I'm wondering since I was too young to witness it, I was 2 years old. What were the hits of that album? Chantal?

YES. Here in London everyone was playing the CD and the VHS I saw it every house hold I went to.

YES. Here in London everyone was playing the CD and the VHS I saw it every house hold I went to.

Didn't it drop on the same day as Titanic?

YES. Here in London everyone was playing the CD and the VHS I saw it every house hold I went to.

Bro, every household had the VHS. It wasn’t even something for visitors to steal because they already had a copy

In Tanzania it was a a success, but not as huge as Titanic, because Werra was not a household name like JB due to the success of Feux d Amour, but Solola Bien was a Bomb. it is very difficult to know which one between Solola Bien and Loi were the most danced generics of that era.

lol, it was very succesful and made Werrason become suddenly the most popular star of DR Congo. Having crowds when he was walking on the streets, setting a recordcrowd at l'Esplanade de Palais du Peuple, going away with all the public when performing at the festival "Tokufa Pona Congo" at Stade des Martyrs, etc. etc.

At the end of the year he was voted as best star of the year by ACMCO, Bill Clinton as revelation of the year, Chantal Swisterland being the best song of the year.

lol, it was very succesful and made Werrason become suddenly the most popular star of DR Congo. Having crowds when he was walking on the streets, setting a recordcrowd at l'Esplanade de Palais du Peuple, going away with all the public when performing at the festival "Tokufa Pona Congo" at Stade des Martyrs, etc. etc.

At the end of the year he was voted as best star of the year by ACMCO, Bill Clinton as revelation of the year, Chantal Swisterland being the best song of the year.

I see, I see. One question if you don't mind answering? Despite JB being a better singer, dancer. Is being a good singer the most important in our music? My 2nd question has JB ever surpassed Werra in popularity?

lol, ba questions ebele boye.

Being a good singer isn't important nowadays. But back in the days it very important. Things changed when Clan came in. Coming with guys like  Adolphe Dominguez (he's a faux chanteur)  JDT and Depitcho (Depitcho and JDT can sing, but they are not really grand chanteur). Which made it from bands recruiting musicians just for their looks and the way they dance.

JB used to be DRC's most popular musician after Papa Wemba from the split until the interview he made to react againt Sankara/the release of Force d'Intervention Rapide. Werrason was smart to follow Marie Paul's advice of performing often in Tshangu (Masina, N'djili, Kimbanseke) where most people come from his province and who used to be fan of EL Paris, because Wenge 4x4 was more performing in areas like Gombe, Kintambo, Lemba. Hence why he always call them always bana secteur (to refer to their province) and bakolo mouvement. He also used to strategy to get the sympathy of shegues (stealing then alot who used to be fan of Papa Wemba, because back in the days it was Wemba who was their ambassador). Werrason also managed to get the majority of the press in the pocket and he had the blessing of all his elders (King Kester Emeneya, Tabu Ley, Koffi Olomide, General Defao, Verckys Kiamuangana, Pepe Kalle) and his sisters Tshala Muana & Mbilia Bel. That's why JB sung in Omba, basali ba likompa na ba vieux na bango, mais bakoki te. Through Tshala Muana he managed to get close to dignitaries of the ADFL-regime and the president Laurent-Desire Kabila (who gave him instruments as gift, for having accompagnied him for the national tour he made around DRC before the civil war).

So just before releasing Force d'Intervention Rapide, Werrason had already most of the population behind him. JB Mpiana had still alot of fans, but was not more popular then Werrason and never managed to surpass him in the terms of fans. Because he got labelled as being an artist of the elite since that he made that interview to react against Sankara, while it was more to say that Werrason wasn't on his level, but he got misunderstood by he "petit peuple", who were first his fans then immediatly turned his back.

Let me give you the account of East Africa, before the split the only musicians of Wenge Musica who were known was Jb Mpiana and Alain Makaba, because of the success of their albums. When Wenge toured Tanzania before they separated, all the spot light was given to the two musicians, they were driven in private cars, while Werra, Adolf, Blaise and Didier Masala the other administrators/owners of the band were mixed in a bus with other musicians, Jb and Makaba were booked in an International hotel while other shared rooms. I think the success of their albums made Makaba and JB mpiana big headed and they thought that they owned the band.
After the separation most fans include myself followed Mpiana and Makaba and Titanic was a hit although Force de intervention rapide was also famous although the quality was inferior to Titanic.

Things changed when, Miason Mere released Solola Bien, I think the popularity of Solola bien could only be matched by Loi of Kofi. Solola was the most loved song of that year, after every 10 minutes a radio station would play it. In clubs the dancing ground was crowded when the song was played.
Werra ha two sold out shows in Tanzania that year. JB was quickly forgotten and could not recover.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if Wera was the one who had a successful album before the split. Would Mpiana have recovered , dust himself down and soldier on? Mpiana to me, he is a very good singer, best of his generation, with a good look and charisma, but he is not aggressive.