Charlie Chocolat used to be one of my favorite dancers of that era along with Nana Mulenga, Zina Bilaho (before that she became fat during V12, stil wonder what made her fat. I guess that she made often abortion) and Coco Maria.
Is there still a big Congolese community there in Lisboa or did the majority came to France, Belgium, etc. after getting their papers (I know 6 who used to live there before coming here) ? Because Congolese artists used to perform often in the 90s, but stopped when the 2000s started. I remember artists also often praising them during their first concerts of the tour by saying "Bana ya Portugal bazali pe awa" (for example JB during Bataclan '98). Djuna Mumbafu would after this tour, often praise them in Kinshasa-concerts until Pepe Kalle's death.
from 34:25 min
Pepe Kalle saying that poto started in Portugal, which made the public happy, because people living in Portugal used to feel some complex towards people living in France and Belgium, because they didn't felt valued by them (those living in Finland, Sweden, Norwege, Danemark and Holland feel the same, while those countries are in reality the best of Europe in terms of education, social life, safety, etc. compared to France and the UK who are often the last in those annual static lists of EU-members) and those living in Portugal used to struglle hard since that the life isn't easy in Spain and Portugal (being one of the worst countries of EU in terms of work, salary, etc.), especially when you are black.
Another thing is that people Congolese people always think that poto is just France, Belgium, U.K., Switserland and the rest nothing, since that was the image that was giving to them since the Congo Belge-era. Not even knowing the origin of that word. Back in the Renaissance, the first European people who came in the Kongo-Kingdom were Portugese people. The Kongo people used to call them Mputulukezo, because they couldn't pronounce Portugese. Also they used to call Portugal, Mputu and it stayed until the Belgium Congo-era with people started then to refer to Europe as mputu until that it became poto. You have still alot of Portugese influences in Kongo-names, for example Nzau (which is orginally Jao), Luvualu of Alvaro, Mateso of Mateus, Kapita comes from Capitao, Kutino which comes from Couthino. Also all those names who start with Ndo. Ndongala which come from Dom Garcia, Ndombasi of Dom Sebastiao, Ndondiki of Dom Henrique, Ndompetelo of Dom Pedro, Ndomanueno (Dom Manuel), Ndominguidi (Dom Miguel), Ndombele (Dom Bernardo), etc.
