A few months ago, I had bought A La Une on CD (a rare find these days). Recently, I was listening to the album as well as Feux de L'Amour, and a sudden realisation hit me. Both albums were arranged by Al Nzimbi. During that five-year period, he'd essentially worked with most of the big 4. The only exception is Koffi of course, who had a strong partnership with Phillipe Guez.

I don't really see Al and Koffi getting along (there's a reason the latter stopped working with Manu Lima) but if Koffi was as flexible as Papa Wemba and Bozi Boziana in terms of working with other arrangers, which albums do you think Al would've worked on if he was available to work with Koffi and QL? I could see him doing at least one song on Force de Frappe, Effrakata and maybe Affaire d'Etat, I've been imagining how some songs would sound if arranged by Al instead of Phillipe.

Furthermore, I think he'd insist on using his programmed drums at the expense of QL's drummers, but I want to hear your thoughts on a Koffi/Al partnership.

If I remember well Koffi Olomidé used sometimes collaborate with Bobongo Stars (including Al Nzimbi) in big Kinshasa concerts to replicate the sound of his albums he did with Manu Lima (Rue d'Amour, Henriquet, Elle et Moi and Les Prissoniers Dorment). Because back at that time Quartier Latin didn't had a keyboard-player. King Kester Emeneya would do the same thing in 1990 during his show at Palais du Peuple and FIKIN (in the summer), also when he went to do his national tour sponsored by tobacco company Okapi and Primus (Moanda, Boma, Matadi, Butembo, Goma, Bukavu and Uvira) and his concerts abroad (Brazzaville, Burundi and Rwanda), by using Al Nzimbi and his collegue as keyboard players and Myriam as female singer of mixed race alongside late Thethe and Denise Diatezua.

I don't think that there would be alot of difference with Al Nzimbi and Phillipe Guez, because they both use programmed drums in their songs, Phillipe Guez not using them during sebenes. On the end it is the choice of the bandleader. For example with JB Mpiana, he let Makaba have full control over the artistic direction and Makaba is like his mentor Al Nzimbi pro programmed drums during sebene. On Kibuisa Mpimpa it was that they associated Djudju-chet otherwise Papy Kakol would have barely played drums during sebene. Al Nzimbi did everything to not having Djudjuchet associated to the project. On a la Queue Leu Leu he was lucky that Djudju was busy with Eboulement of El Paris.


With Philippe Guez's absence, I think that Al Nzimbi could have worked on Danger de Mort. But Koffi prefered to work with JC Tshikuta who started to have a big name in Kinshasa due to his work with gospel artist and Mbetenge, who Koffi already was impressed before Monde Arabe of his artistic knowledge. I still wonder what problem Koffi had with Philippe Guez, because he worked with other Congolese artists in the same period, but Koffi who was collaborating with him since 1992 (Koweit Rive Gauche). I really wonder how Danger de Mort would be with Guez. Would his role be minor like Magie and Pas de Faux Pas or rework all the rumba's ?

If I remember well Koffi Olomidé used sometimes collaborate with Bobongo Stars (including Al Nzimbi) in big Kinshasa concerts to replicate the sound of his albums he did with Manu Lima (Rue d'Amour, Henriquet, Elle et Moi and Les Prissoniers Dorment). Because back at that time Quartier Latin didn't had a keyboard-player. King Kester Emeneya would do the same thing in 1990 during his show at Palais du Peuple and FIKIN (in the summer), also when he went to do his national tour sponsored by tobacco company Okapi and Primus (Moanda, Boma, Matadi, Butembo, Goma, Bukavu and Uvira) and his concerts abroad (Brazzaville, Burundi and Rwanda), by using Al Nzimbi and his collegue as keyboard players and Myriam as female singer of mixed race alongside late Thethe and Denise Diatezua.

I don't think that there would be alot of difference with Al Nzimbi and Phillipe Guez, because they both use programmed drums in their songs, Phillipe Guez not using them during sebenes. On the end it is the choice of the bandleader. For example with JB Mpiana, he let Makaba have full control over the artistic direction and Makaba is like his mentor Al Nzimbi pro programmed drums during sebene. On Kibuisa Mpimpa it was that they associated Djudju-chet otherwise Papy Kakol would have barely played drums during sebene. Al Nzimbi did everything to not having Djudjuchet associated to the project. On a la Queue Leu Leu he was lucky that Djudju was busy with Eboulement of El Paris.


With Philippe Guez's absence, I think that Al Nzimbi could have worked on Danger de Mort. But Koffi prefered to work with JC Tshikuta who started to have a big name in Kinshasa due to his work with gospel artist and Mbetenge, who Koffi already was impressed before Monde Arabe of his artistic knowledge. I still wonder what problem Koffi had with Philippe Guez, because he worked with other Congolese artists in the same period, but Koffi who was collaborating with him since 1992 (Koweit Rive Gauche). I really wonder how Danger de Mort would be with Guez. Would his role be minor like Magie and Pas de Faux Pas or rework all the rumba's ?

Does anyone else think Lenny Bidens is overrated as an arranger? It could be that his family has a very immaculate resume, Sec Bidens and Theo Bidens are legends. Aside from his work on the sound for Zenith 2008 and 2010, he hasn't really had an album defining sound like - like "volia, c'est Leny Bidens". I don't think he's arranged an album from top to bottom like the 90s, 80s, and 2000s. Musicians don't work with one arranger anymore, how do you feel about that?

Music has changed it is not more like the 2000s and 20th century. But don't forget that Leny Bidens is the man behind Techno Malewa volume 1 & 2, all albums Heritier Watanabe made in his career, Fabregas' first album Amour Amour and Je Pense (Antidote & Poison). So sad how the affair of Claudia Bakisa created a conflict between two brothers who used to be very close. It seems that most of Leny's with some artists are about women.

I can't judge Leny Bidens, because I haven't fully listened to new albums anymore since 2015. But I also haven't heard people praise him as arranger like Alain Makaba, Rigo Star, Sec Bidens, Al Nzimbi or Maika Munan

If I remember well Koffi Olomidé used sometimes collaborate with Bobongo Stars (including Al Nzimbi) in big Kinshasa concerts to replicate the sound of his albums he did with Manu Lima (Rue d'Amour, Henriquet, Elle et Moi and Les Prissoniers Dorment). Because back at that time Quartier Latin didn't had a keyboard-player. King Kester Emeneya would do the same thing in 1990 during his show at Palais du Peuple and FIKIN (in the summer), also when he went to do his national tour sponsored by tobacco company Okapi and Primus (Moanda, Boma, Matadi, Butembo, Goma, Bukavu and Uvira) and his concerts abroad (Brazzaville, Burundi and Rwanda), by using Al Nzimbi and his collegue as keyboard players and Myriam as female singer of mixed race alongside late Thethe and Denise Diatezua.

I don't think that there would be alot of difference with Al Nzimbi and Phillipe Guez, because they both use programmed drums in their songs, Phillipe Guez not using them during sebenes. On the end it is the choice of the bandleader. For example with JB Mpiana, he let Makaba have full control over the artistic direction and Makaba is like his mentor Al Nzimbi pro programmed drums during sebene. On Kibuisa Mpimpa it was that they associated Djudju-chet otherwise Papy Kakol would have barely played drums during sebene. Al Nzimbi did everything to not having Djudjuchet associated to the project. On a la Queue Leu Leu he was lucky that Djudju was busy with Eboulement of El Paris.


With Philippe Guez's absence, I think that Al Nzimbi could have worked on Danger de Mort. But Koffi prefered to work with JC Tshikuta who started to have a big name in Kinshasa due to his work with gospel artist and Mbetenge, who Koffi already was impressed before Monde Arabe of his artistic knowledge. I still wonder what problem Koffi had with Philippe Guez, because he worked with other Congolese artists in the same period, but Koffi who was collaborating with him since 1992 (Koweit Rive Gauche). I really wonder how Danger de Mort would be with Guez. Would his role be minor like Magie and Pas de Faux Pas or rework all the rumba's ?

Does anyone else think Lenny Bidens is overrated as an arranger? It could be that his family has a very immaculate resume, Sec Bidens and Theo Bidens are legends. Aside from his work on the sound for Zenith 2008 and 2010, he hasn't really had an album defining sound like - like "volia, c'est Leny Bidens". I don't think he's arranged an album from top to bottom like the 90s, 80s, and 2000s. Musicians don't work with one arranger anymore, how do you feel about that?

To be honest, I don't really know how to rate Leny Bidens as an arranger. He's been in the game for years, I respect his work, and I see what he's going for with the music he arranges, but I agree, he doesn't have at least one signature style like his dad (and uncle, to an extent), Philippe Guez, Al Nzimbi, Maika Munan, Michel Lorenz etc. Or if he does, it's not as noticeable. If you listen to Bozi Boziana's discography from 1994 to 2005, since he worked with different arrangers-programmers, you'd get an idea of each arranger's style during the time periods these albums dropped. Then again, I haven't really listened to the albums that he's worked on (apart from Techno Malewa 1), so what do I know?

If I remember well Koffi Olomidé used sometimes collaborate with Bobongo Stars (including Al Nzimbi) in big Kinshasa concerts to replicate the sound of his albums he did with Manu Lima (Rue d'Amour, Henriquet, Elle et Moi and Les Prissoniers Dorment). Because back at that time Quartier Latin didn't had a keyboard-player. King Kester Emeneya would do the same thing in 1990 during his show at Palais du Peuple and FIKIN (in the summer), also when he went to do his national tour sponsored by tobacco company Okapi and Primus (Moanda, Boma, Matadi, Butembo, Goma, Bukavu and Uvira) and his concerts abroad (Brazzaville, Burundi and Rwanda), by using Al Nzimbi and his collegue as keyboard players and Myriam as female singer of mixed race alongside late Thethe and Denise Diatezua.

I don't think that there would be alot of difference with Al Nzimbi and Phillipe Guez, because they both use programmed drums in their songs, Phillipe Guez not using them during sebenes. On the end it is the choice of the bandleader. For example with JB Mpiana, he let Makaba have full control over the artistic direction and Makaba is like his mentor Al Nzimbi pro programmed drums during sebene. On Kibuisa Mpimpa it was that they associated Djudju-chet otherwise Papy Kakol would have barely played drums during sebene. Al Nzimbi did everything to not having Djudjuchet associated to the project. On a la Queue Leu Leu he was lucky that Djudju was busy with Eboulement of El Paris.


With Philippe Guez's absence, I think that Al Nzimbi could have worked on Danger de Mort. But Koffi prefered to work with JC Tshikuta who started to have a big name in Kinshasa due to his work with gospel artist and Mbetenge, who Koffi already was impressed before Monde Arabe of his artistic knowledge. I still wonder what problem Koffi had with Philippe Guez, because he worked with other Congolese artists in the same period, but Koffi who was collaborating with him since 1992 (Koweit Rive Gauche). I really wonder how Danger de Mort would be with Guez. Would his role be minor like Magie and Pas de Faux Pas or rework all the rumba's ?

Interesting. I knew that Alain Makaba and Al Nzimbi both worked at Studio Bobongo back in the days, but I didn't know that Al taught Makaba how to program and arrange music. I thought he learnt that by himself.

Which other songs did Philippe contribute to on Magie? I know he played on the title song, Detresse, Petit na London and the intro to Mansouri, I recognise his sound when I hear it, but Eric Bamba also played keyboards on the album. Magie is the only song in which I can tell the difference between Philippe and Eric's contributions.