This photo was taken in the Studio Jet in Brussels during the recording sessions of Deux Temps.

I had never listened to this album. Now I understand why Reddy said that Victoria and Choc Stars (Kelemani Album) were very successful compared to the Viva albums.

The sound is very very clean

I had never listened to this album. Now I understand why Reddy said that Victoria and Choc Stars (Kelemani Album) were very successful compared to the Viva albums.

The sound is very very clean

Yeah, they had a very fresh and novel sound and dandy style, which really appealed to the younger audiences. The antithesis of Odemba

It's really sad that King Kester was so underrated (RIP); he was a trailblazer

The problem was that Emeneya had the press in his pocket, because of Veve who was his manager and big part boycotting Wemba, then also Simaro & Tabu Ley cursed Wemba for the he disrespected them during the last reunion (which made in order to get Emeneya and the rest back in Viva), so they gave Victoria Eleison the full blessing. Wemba was not really motivated anymore and was looking a way to get known in Europe (doing some solo-projects, once he stayed 8 months there while Viva was struggling in Europe), giving Lidjo Kwempa all the powers (who was then producing many hits Ceci Cela, Muzingile, Mystique, etc.).


It hadn't really to do something with quality, it was just that the succes of Victoria Eleison was to big and Viva couldn't fight it anymore.
This is by the way Victoria's first HQ-album made in Europe (not counting the Emeneya's solo album of Willo Mondo recorded in Europe with musicians of Choc Stars). Many LP's of Viva La Musica made between 1983-1986 could easily compete in terms of quality against those of Victoria Eleison who were all recorded at studio Veve, Viva then recording sometimes in Kin and sometimes in Brazza at studio IAD).






In 1983 and 1984, they could still survive, but after that it became to much for Viva La Musica and Wemba on one point deciding to settle the band in Europe. Because he didn't want to be the slave of Veve, Tabu Ley & Franco.

Guys I just wanted to point that the Deux Temps was Victoria last successful album.

what is the reason for their fall? who was successful in the late 80's? Anti choc ? Choc stars ? Wenge ? Evoloko with mbongue ? Swede Swede ?

I think the success of Wenge Musica album Bouger Bouger had to something with it.

Guys I just wanted to point that the Deux Temps was Victoria last successful album.

You forgot Mokosa of 1990

I think the success of Wenge Musica album Bouger Bouger had to something with it.

Kester was after Nzinzi in conflict with Verckys Kiamuangana, so he had for a long time not instruments, plus the radio-trottoir of Kinshasa were saying that the 5-year deal of ..... came to an end, but he wasn't able to prolong it for x reasons. plus his father died who was protecting him. So he had a kind of a depression. Also Makolin left who was very important, for several reasons (he made testimony about that, he's a pastor today)

Bouger Bouger was a delayed succes, it had some succes, but not on the level of the big bands of that time.  The album started to get a huge succes when Werra, JB, Blaise, Masela and Makaba were put in jail, the moment they tried to come to Europe, giving a big concert (concert de confirmation) when they came out jail on the new year eve of 1990. I don't remember where the concert took place. On the same time there was a remix-version of Bouger Bouger on the end market called Wenge Musica - Live, which a medley of the of Mulolo, Kolo Budget and Moni La Rose. From then people started to compare Wenge to Victoria, because they saw them as his heirs, because of the song Mulolo which had some traditional rythms that Victoria used. In the song Moni La Rose they used, a rhythm-part of the Victoria's generique Explosion during JB's vocal.

Emeneya reconciled with Veve and started to record Mokosa, he made then a comeback at Palais du Peuple, started to diss Wenge in every interview he was making at the television. But his sponsor Bralima (Primus) was doubting about him if he was still strong and wanted a some fara-fara concerts against Wenge Musica, which Emeneya first refused,but he ended by accepting it because he needed money. Wenge Musica who hadn't a big fanbase yet underwent big humilations in areas like Masina, Ndili and Kingasani ya Suka, Emeneya showed his supremacy in every area, earning the nickname "Ya Mokolo Oleki Bango". He then released Mokosa which was big succes and made a show at FIKIN with some concerts in Kinshasa, then in early 1991 he went brought Victoria Eleison to Europe, but he never came back, which made people after some time claiming than he ran away from Wenge's succes.

Is it this ? ( Concert de la confirmation )

No, that was already 1 year later after they got fame. This was a compilation of their first concert in Europe (Brussels), Switerland and their studio-session of Kin E Bouge in 1991.