Can someone tell me why Wenge Kumbela never obtained success despite Aime Buanga being from Bandal and a founding member of Wenge Musica? He even had success as a soukous artist in the mid-nighties, I'm surprised that none of his accomplishments translated into his own group.





His situation mirrors Delta Force in that the leader spent too much time in Europe, so the band remain in Europe got recruited by the competition (Mimiche went to Masion Mere & Cambodge went to QL). What I know is that key members of Kumbela left to join Pierrette Adams in the spring of 2000, because she toured in West Africa with them before recording Absolument in Paris.

Did Aime Buanga not receive the support from his neighborhood the way other groups did? Because almost every branch of Wenge came from Bandal.

People from Bandalungwa wouldn't support Aime Buanga, because there was already Wenge EL Paris and Wenge 4x4 there who had all influent people from that area. Aime's best friend Mfumu Belis Mfumu was supporting Wenge El Paris. If he was from Kintambo, Lemba, Yolo, K-V, Ngiri Ngiri, Masina, Ndjili or another area, then it would have been a different story. People from Bandal weren't eager to support him, because he had to start from the buttom and he wasn't that famous when he came, while El Paris & 4x4 had already everything. His musicians who had already some fame in their previous streetbands, were eager to tour in Europe like musicians of their generation who just joined Quartier Latin, Maison Mere, etc. So that's why many bandmembers quickly left Aime's band, because in the things were going slow in their opinion. Jordan Kusa went to join Quartier Latin, Alvarito & Champion Vualu  went to join Pierrete Addams in 1999 along with the atalaku's (they were promised to go on tour in Europe, which would never happen), Sakoko & Dolin would join PPU and the recruited atalaku Franceville would join Madilu for a moment a animate alongside Ngidingongi in Pouvoir (but would quickly return, when musicians of Madilu found out that the promised tour in Europe for 2000 was fake).

Yes I remeber one of the Atalaku did the animation for Pierrette Adams in Absolument. His name is Massamba Bwakassa also known as Canne A Sucre. He then came back to Wenge kumbela though and did the animation on the Vert Vert Toleka album along with Franceville, Patou Bolumba and John Scott. It is true that most of Aime Buanga musicians were stolen by Pierrette Adams. He did manage to take his final group to europe. Most of them are in europe today. Except Franceville who I heard is in Bandal and has lost his mind since.