Must have taken a lot of promotion money for the crowd to get bigger.

Must have taken a lot of promotion money for the crowd to get bigger.

Not really. It was just the work of those fanclubs based in Brussels, Paris, Geneve and London. Back in those days Papa Wemba had the most fans in Europe since the late 80's until 2000. Back in those days Congolese artists weren't getting the chance to promote their big events on the French television like Alpha Blondy, Angelina Kidjo, Magic Systeme and Youssou Ndour doing who were then signed to the major recordlabels. Congolese artists were letting their fanclubs doing that job in Chateaux Rouge, Matonge and Tottenham. MCM Africa and Africa N1 were helping them a little, but that's normal since that they it was destinated to the Francophone Africa and its diaspora in France and Belgium. But from all those Zenith (1998-2011) this one was the best promoted. It was announced as a big event called "Afrophonie". Not everybody was sure if Papa Wemba would be able to fill Zenith, but he proved his critics a point. Koffi Olomide was who was then the star after filling Olympia and Zenith was mocking him which made those Wemba's staff very angry and Nouvelle Ecriture then reacting with that Mutu Nguba-cris.

It's kind of a shame of the fan club doing all that announcement in the streets, not on national TV. I remember I used to have a VHS of Papa Wemba's interview before his Zenith

I didn't see that see since 2003 or 2002. It was a good concert. I never got the chance to see volume 2 (Nouvelle Ecriture and Reddy-part), I hope that someone uploads that video one day. Wants to see how Nouvelle Ecriture performed, because they arrived the same day when they had to perform after alot of problems. With rumors saying that Koffi tried to block them in Kinshasa.



Stino Mubi was so funny. Look at him 53:12 min hahahaha. It was a good choice of Papa Wemba to put him as main act of Viva La Musica "Cour des Grand"-part. You can feel that they came to prove Nouvelle Ecriture a point. So sad that Ado Yuhe and Papy Gene didn't ask question about the war they got against Nouvelle Ecriture and the things who were happing behind the scenes. Looks like all those journalist forgot that era.

Reddy was very reserved. Look like he wasn't happy with that. I never understood his behavior of not liking people to steal the show. It's always only about him.


Aah Maitre Nono Manzanza. He works in Disneyland Resort Paris since 20 years now, before that he used to work in Disneyland World in Orlando with his son Mazyoung Nono Manzanza, who used to animate in albums of Congolese artists (Aurlus Mabele, Defao, Felix Wazekwa, etc.). Papa Wemba also invited him for his Olympia show. Djomegadt uploaded the whole concert, but then someone deleted many parts leaving only those of Nouvelle Ecriture before that he channel got deleted 6 years later. Maitre Nono Manzanza was one of those guys who were in Chem Chem Yetu and Les Petits Chanteurs de Kenge. He was very young when they took him from his village Kenge.

It's kind of a shame of the fan club doing all that announcement in the streets, not on national TV. I remember I used to have a VHS of Papa Wemba's interview before his Zenith

Back in those days the media of France was only reserved for people coming from France and the Western countries. For urban artists it was also difficult, because you had then a quota on those televisions. Thats why I always say that we have to respect Koffi Olomide, Papa Wemba, Werrason and JB Mpiana to have played Olympia, Zenith & Bercy with "de bouche a l'oreille" and not proper mediapromotion which Youssou Ndour and co were benefiting.



Look Koffi Olomide critizing them for being racist, because of not promoting Congolese music on their televisions.

I think that its time to perform at Parc des Princes & Stade de France, because people aren't seeing Olympia, Zenith & Bercy special anymore. Back in those days it was a big prestige to perfrom there and little bit difficult to book it.

I remember Maitre Nono Manzanza he played Congas on Jeanpy Wable Gypson album with Defao in 1989 do you think Reddy was upset when Wemba was talking to him the clip of them both having a conversation was on the Etoile clip.

I remember Maitre Nono Manzanza he played Congas on Jeanpy Wable Gypson album with Defao in 1989 do you think Reddy was upset when Wemba was talking to him the clip of them both having a conversation was on the Etoile clip.

I don’t know I never noticed it. I only noticed Gina & Reddy conversation at Zenith in the videoclip of Ba Temoins.

I just realised Joly Mubiala missed this event sadly I could imagine performing with cour de grands his brother would've been impressed.

It's kind of a shame of the fan club doing all that announcement in the streets, not on national TV. I remember I used to have a VHS of Papa Wemba's interview before his Zenith

Back in those days the media of France was only reserved for people coming from France and the Western countries. For urban artists it was also difficult, because you had then a quota on those televisions. Thats why I always say that we have to respect Koffi Olomide, Papa Wemba, Werrason and JB Mpiana to have played Olympia, Zenith & Bercy with "de bouche a l'oreille" and not proper mediapromotion which Youssou Ndour and co were benefiting.



Look Koffi Olomide critizing them for being racist, because of not promoting Congolese music on their televisions.

I think that its time to perform at Parc des Princes & Stade de France, because people aren't seeing Olympia, Zenith & Bercy special anymore. Back in those days it was a big prestige to perfrom there and little bit difficult to book it.

The french are very harsh people very selective.

France is not the only country to do that. That’s everywhere in Europe (Belgium, Germany, ...). If you wants to be respected then you have to sing in English and French.

It becomes irritating the way the young generation and journalists thinks that it's because Koffi Olomide that Papa Wemba, King Kester Emeneya &  Nyoka Longo were dreaming to perform at Olympia & Zenith. I saw a guy posting on facebook "Omoni ndenge Koffi azalaki kolakisa batu nzela". Yes maybe about Bercy which exist since 1984 and wasn't really known to people coming from Zaïre in the beginning, but not Olympia and Zenith. Btw Papa Wemba already performed there in 1992 as guest-star with Peter Gabriel

 They forget that those artists were born in the 50's with their rolmodel Tabu Ley making everybody dream about performing at Olympia and those of the 60's also wondering about it, because of hearing about that show. But artists saw it as a mission impossible to perform there since that it was the boss Bruno Coquatrix himself who mostly contacting artists to perform in his musichall, which why Abeti Masikini (1973 and two times in 1975) was the only one of perform there after Tabu Ley and Sosoliso almost in 1975, but Franco & Tabu Ley killing their band before the concert. It is not like today that you could book the hall easily by yourself. Back in those days it was also a big challenge to fill Olympia because in the 70's you hadn't alot of African people in France and not those diaspora-radios. Sarcelles was full of white people. It was very difficult to see black people on the streets in Paris. You hadn't also those Afroshops. Those newspapers were doing the promotion of those rare African shows at Olympia with then 95% of the public being white. But now you have a big African community in France and the rest of Europe so it isn't difficult anymore to fill it.  From the 90's they became cool and it became easy to book Olympia. And then Koffi Olomide perform there in 1998 which like he opened the door to the rest who wanted to perform there and all other African artists following him. Those videos of Tele Zaire broadcasting Kassav's concerts at Zenith de Paris in the 80s were amazing everybody. They saw performing there as going to the moon and nobody was believing that somebody of Africa could perform there. But Abeti Masikini made it possible by performing there in 1988, doing big promotion in the African and Caraiben community in Paris and RFI. Inviting also Aurlus Mabele, Pepe Kalle and King Kester Emeneya to boost it. In those years the community of Congolese people in Paris was very small and you even more people coming from Brazzaville then those of us. You hadn't also that Schengen Agreement (1995), so it was difficult for people of Belgium who hadn't papers to join them. They have to stop like seeing Koffi as a messias.

I just realised Joly Mubiala missed this event sadly I could imagine performing with cour de grands his brother would've been impressed.

I hope that I could see Papa Wemba's performace at Forest National in Brussels for his 50th birthday with King Kester Emeneya as his guest. I never saw that videotape and don't know if he filled that hall, because people only cared about Zenith, Bercy & Olympia while Forest National is also a big musichall with 8.400 seats.

For me, this concert is the best Zenith of Papa Wemba and one of his best shows.
Molokaï, Viva la Musica (Cour des Grands) & Nouvelle Ecriture in one night.
The quality of this show is incredible.
Also, we can see the gold record of Emotion.

It becomes irritating the way the young generation and journalists thinks that it's because Koffi Olomide that Papa Wemba, King Kester Emeneya &  Nyoka Longo were dreaming to perform at Olympia & Zenith. I saw a guy posting on facebook "Omoni ndenge Koffi azalaki kolakisa batu nzela". Yes maybe about Bercy which exist since 1984 and wasn't really known to people coming from Zaïre in the beginning, but not Olympia and Zenith. Btw Papa Wemba already performed there in 1992 as guest-star with Peter Gabriel

 They forget that those artists were born in the 50's with their rolmodel Tabu Ley making everybody dream about performing at Olympia and those of the 60's also wondering about it, because of hearing about that show. But artists saw it as a mission impossible to perform there since that it was the boss Bruno Coquatrix himself who mostly contacting artists to perform in his musichall, which why Abeti Masikini (1973 and two times in 1975) was the only one of perform there after Tabu Ley and Sosoliso almost in 1975, but Franco & Tabu Ley killing their band before the concert. It is not like today that you could book the hall easily by yourself. Back in those days it was also a big challenge to fill Olympia because in the 70's you hadn't alot of African people in France and not those diaspora-radios. Sarcelles was full of white people. It was very difficult to see black people on the streets in Paris. You hadn't also those Afroshops. Those newspapers were doing the promotion of those rare African shows at Olympia with then 95% of the public being white. But now you have a big African community in France and the rest of Europe so it isn't difficult anymore to fill it.  From the 90's they became cool and it became easy to book Olympia. And then Koffi Olomide perform there in 1998 which like he opened the door to the rest who wanted to perform there and all other African artists following him. Those videos of Tele Zaire broadcasting Kassav's concerts at Zenith de Paris in the 80s were amazing everybody. They saw performing there as going to the moon and nobody was believing that somebody of Africa could perform there. But Abeti Masikini made it possible by performing there in 1988, doing big promotion in the African and Caraiben community in Paris and RFI. Inviting also Aurlus Mabele, Pepe Kalle and King Kester Emeneya to boost it. In those years the community of Congolese people in Paris was very small and you even more people coming from Brazzaville then those of us. You hadn't also that Schengen Agreement (1995), so it was difficult for people of Belgium who hadn't papers to join them. They have to stop like seeing Koffi as a messias.

Young people are to short mindend and don't think they have to look into the history of our music are journalists today are just prasing one artist without looking into the source.