brainwash you hard that if you go to see sorcerers they'll give you some talisman which we allow you to always succeed in begging,and getting everything you want,because it happens sometimes that a group member can make offices roundup for a day and only get 100 dollars while he expected lets say 1000 to pay his rent and bills since with the energy issues,you have to rely on a generator to have light and energy as much as possible or even get nothing,for example
for me the ideal situation,is to arrive in music having made some  external relationship first who will really be there for you naturally,the best example of that is metro, who arrived in the group having already made contacts through his aunt,famous donor hyacinthe mwanangani,so he did not have to go down that route of temptations where the leader or the chiefs will tell you,boy here there is no regular salary you have to create money for yourself and to do it you better go see nganga x or y and you'll get everything easy or the other ideal one is to have studied a bit which can allow you to make some other sort of money,for example in clan wenge some guys are electrician and engineers and when they were not yet major members it helped some to make extra money,as long as they did not listened(yet) to brainwashing

It's crazy. It means that those who were and are very popular in these groups did those type of crazy shit. I saw the interview of Baby Ndombe with Eti Kimbukusu and he said he didn't do witchcraft i was like "come on man how can we believe you ?" It's impossible to be a star without doing witchcraft is it ?

It's crazy. It means that those who were and are very popular in these groups did those type of crazy shit. I saw the interview of Baby Ndombe with Eti Kimbukusu and he said he didn't do witchcraft i was like "come on man how can we believe you ?" It's impossible to be a star without doing witchcraft is it ?

Like Archos indicated, if you happen to come from a secure background financially, the pressure to succumb is much lower.
Baby Ndombe (being son of Pepe Ndombe ) would probably have contacts/relatives who would ensure he is well off and does not have to depend on donations and begging.

The Picture that Archos paints though is very dim for anyone who comes from a poor background to make it in music. It looks like talent alone is not enough. The Struggle is real for a musician in Kinshasa and to go back to the original question then I am beginning to agree that maybe it is better to advise that one should think twice.

Having said that, if one does not join a Big Band the chance of being noticed and getting the necessary exposure is almost nil....

I am a musician myself but I still haven't made a big impact of course because of me but that is not the main issue.
When I was little I used to be the best dancer ever and I was used to listen to a looot of Koffi and Werra but my parents especially my mom told me to get over that stuff that I should dance properly and music it is not real life, I have never understood them and once my father said that music is good but in Congolese music there are people who do very bad things to get far, I was like why dad is saying so?
My mom being religious forced me to stop listening to music and from 16 to 22 I have made music secretly, once my mom understood that I was serious about musk. And told.me that her preoccupations was about witchcraft and so on and I was like mom come on there aren't such things like that and who in his right mind would sacrifice his family in order to get success, finally my mom understood that I was serious and let me go.
With that said since I am a musician the reality is that people like good music, it doesn't matter where are you from especially now (I have seen white Italian girls dancing to Rosalina of BM  multiple times) where are you from, really it doesn't matter if you have good music and a good promotion you will get spotlight, I freestyle various battles, made a group album and released some video, and I had little success in my city, with the group album but not so much with the video, but I have understood that the group album got success because it were promoted unlike the video I made by myself and now I have took some break to understand what song I can make and what project or EP  I can make to really be effective internationally and interacially worldwide, I have seen people who did witchcraft in Congolese music and it doesn't work, Robinio was normal and got a huge success as soon as he accepted kinfolk failed to reach the results he was making.
So since I am a musician I will never ever collaborate with Congolese musician based  Congo unless some people who have been in the game assure me I will be fine because trust me, EVERYONE, EVERY MUSICIAN can be the next Drake or MJ you just need good promotion and a good song and contacts, I understand that I am not as poor as these guys who do witchcraft since I am European and I have never had to struggle with hunger and with family relying totally economically by me.
But I really don't blame them, I blame the stingy leader and the leader who even though got money forced them into the spiritual word for getting favour, I mean only Koffi is the leader who has 18 million dollars and can go anywhere, Fally is starting to loose the results he had, Ferre fails to reach Europe and Werrason is starting to become a national artist so why they are wasting their life for? Yes Kakol is not Barack Obama neither Malcolm X in terms of intelligence but at least he is honest like Bon bon said family members could kill you for personal gain and like Malik said about ADT how can you kill the guy who was giving you money, on a more global side, colonialism is alive and well, people still think that French is a language of the bourgeoisie society, no interest in African languages except for lingala and their own, books are considered senseless, and in the meantime if it is not for music people will struggle like everyone else, leaders need to change mentality instead of not paying people and force them into Kindoki

listen to baby ndombe here from 9 30 about the dark side of the lifestyle i mentioned above and later on he reveals indirecty like that heritier was promoted to first team to force ferre who was seen as getting big headed with his french papers out and that some how he had to coach heritier into dirty missions to make it happen which is why heritier lived with him at some point

Witchcraft and music rumors have been swarming around since the days of Wendo Kolosoy.  Even Franco has been accused of sorcery since the death of his brother and there are claims that his success was because of it and further legends say that he succumbed to it and other members soon after he died.  All this music and sorcery hysteria isn't new.