The problem with people in the Congolese community is that they easily forget you if you are not Kinshasa-based. Nyboma was one of Zaire's biggest star in the 1970s. He made late Verckys rich with his songs that he was releasing with Lipua-Lipau and his band Kamale. Verckys once revealed that he was able to build VEVE-center with their money. Artists signed at his label were getting free-instruments by singing slave-contracts. I don't remember which year it was, but Nyboma was also once voted as "star of the year" by the Congolese press in the 1970s. Him settling in West-Africa, made the Congolese public forget him. However, it gave him the chance to make his name over there big with African All Stars where he replaced Sam Mangwana. He lived for a few years in Togo and also in Ivory Coast before moving to Paris. Hence why he had some tours in West-Africa with Pepe Kalle, because his name was still over there. They even recorded two duet-albums (Moyibi & Zouké-Zouké). The thing with Nyboma compared to other former stars of the 1970s is that he did alot of session work in the 1980s and 1990s for many artists small and big, which made the consideration of Congolese people becoming low towards him. While back in 1970s you couldn't compare him to certain artists that he did session work for. He had even a rivalery with the Soki-brothers after leaving them. Nyboma's case is one of the example why some bandleaders even if they are finished refuse to make to much featerings or refuse to become background artists.
Shimita is underrated in our community. He had succes when being member of Grand Zaiko Wawa of Pepe Felly Manuaku with late General Defao and late Djo Poster. But people forgot about him when settled in Europe ajd started to do Soukous-music. Shimita's name is very big in the Soukous-world and he released multiple LP's with Soukous-Stars and solo-albums. He toured multiple countries in Africa even in countries were Kinshasa-based artists would not tour (Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Mauritania, Ghana,..) just to name a few countries. He even toured various islands in the West Indies and countries in Southern America. In Madagascar, Mayotte, Ile Reunion and Comoren he had crazy succes and filled stadiums. In countries like Colombia, Martinique and Guadeloupe, he had fame that Kinshasa-based didn't had over there. Congolese people are not even aware about the succes he had abroad.
Luciana Demingongo used to be a big star in the 1980s that helped Papa Wemba with Lidjo Kwempa and Maray Maray to fight against Victoria Eleison during the Wemba vs Emeneya-rivalery. late Ben Nyamabo tried to poach him into Choc Stars which created alot of polemic and Viva-fanatics even attacking Luciana, which made him return. After settling in Europe he was more doing session-work and guys like Reddy & Stino starting to pass him in terms of popularity. But he made a big comeback when releasing his solo-album Vigilance/Station Radar in 1993 with the hit song Princesse Julia followed by Nouvelle Generation's album where he had the hit-song Mbowassa. Many singers that grew up in the 1980s (Alain Mpela, Rio Kazadi, Shella Mputu...) have him as a rolemodel and cited him a few times in their interviews. Its just that he didn't had the ambition like Defao, Koffi Olomidé, Reddy Amisi to become a big bandleader in Kinshasa. He prefered to live in France with his wife Sira Diabate and their childeren and just do session-work as a background singer and touring with other artists. Many people have still respect for him.
