Just before settling in Europe

Kester Emeneya had a great year in 1991. His remix of Ngonda was popping and this song Mokosa was also on top notch. Emeneya was in top notch in 1991.

The way Adricha Tipo-Tipo drummed during the sebene doesn't fit to the song and also not the style of how drummers such Patcho Star, Djudjuchet and late Otis Koyongonda drummed during sebenes in Victoria Eleison (1982-1987).

The year 1990 marked Emeneya's comeback, but the difficulties were still there. The year 1991 started difficult for Emeneya, despite the succes of Mokosa that got released the previous year,  because they had still problems with instruments and musicians of the old-guard (Pinos, Safro Manzangi, Otis Koyongonda and Santana Mongoley) not being happy how it was going financially with Victoria Eleison. The difficulties made Emeneya create on his own an Europe-tour wih help from Gerard Akeueson (manager of Abeti Masikini) through the money of bindo (which was a financial trap created by politicians and led to many victims. some even selling their houses in the hope to gain 4x times the amount). Before the trip of 1991, Emeneya did 12 on Pinos and Otis by leaving them behind, because of the way they weren't afraid to confront him multiple times. The goal of the tour was to get some money and also buy a set of instruments. There were some musicians that testified in some interviews that Emeneya's was about to recruit young musicians once returning to Kinshasa and slowly replace all old musicians. Victoria Eleison finally arrived in Europe after 4 years of absence. The Europe-tour was succesful (them giving shows in Paris, Brussels, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, etc.) and also the two famous fara-fara against Viva La Musica in Villejuif and Le Bataclan (with Koffi as guest). However there were still tensions and Emeneya was using his musicians to openly disrespect the musicians of the old guard, which made Safro and Santana Mongoley leave the band when they were in London. Santana Mongoley even fought with Emeneya's bodyguard.

In summer of 1991, the album with remix versions of Emeneya's hits of Viva la Musica got released and it was a huge succes. When the tour ended they went to South Corea and Japan. After some shows in Europe it was time to return, but due to political tension in Zaire (lootings of september 1991 and whats was going during the CNS) they delayed their return. In meantime the musicians that kept waiting in Kinshasa, started slowly to join other bands, some even migrating to african countries such as Nigeria and Angola, trying to get in Europe. However, when Emeneya would plan a return, there would everytime happy something in Zaire connected to politics (for example the demonstration of february 1992, which led to multiple deaths). After delaying the return twice, Emeneya finally decided to settle in France and with help from Gerard Akueson they managed to get long-term papers in France. Almost all musicians were returning back to Kinshasa, but Emeneya didn't go back until 1997.

1991 was the year of Wenge Musica, Zaiko with Ici Cava, Wenge Musica Aile Paris (despite not being in Kinshasa) and Koffi Olomidé with his album Les Prissoniers Dorment (he was a rising star at that time). Sometimes I wonder if Koffi's rivalery with Papa Wemba would have existed, if Emeneya decided to return in 1991 or 1992 and keep fighting to save his throne. I think that it would have been Koffi Olomide vs King Kester Emeneya. The question is how Koffi would have survived. Because at that time Emeneya had a huge fanbase (probably the biggest along with Viva la Musica). But his absence led to the majority of youngsters that were his fans joining Wenge El Paris, since that they weren't liking Wenge Musica 4x4 and a small part just accepting Wenge Musica.

The way Adricha Tipo-Tipo drummed during the sebene doesn't fit to the song and also not the style of how drummers such Patcho Star, Djudjuchet and late Otis Koyongonda drummed during sebenes in Victoria Eleison (1982-1987).

The year 1990 marked Emeneya's comeback, but the difficulties were still there. The year 1991 started difficult for Emeneya, despite the succes of Mokosa that got released the previous year,  because they had still problems with instruments and musicians of the old-guard (Pinos, Safro Manzangi, Otis Koyongonda and Santana Mongoley) not being happy how it was going financially with Victoria Eleison. The difficulties made Emeneya create on his own an Europe-tour wih help from Gerard Akeueson (manager of Abeti Masikini) through the money of bindo (which was a financial trap created by politicians and led to many victims. some even selling their houses in the hope to gain 4x times the amount). Before the trip of 1991, Emeneya did 12 on Pinos and Otis by leaving them behind, because of the way they weren't afraid to confront him multiple times. The goal of the tour was to get some money and also buy a set of instruments. There were some musicians that testified in some interviews that Emeneya's was about to recruit young musicians once returning to Kinshasa and slowly replace all old musicians. Victoria Eleison finally arrived in Europe after 4 years of absence. The Europe-tour was succesful (them giving shows in Paris, Brussels, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, etc.) and also the two famous fara-fara against Viva La Musica in Villejuif and Le Bataclan (with Koffi as guest). However there were still tensions and Emeneya was using his musicians to openly disrespect the musicians of the old guard, which made Safro and Santana Mongoley leave the band when they were in London. Santana Mongoley even fought with Emeneya's bodyguard.

In summer of 1991, the album with remix versions of Emeneya's hits of Viva la Musica got released and it was a huge succes. When the tour ended they went to South Corea and Japan. After some shows in Europe it was time to return, but due to political tension in Zaire (lootings of september 1991 and whats was going during the CNS) they delayed their return. In meantime the musicians that kept waiting in Kinshasa, started slowly to join other bands, some even migrating to african countries such as Nigeria and Angola, trying to get in Europe. However, when Emeneya would plan a return, there would everytime happy something in Zaire connected to politics (for example the demonstration of february 1992, which led to multiple deaths). After delaying the return twice, Emeneya finally decided to settle in France and with help from Gerard Akueson they managed to get long-term papers in France. Almost all musicians were returning back to Kinshasa, but Emeneya didn't go back until 1997.

1991 was the year of Wenge Musica, Zaiko with Ici Cava, Wenge Musica Aile Paris (despite not being in Kinshasa) and Koffi Olomidé with his album Les Prissoniers Dorment (he was a rising star at that time). Sometimes I wonder if Koffi's rivalery with Papa Wemba would have existed, if Emeneya decided to return in 1991 or 1992 and keep fighting to save his throne. I think that it would have been Koffi Olomide vs King Kester Emeneya. The question is how Koffi would have survived. Because at that time Emeneya had a huge fanbase (probably the biggest along with Viva la Musica). But his absence led to the majority of youngsters that were his fans joining Wenge El Paris, since that they weren't liking Wenge Musica 4x4 and a small part just accepting Wenge Musica.

Wenge Musica wasn't well liked when they started? What were people saying about them when they first started? At what point did Wenge feel confident that they could make a serious career from music, because I'm curious who was their first producer. Just the story around transitioning from playing for their neighborhood to recording their first songs, that story is not often told.

I don' t know when Wenge felt confident. But I think that it must be in period that they tried to record their first album. I think that Archos know about it.



Wenge Musica was liked when they breakthrough. But you had also musicfans of the bands Zaiko Langa Langa, Viva la Musica (which was based in Europe) and Victoria Eleison, who weren' t liking them, which is often the case in Congolese music, when new artists or bands start to get known. At the same time you had also fans from influent quarters/areas of Kinshasa that didn' t want to accept them, not liking the way they became more succesful than their own bands, who were first like their rivals. Until this day, sometimes when some of these former bandmembers are interviewed and asked about Wenge, they have difficulties to acknowledge them or often tend to denigrate them.



During those Emeneya & Wenge Musica concerts around the 24 areas of Kinshasa, you had even incidents in Masina and later N'djili of Victoria-fans throwing stones when Wenge tried to perform and in one of those concerts, fans saying "Ya Mukolo oleki bango" (Big Bro' you are better than them "Wenge") and Emeneya immediately adopting that nickname.



If I recall well, their first producer was Papy Kimbi, who produced their unreleased album of 1986, which was recorded at VEVE Studio. It had the songs Ginette, Sylvie, Laura, Bebe Ake Naye and the first version of Kin E Bouge which was dedicated to Papy Kimbi & Sylva Gbemani (the first part of the song would be used 10 years later as the song No Comment Schengen). Because of Papy Kimbi not having any experience with production and several problems connected to the distribution, the album ended up by not being officialy on the market.



In 1987, Wenge Musica entered the studio for the second time. But like in 1986, the album ended up by not getting released. It's only through Alain Makaba who contacted their godfather General Defao, who made the head of the label Bisel to convince to release their album. This made their album Bouger Bouger getting released on the market in 1988 and at the same being their first official debut album. The album made them getting known through Kinshasa.



In 1989, they released a remix-version of their album Bouger Bouger, called Live, which was a medley like many albums of that time (Jetez l'Eponge, Bakuba-Show, etc. Them remixing 4 tracks (Mulolo, La Fille du Roi, Kolo Budget and Moni la Rose). The succes of this album was even bigger than the original version. The arrestation of Wenge Musica in december 1989, after trying to get into Europe with false paper, created alot of buzz. It boosted their succes. The press and population started to count them from that moment as one of Kinshasa's big bands. They gave a succesfull concert at Tele Zaire in the same week and also one at one of Bandal's bars (I think Moto na Moto Abongisa). After getting released from jail JB Mpiana presented the reworked version of Kin E Bouge, where they sung about their time in jail.

I don' t know when Wenge felt confident. But I think that it must be in period that they tried to record their first album. I think that Archos know about it.



Wenge Musica was liked when they breakthrough. But you had also musicfans of the bands Zaiko Langa Langa, Viva la Musica (which was based in Europe) and Victoria Eleison, who weren' t liking them, which is often the case in Congolese music, when new artists or bands start to get known. At the same time you had also fans from influent quarters/areas of Kinshasa that didn' t want to accept them, not liking the way they became more succesful than their own bands, who were first like their rivals. Until this day, sometimes when some of these former bandmembers are interviewed and asked about Wenge, they have difficulties to acknowledge them or often tend to denigrate them.



During those Emeneya & Wenge Musica concerts around the 24 areas of Kinshasa, you had even incidents in Masina and later N'djili of Victoria-fans throwing stones when Wenge tried to perform and in one of those concerts, fans saying "Ya Mukolo oleki bango" (Big Bro' you are better than them "Wenge") and Emeneya immediately adopting that nickname.



If I recall well, their first producer was Papy Kimbi, who produced their unreleased album of 1986, which was recorded at VEVE Studio. It had the songs Ginette, Sylvie, Laura, Bebe Ake Naye and the first version of Kin E Bouge which was dedicated to Papy Kimbi & Sylva Gbemani (the first part of the song would be used 10 years later as the song No Comment Schengen). Because of Papy Kimbi not having any experience with production and several problems connected to the distribution, the album ended up by not being officialy on the market.



In 1987, Wenge Musica entered the studio for the second time. But like in 1986, the album ended up by not getting released. It's only through Alain Makaba who contacted their godfather General Defao, who made the head of the label Bisel to convince to release their album. This made their album Bouger Bouger getting released on the market in 1988 and at the same being their first official debut album. The album made them getting known through Kinshasa.



In 1989, they released a remix-version of their album Bouger Bouger, called Live, which was a medley like many albums of that time (Jetez l'Eponge, Bakuba-Show, etc. Them remixing 4 tracks (Mulolo, La Fille du Roi, Kolo Budget and Moni la Rose). The succes of this album was even bigger than the original version. The arrestation of Wenge Musica in december 1989, after trying to get into Europe with false paper, created alot of buzz. It boosted their succes. The press and population started to count them from that moment as one of Kinshasa's big bands. They gave a succesfull concert at Tele Zaire in the same week and also one at one of Bandal's bars (I think Moto na Moto Abongisa). After getting released from jail JB Mpiana presented the reworked version of Kin E Bouge, where they sung about their time in jail.

What was the story behind the fake papers? I thought Kija Brown handled the logistics of travel and passport, why would they risk jail with something like that? But it was before 9/11, so I'm sure it wasn't as serious as it is today

How long were they in imprisoned and who helped secure their release?

Kija Brown was there for the Public Relations. The administration done by Kis Kisolokele along with others elders from Bandalungwa. Kija Brown was btw the way the one who promoted Wenge in Brazzaville on late Guy Noel's video 45, when they hadn't an album on the market.

Deboli Fataki who used to do "some business" promised to the Wenge-guys that he would bring them to Europe, but that they had to accept the risks. Back in the days, it was a dream for all youngsters to get in Europe one day, especially how Papa Wemba, Emeneya and Stervos Niarcos made youngsters believe that Europe was like paradise. You'll be surprised how many bands travelled with fake papers during their first trip. The Wenge guys accepted the risks (travelling with fake papers and drugs). It was planned that they would travel with just 9 bandmembers. To test if the fake papers would work, they let Ricoco and reserve-drummer Pipo la Musica go first. When the two guys managed to pass, Werrason, JB Mpiana, Makaba and Masela tried to pass, but they got arrested. The remaining part, all ran away. Many stories were spread, others said that their former president Mavo, wasn't happy the way they dump him and snitched them, others say that it was president Ben Nyamabo of Choc Stars, who informed the agents to get the Wenge-guys arrested, being afraid that they would mess their upcoming Europe-tour up, which was planned in the same period. Ricoco and Pipo la Musica ended up by going to Brussels without Wenge Musica, who were hold in custody for 3 days. According to different people close to the musicians of Wenge, several daugthers of influent polticians went to vist them and helped them to get out jail.