I noticed that Koffi Olomide seems to always like to be present everywhere in his group albums and does not like to let his musicians sing their songs on their own or let other people take lead on songs written by instrumentalists.
Even on some instances he sings whole songs on his own in Quartier Latin albums.
Spaghetti

Fois Cent

Sens Inverse


This will make people think that the Quartier Latin albums are Koffi albums.

DId any other artist do the same thing as Koffi Olomide & did some artists not sing on all songs in their group albums & not appear in every clip?

Because it’s his band loool, but to be fair Jb and Werra also sang on every songs in their respective group albums too. The only difference is Koffi didn’t add multiple songs to the group albums just the generique he would credit himself and the band, he only co credited himself to a couple of songs like Petit de London with Willy Bula, Dessin Animé with Skola Miel, Dulcinée with Éric Tutsi, Zaniha with Ondo, Code Pin with Brigade.

I mean, for what it's worth, Koffi differentiated the albums. You might say the QL albums are Koffi albums, but they're marketed as Koffi & QL albums. While he still made his presence known on the group albums, the rest of QL had more space than they would on his solo albums. You get examples like the ones you posted where he sings lead all the way through, but it's not like on his solo albums where he's the only one singing most of the songs, with the occasional contribution from the other guys.

Also, like Prince said, it's common for other bandleaders like JB and Werra to appear on every song in their group albums. Not to the same extent as Koffi, but their presence is still known. I guess people want to hear the leader as much as they want to hear the other singers. The only leader I can think of who got away with just leaving his band to it on their albums and showing up on a song when he felt like it is Papa Wemba.

I mean, for what it's worth, Koffi differentiated the albums. You might say the QL albums are Koffi albums, but they're marketed as Koffi & QL albums. While he still made his presence known on the group albums, the rest of QL had more space than they would on his solo albums. You get examples like the ones you posted where he sings lead all the way through, but it's not like on his solo albums where he's the only one singing most of the songs, with the occasional contribution from the other guys.

Also, like Prince said, it's common for other bandleaders like JB and Werra to appear on every song in their group albums. Not to the same extent as Koffi, but their presence is still known. I guess people want to hear the leader as much as they want to hear the other singers. The only leader I can think of who got away with just leaving his band to it on their albums and showing up on a song when he felt like it is Papa Wemba.

But didnt papa wemba just had one group album? If not which one were group albums? I think just Koffi did do solo and then group albums. Werra/jb released always solo songs in group album beside in a la que lele /internet

To be fair, for the songs he led in singing, he did do the song’s lyrics justice. Spaghetti and Zaniha in particular come to mind

Code Pin is understandable because he gave a lot of direction to Brigade since he was young

There’s also one thing that has been on my mind when listening to QL albums - in some cases he sung better on the QL albums than his solo albums. I always wondered why that was the case. Affaire d’état sticks out as an example, when the second generation of QL was in peak form

I mean, for what it's worth, Koffi differentiated the albums. You might say the QL albums are Koffi albums, but they're marketed as Koffi & QL albums. While he still made his presence known on the group albums, the rest of QL had more space than they would on his solo albums. You get examples like the ones you posted where he sings lead all the way through, but it's not like on his solo albums where he's the only one singing most of the songs, with the occasional contribution from the other guys.

Also, like Prince said, it's common for other bandleaders like JB and Werra to appear on every song in their group albums. Not to the same extent as Koffi, but their presence is still known. I guess people want to hear the leader as much as they want to hear the other singers. The only leader I can think of who got away with just leaving his band to it on their albums and showing up on a song when he felt like it is Papa Wemba.

But didnt papa wemba just had one group album? If not which one were group albums? I think just Koffi did do solo and then group albums. Werra/jb released always solo songs in group album beside in a la que lele /internet

Papa Wemba has released numerous group albums since the founding of Viva la Musica in 1977, probably more than 30. On some albums released in the 1980s, he didn’t even sing, producers simply used his image for the album cover. However, those albums from the 1970s and 1980s usually had only four tracks. After the release of Biloko Ya Moto, which featured six songs, Viva la Musica began releasing albums with 10 or more tracks, such as Pole Position (1995), Nouvelle Écriture (1997), L (1998), À La Une (2000), Somo Trop (2003), and Nkunzi Lele (2006). I didn’t count Ya Biso Moko (1998), as it’s a nzong-nzing (a collective project). On L, Nouvelle Écriture  performed on their own, with Wemba only contributing vocals on Safari, doing shout-outs on the générique (Extra Large), and singing in the chorus of Ba Yankee Ya Sika, along with shout-outs. On À La Une, Papa Wemba was more present, also having three songs credited to him: Associé, Okomi, and Woman.


As for Pole Position, many people think it’s a solo album by Wemba because he sings lead on most of the tracks. But in reality, some of the songs were of leftovers of Foridoles. The project was even initially called Foridoles 2 before its recording. Wanting to extend the momentum and popularity after his comeback with Foridoles in 1994, Wemba decided to give his band members the opportunity to contribute with their  songs. However at that time singers, such as Reddy, Stino, Joly Mubiala, and Gloria, were releasing solo albums. As result, Wemba gave the chance to the singers the late Cele Le Roi (Mississippi), Spraya Dora (Sema Spraya), Djuna Djanana with Perdu de Vue (although Wemba, for some reason, sang lead on that track. Arranger Maika Munan probably not happy with Djuna's performance in the studio), and rhythm guitarist Timololo (Kaokokokorobo). The song Hommage was written by Madison Garden, a close friend of the late Stervos Niarcos.


Despite a long solo career of 49 years, Papa Wemba didn’t release many solo albums. In the Rumba genre, he released just 9: Bakosi Liwa ya Papa Wemba (1982), L'Esclave (1986), Foridoles (1994), Fula Ngenge (1999), Bakala Dia Kuba (2001), Kaka Yo (2008), Notre Père (2010), and Maître d'École (2014). In the World Music genre, he released five solo albums: Siku ya Mungu (1986), Papa Wemba (1989), Le Voyageur (1992), Emotion (1995), and Molokai (1998). I didn't count the many compilation LPs from the 1970s and 1980s. Back then, artists would released singles (45 rpm) and albums were mostly collections of 4 tracks that had already been released months earlier.

The remaining albums being albums of sapeurs and songswriters like Stervos Niarcos, Modogo Gian Franco Ferre, Didier Milla, etc. backed by Papa Wemba and Viva la Musica or just having Papa Wemba as singer singing lead on some songs. For whatever producers would sometimes put Papa Wemba picture on albumscover. For example, Modogo's first solo album Le Jour J de l'Histoire Romain or the album of songwriter/concertpromoter Dario Kindongolo called Mokili Ngele. This makes people, who are not familiar with the music of Viva la Musica, thinking that it are Wemba albums.

I noticed that Koffi Olomide seems to always like to be present everywhere in his group albums and does not like to let his musicians sing their songs on their own or let other people take lead on songs written by instrumentalists.
Even on some instances he sings whole songs on his own in Quartier Latin albums.
Spaghetti

Fois Cent

Sens Inverse


This will make people think that the Quartier Latin albums are Koffi albums.

It’s because, in Koffi’s ideology, no one should surpass or outshine him. He always has to remain above everyone else, giving bandmembers to space is to dangerous. If he senses that you’re becoming too popular, he will start giving you the “12 treatment” or recruit a singer, to let the singer or instrumentalist become your rival. For example, how how Mamale started receiving the “12” treatment after Force de Frappe, Koffi started to promote Depitcho alot, which made Bouro feeling uncomfortable, how Koffi started Fally vs Bouro after Bercy, Koffi promoting Cambodge above Champion, etc.
Back in the days of Magie and Ultimatum, journalists and music-fans often criticized Koffi for not giving enough space to his singers on group albums. At the same time, bands like Viva La Musica were known for giving their vocalists a lot more room to shine. Singer Scola Miel, in an interview with journalist Bolowa Bonzakwa after her departure, stated that Quartier Latin’s singers would go nowhere because Koffi didn’t allow them enough space to grow. With every group album release, Emeneya would always criticize Koffi for not giving his singers alot space and him (Koffi) singing often lead.
Ironically, many bandleaders later followed the same approach, Werrason, JB Mpiana, and others. Although even releasing several tracks on group-albums, people would still point the finger at Koffi, for not giving his singers enough space.

In the 1990s, Papa Wemba gave his band members the freedom to release solo albums. Suzuki wanted to do the same at some point in Quartier Latin. But, Koffi was completely against it, although Suzuki never asked him officially. When Koffi heard that Suzuki was already discussing his plans of recording a solo-album, with his people based in Europe, for the upcoming trip, he decided to leave him behind for the Olympia concert.
Years later, in response to Suzuki’s attacks alongside JF Ifonge, the late Nseka openly stated that they had “given him the space to release an album” and that he didn’t right to attack Koffi, since that he felt himself inferior to Depitcho, an indirect reference to how Koffi had excluded him from the Olympia lineup.

In 1998, just after the Olympia show, off-camera, Koffi confided in journalist Zacharie Bababaswe about the real reason for leaving Suzuki behind. He admitted it was to prevent him from releasing an album, adding that no one in Quartier Latin would be allowed to do so. He claimed that if he would give someone the opportunity to release a solo album, it would mean that he (Koffi) is finished.
Fifteen years later, when Zacharie Bababaswe and Koffi had a falling-out, which coincided with Cindy’s release of her solo album 6-6-6, Bababaswe launched a series of public attacks. In one of them, he reminded Koffi of that 1998 conversation, saying: “You once said that the day someone in Quartier Latin released an album, it would mean you were finished and look where you are today. You are finished !!!”
Regarding Fally Ipupa, Koffi seriously considered firing him, after his interview with Naty Lokole, where announced Droit Chemin. But Koffi was afraid that firing Fally immediately might turn against him and create an “Academia 2” situation. He decide to “accept” Fally’s decision to release Droit Chemin, but in the end, he still tried to block its release through his lawyer. However, his efforts failed.

Papa Wemba did give his singers. Lot of space but where are they now? At the end of the day, QL is/ was Koffi band and its like in a company the boss decide, how to run the Organisation. We see today Fally and we can say that Koffi’s way could be the right way…
I was young during reddy amisi time but think he didnt habe the sucess if fally. Vorrect me if i’m erong

i understand koffi wanting to keep control on his band but what i was surprised to learn recently is that  many of the musicians who had songs never received any money from donor for the song as sometimes the donor would switch to koffi once he gets to talk to him( a lot of donors try to get songs from bandmembers in hope or in order to have a direct access to leaders),or koffi would singlehandedly decide either to force in a co customer or to fully change the customer,like with bouro's calvaire then the musician having to have multiple shoutouts in his vocals to make out for the money he received without having the song to the person's name

Papa Wemba did give his singers. Lot of space but where are they now? At the end of the day, QL is/ was Koffi band and its like in a company the boss decide, how to run the Organisation. We see today Fally and we can say that Koffi’s way could be the right way…
I was young during reddy amisi time but think he didnt habe the sucess if fally. Vorrect me if i’m erong

Reddy Amisi left when he was already a finished. At the height of his success in 1995, people copied his haircut, walls collapsed during his concerts, people died, and accidents happened. When he left Viva la Musica in 2001, people were wondering if it wasn’t too late and not believing that he would succeed.

Reddy had huge success in the early and mid-1990s. Despite being a band member, his solo albums often topped the music charts. What set him apart from other artists in the genre was that, instead of singing about love, he sung about social issues and poverty. This made him widely loved , not only by the general public, but also by women. It drew many women to Viva La Musica concerts, which was quite unusual at the time, as Viva La Musica had mostly attracted male audiences
There were people who used to say that Queen Lina’s success in 1990 was just luck. But Reddy proved them all wrong with the huge success of his album Injustice in 1993. That album was of great importance to Viva La Musica, especially at a time when many key band members, Awilo Longomba, Luciana Demingongo, Bongo Wende, Fafa de Molokai, Lidjo Kwempa and others, had decided to leave the group to from the group Nouvelle Generation. Nouvelle Generation achieved major success in Europe with their concerts and later with the albums Porokondo and Station Radar. Some journalists even claimed that Reddy Amisi saved Viva La Musica. Injustice, along with Romeo et Juliette of Stino, helped restore some balance. Still, many continued to see Viva La Musica as fragile, until the release of Papa Wemba’s solo album Foridoles. The same Nouvelle Generation ended up by disbanding after a fara-fara concert with Viva la Musica at LSC in 1994.

Papa Wemba hadn’t released an album since 1987 and his last major successes dated back to 1985–1986. He was focusing on his world music career, with his first manager even forbidding him from releasing albums aimed at the local community. There were also rumors that he wasn’t even allowed to perform with Viva La Musica and that he did those concerts in secret."

The success of the albums released by Viva La Musica singers between 1989 and 1994 led some people to say that Papa Wemba was finished and just benefiting from the success of his singers. Some even went as far as saying he should stop making music.
At the same time, however, it was precisely these albums — along with the releases of sapeur Modogo Gianfranco Ferré (Jour J de l’Histoire Romain in 1988, Place Vendôme in 1989, and Statue de la Liberté in 1991)  that put Viva La Musica back on the map, after a period dominated by bands like Victoria Eleison, Choc Stars, Anti Choc, and Zaïko Langa Langa


However, Papa Wemba was sometimes confronted with the fact that he didn’t have a solo album on the market. For example, during a concert in Kinshasa in 1991 or 1992, people in the audience started requesting Reddy Amisi songs while Wemba was on stage. Frustrated, Wemba eventually left the stage when the crowd kept insisting. There was also an incident where Unibra (Skol) gifted both Wemba and Reddy the same type of car, something that reportedly didn’t sit well with Wemba, even if he didn’t show it publicly. At the same Reddy would say in private to his people that Papa Wemba was jealous of his success.
All of this motivated him to release a solo album: Foridoles, which he began working on in late 1992. At first, people were skeptical and didn’t believe it would be a big success, until it finally hit the market and proved them wrong. It was this album that created the conflict between Felix Wazekwa and Koffi Olomidé. Felix Wazekwa often claimed that Reddy didn’t like him for having helped Wemba out as one of the ghostwriters.
The album Prudence was Reddy’s biggest success. By the end of 1995, he took almost all the ACMCO prizes; Best Singer of the Year, Best Song of the Year, Best Album of the Year, Best Songwriter of the Year, Best Star of the Year and the Jury’s Prize. This album also marked the beginning of his solo concerts. He toured across Zaire with the sponsorship of the tobacco company Ambassade, performed multiple shows in Kinshasa, and gave concerts in both Pointe-Noire and Brazzaville. Fans and journalists began asking him whether it wasn’t time to leave Viva La Musica, but Reddy chose to remain loyal to Papa Wemba
A few years later, when he was about to release Ziggy, Papa Wemba advised him not to do it, since he himself was about to release Wake Up with Koffi Olomide. But Reddy didn’t listen, after all, when he released Injustice, albums like Kalayi Boeing and others were dominating the market too, and his album still managed to reach number one on the charts. Expectations were high for Ziggy, but when it was finally released, it couldn’t match the success of Prudence. Some even considered it a flop. Others said Reddy had made a mistake by not leaving Viva La Musica to pursue a full solo career. However, today songs like Libala, Vérité Kinuani, and Intérêt are considered true classics.

Seeing how the Ndombolo virus had taken over the dancefloors and despite the success of Viva La Musica’s albums, their music in nightclubs wasn’t being played as much as the popular Ndombolo releases. Because of that Stino invited Tutu Calugi as atalaku for his album Invitation. Reddy followed by inviting Somono and Mboshi from Quartier Latin to participate on his album Étoile. He also brought in Koffi Olomidé as a guest star, since many people had been wondering why the two had never sung together, despite Reddy saying in several interviews that Koffi was the one who brought him into Quartier Latin. This was seen as a betrayal towards Papa Wemba, by Viva-staffmembers. Because Koffi was beefing with Wemba and made some negative declarations about him at that time. Despite having good songs, Étoile flopped badly. Papa Wemba saying in interviews that he would never forgive Reddy and Stino for incorporating Ndombolo into Viva La Musica.It wasn’t until two years later that people began to recognize Étoile as a good album. But by then, it was too late, producer Ndiaye had already lost a lot of money. Reddy later tried to promote Étoile with concerts in Kinshasa, but it was as if he were cursed, none of the planned concerts took place, either being canceled or interrupted by rain. Just before the tour, he received a set of instruments as a gift, which led some Viva La Musica staff members to believe he was preparing to leave the group.

Reddy Amisi didn’t want to leave Viva la Musica because his vision was to have a long career within the band, like OK Jazz singers Josky Kiambukuta and Ntesa Dalienst. However, he couldn’t tolerate how Papa Wemba kept humiliating him in interviews and how he was no longer involved in the European concerts, which had all become Nouvelle Écriture shows.After the duo album Fin d’Exil with Stino, which also flopped badly, Reddy Amisi decided to leave Viva la Musica. People said it was too late and that he would be hard to succeed, especially since it was the era of Werrason vs JB Mpiana. The beginning was indeed very difficult, but against all odds, his first album Compteur à Zéro, released with Casa do Canto, was a success. However, after the flop of his follow-up album Ligne Droite, he started to struggle. In the years that followed, journalists kept asking him whether he regretted leaving Viva la Musica during the era of Prudence.

Papa Wemba did give his singers. Lot of space but where are they now? At the end of the day, QL is/ was Koffi band and its like in a company the boss decide, how to run the Organisation. We see today Fally and we can say that Koffi’s way could be the right way…
I was young during reddy amisi time but think he didnt habe the sucess if fally. Vorrect me if i’m erong

Reddy Amisi left when he was already a finished. At the height of his success in 1995, people copied his haircut, walls collapsed during his concerts, people died, and accidents happened. When he left Viva la Musica in 2001, people were wondering if it wasn’t too late and not believing that he would succeed.

Reddy had huge success in the early and mid-1990s. Despite being a band member, his solo albums often topped the music charts. What set him apart from other artists in the genre was that, instead of singing about love, he sung about social issues and poverty. This made him widely loved , not only by the general public, but also by women. It drew many women to Viva La Musica concerts, which was quite unusual at the time, as Viva La Musica had mostly attracted male audiences
There were people who used to say that Queen Lina’s success in 1990 was just luck. But Reddy proved them all wrong with the huge success of his album Injustice in 1993. That album was of great importance to Viva La Musica, especially at a time when many key band members, Awilo Longomba, Luciana Demingongo, Bongo Wende, Fafa de Molokai, Lidjo Kwempa and others, had decided to leave the group to from the group Nouvelle Generation. Nouvelle Generation achieved major success in Europe with their concerts and later with the albums Porokondo and Station Radar. Some journalists even claimed that Reddy Amisi saved Viva La Musica. Injustice, along with Romeo et Juliette of Stino, helped restore some balance. Still, many continued to see Viva La Musica as fragile, until the release of Papa Wemba’s solo album Foridoles. The same Nouvelle Generation ended up by disbanding after a fara-fara concert with Viva la Musica at LSC in 1994.

Papa Wemba hadn’t released an album since 1987 and his last major successes dated back to 1985–1986. He was focusing on his world music career, with his first manager even forbidding him from releasing albums aimed at the local community. There were also rumors that he wasn’t even allowed to perform with Viva La Musica and that he did those concerts in secret."

The success of the albums released by Viva La Musica singers between 1989 and 1994 led some people to say that Papa Wemba was finished and just benefiting from the success of his singers. Some even went as far as saying he should stop making music.
At the same time, however, it was precisely these albums — along with the releases of sapeur Modogo Gianfranco Ferré (Jour J de l’Histoire Romain in 1988, Place Vendôme in 1989, and Statue de la Liberté in 1991)  that put Viva La Musica back on the map, after a period dominated by bands like Victoria Eleison, Choc Stars, Anti Choc, and Zaïko Langa Langa


However, Papa Wemba was sometimes confronted with the fact that he didn’t have a solo album on the market. For example, during a concert in Kinshasa in 1991 or 1992, people in the audience started requesting Reddy Amisi songs while Wemba was on stage. Frustrated, Wemba eventually left the stage when the crowd kept insisting. There was also an incident where Unibra (Skol) gifted both Wemba and Reddy the same type of car, something that reportedly didn’t sit well with Wemba, even if he didn’t show it publicly. At the same Reddy would say in private to his people that Papa Wemba was jealous of his success.
All of this motivated him to release a solo album: Foridoles, which he began working on in late 1992. At first, people were skeptical and didn’t believe it would be a big success, until it finally hit the market and proved them wrong. It was this album that created the conflict between Felix Wazekwa and Koffi Olomidé. Felix Wazekwa often claimed that Reddy didn’t like him for having helped Wemba out as one of the ghostwriters.
The album Prudence was Reddy’s biggest success. By the end of 1995, he took almost all the ACMCO prizes; Best Singer of the Year, Best Song of the Year, Best Album of the Year, Best Songwriter of the Year, Best Star of the Year and the Jury’s Prize. This album also marked the beginning of his solo concerts. He toured across Zaire with the sponsorship of the tobacco company Ambassade, performed multiple shows in Kinshasa, and gave concerts in both Pointe-Noire and Brazzaville. Fans and journalists began asking him whether it wasn’t time to leave Viva La Musica, but Reddy chose to remain loyal to Papa Wemba
A few years later, when he was about to release Ziggy, Papa Wemba advised him not to do it, since he himself was about to release Wake Up with Koffi Olomide. But Reddy didn’t listen, after all, when he released Injustice, albums like Kalayi Boeing and others were dominating the market too, and his album still managed to reach number one on the charts. Expectations were high for Ziggy, but when it was finally released, it couldn’t match the success of Prudence. Some even considered it a flop. Others said Reddy had made a mistake by not leaving Viva La Musica to pursue a full solo career. However, today songs like Libala, Vérité Kinuani, and Intérêt are considered true classics.

Seeing how the Ndombolo virus had taken over the dancefloors and despite the success of Viva La Musica’s albums, their music in nightclubs wasn’t being played as much as the popular Ndombolo releases. Because of that Stino invited Tutu Calugi as atalaku for his album Invitation. Reddy followed by inviting Somono and Mboshi from Quartier Latin to participate on his album Étoile. He also brought in Koffi Olomidé as a guest star, since many people had been wondering why the two had never sung together, despite Reddy saying in several interviews that Koffi was the one who brought him into Quartier Latin. This was seen as a betrayal towards Papa Wemba, by Viva-staffmembers. Because Koffi was beefing with Wemba and made some negative declarations about him at that time. Despite having good songs, Étoile flopped badly. Papa Wemba saying in interviews that he would never forgive Reddy and Stino for incorporating Ndombolo into Viva La Musica.It wasn’t until two years later that people began to recognize Étoile as a good album. But by then, it was too late, producer Ndiaye had already lost a lot of money. Reddy later tried to promote Étoile with concerts in Kinshasa, but it was as if he were cursed, none of the planned concerts took place, either being canceled or interrupted by rain. Just before the tour, he received a set of instruments as a gift, which led some Viva La Musica staff members to believe he was preparing to leave the group.

Reddy Amisi didn’t want to leave Viva la Musica because his vision was to have a long career within the band, like OK Jazz singers Josky Kiambukuta and Ntesa Dalienst. However, he couldn’t tolerate how Papa Wemba kept humiliating him in interviews and how he was no longer involved in the European concerts, which had all become Nouvelle Écriture shows.After the duo album Fin d’Exil with Stino, which also flopped badly, Reddy Amisi decided to leave Viva la Musica. People said it was too late and that he would be hard to succeed, especially since it was the era of Werrason vs JB Mpiana. The beginning was indeed very difficult, but against all odds, his first album Compteur à Zéro, released with Casa do Canto, was a success. However, after the flop of his follow-up album Ligne Droite, he started to struggle. In the years that followed, journalists kept asking him whether he regretted leaving Viva la Musica during the era of Prudence.

Wow, thank you. I learnt more!

Papa Wemba did give his singers. Lot of space but where are they now? At the end of the day, QL is/ was Koffi band and its like in a company the boss decide, how to run the Organisation. We see today Fally and we can say that Koffi’s way could be the right way…
I was young during reddy amisi time but think he didnt habe the sucess if fally. Vorrect me if i’m erong

Reddy Amisi left when he was already a finished. At the height of his success in 1995, people copied his haircut, walls collapsed during his concerts, people died, and accidents happened. When he left Viva la Musica in 2001, people were wondering if it wasn’t too late and not believing that he would succeed.

Reddy had huge success in the early and mid-1990s. Despite being a band member, his solo albums often topped the music charts. What set him apart from other artists in the genre was that, instead of singing about love, he sung about social issues and poverty. This made him widely loved , not only by the general public, but also by women. It drew many women to Viva La Musica concerts, which was quite unusual at the time, as Viva La Musica had mostly attracted male audiences
There were people who used to say that Queen Lina’s success in 1990 was just luck. But Reddy proved them all wrong with the huge success of his album Injustice in 1993. That album was of great importance to Viva La Musica, especially at a time when many key band members, Awilo Longomba, Luciana Demingongo, Bongo Wende, Fafa de Molokai, Lidjo Kwempa and others, had decided to leave the group to from the group Nouvelle Generation. Nouvelle Generation achieved major success in Europe with their concerts and later with the albums Porokondo and Station Radar. Some journalists even claimed that Reddy Amisi saved Viva La Musica. Injustice, along with Romeo et Juliette of Stino, helped restore some balance. Still, many continued to see Viva La Musica as fragile, until the release of Papa Wemba’s solo album Foridoles. The same Nouvelle Generation ended up by disbanding after a fara-fara concert with Viva la Musica at LSC in 1994.

Papa Wemba hadn’t released an album since 1987 and his last major successes dated back to 1985–1986. He was focusing on his world music career, with his first manager even forbidding him from releasing albums aimed at the local community. There were also rumors that he wasn’t even allowed to perform with Viva La Musica and that he did those concerts in secret."

The success of the albums released by Viva La Musica singers between 1989 and 1994 led some people to say that Papa Wemba was finished and just benefiting from the success of his singers. Some even went as far as saying he should stop making music.
At the same time, however, it was precisely these albums — along with the releases of sapeur Modogo Gianfranco Ferré (Jour J de l’Histoire Romain in 1988, Place Vendôme in 1989, and Statue de la Liberté in 1991)  that put Viva La Musica back on the map, after a period dominated by bands like Victoria Eleison, Choc Stars, Anti Choc, and Zaïko Langa Langa


However, Papa Wemba was sometimes confronted with the fact that he didn’t have a solo album on the market. For example, during a concert in Kinshasa in 1991 or 1992, people in the audience started requesting Reddy Amisi songs while Wemba was on stage. Frustrated, Wemba eventually left the stage when the crowd kept insisting. There was also an incident where Unibra (Skol) gifted both Wemba and Reddy the same type of car, something that reportedly didn’t sit well with Wemba, even if he didn’t show it publicly. At the same Reddy would say in private to his people that Papa Wemba was jealous of his success.
All of this motivated him to release a solo album: Foridoles, which he began working on in late 1992. At first, people were skeptical and didn’t believe it would be a big success, until it finally hit the market and proved them wrong. It was this album that created the conflict between Felix Wazekwa and Koffi Olomidé. Felix Wazekwa often claimed that Reddy didn’t like him for having helped Wemba out as one of the ghostwriters.
The album Prudence was Reddy’s biggest success. By the end of 1995, he took almost all the ACMCO prizes; Best Singer of the Year, Best Song of the Year, Best Album of the Year, Best Songwriter of the Year, Best Star of the Year and the Jury’s Prize. This album also marked the beginning of his solo concerts. He toured across Zaire with the sponsorship of the tobacco company Ambassade, performed multiple shows in Kinshasa, and gave concerts in both Pointe-Noire and Brazzaville. Fans and journalists began asking him whether it wasn’t time to leave Viva La Musica, but Reddy chose to remain loyal to Papa Wemba
A few years later, when he was about to release Ziggy, Papa Wemba advised him not to do it, since he himself was about to release Wake Up with Koffi Olomide. But Reddy didn’t listen, after all, when he released Injustice, albums like Kalayi Boeing and others were dominating the market too, and his album still managed to reach number one on the charts. Expectations were high for Ziggy, but when it was finally released, it couldn’t match the success of Prudence. Some even considered it a flop. Others said Reddy had made a mistake by not leaving Viva La Musica to pursue a full solo career. However, today songs like Libala, Vérité Kinuani, and Intérêt are considered true classics.

Seeing how the Ndombolo virus had taken over the dancefloors and despite the success of Viva La Musica’s albums, their music in nightclubs wasn’t being played as much as the popular Ndombolo releases. Because of that Stino invited Tutu Calugi as atalaku for his album Invitation. Reddy followed by inviting Somono and Mboshi from Quartier Latin to participate on his album Étoile. He also brought in Koffi Olomidé as a guest star, since many people had been wondering why the two had never sung together, despite Reddy saying in several interviews that Koffi was the one who brought him into Quartier Latin. This was seen as a betrayal towards Papa Wemba, by Viva-staffmembers. Because Koffi was beefing with Wemba and made some negative declarations about him at that time. Despite having good songs, Étoile flopped badly. Papa Wemba saying in interviews that he would never forgive Reddy and Stino for incorporating Ndombolo into Viva La Musica.It wasn’t until two years later that people began to recognize Étoile as a good album. But by then, it was too late, producer Ndiaye had already lost a lot of money. Reddy later tried to promote Étoile with concerts in Kinshasa, but it was as if he were cursed, none of the planned concerts took place, either being canceled or interrupted by rain. Just before the tour, he received a set of instruments as a gift, which led some Viva La Musica staff members to believe he was preparing to leave the group.

Reddy Amisi didn’t want to leave Viva la Musica because his vision was to have a long career within the band, like OK Jazz singers Josky Kiambukuta and Ntesa Dalienst. However, he couldn’t tolerate how Papa Wemba kept humiliating him in interviews and how he was no longer involved in the European concerts, which had all become Nouvelle Écriture shows.After the duo album Fin d’Exil with Stino, which also flopped badly, Reddy Amisi decided to leave Viva la Musica. People said it was too late and that he would be hard to succeed, especially since it was the era of Werrason vs JB Mpiana. The beginning was indeed very difficult, but against all odds, his first album Compteur à Zéro, released with Casa do Canto, was a success. However, after the flop of his follow-up album Ligne Droite, he started to struggle. In the years that followed, journalists kept asking him whether he regretted leaving Viva la Musica during the era of Prudence.

Did you like the album Ligne Droite? Why was that album a flop? In my opinion, Reddy wasn't giving his band a chance to tour abroad and push the music. He should of just had a Europe based team to interpret songs from the Kinshasa based band if he's worried about them running away.

To be honest, I think I've only seriously listened to Ligne Droite two or three times in my life. The only song I really know is Ekutshu, because it used to get a lot of radio play. At that time, Témoignage by Werrason was a big hit and everybody going crazy with Kisanola, Skol Longitima also being very succesfull, Felix Wazekwa being there with Faux Mutu Moko Boye and Karmapa with Le Temps de l'Amour. I believe that a lot of people weren’t even aware that Ligne Droite had been released. It flew completely  under the radar with barely any promotion. It's only when Fally released Droit Chemin, that journalists went to interviews to ask him about Fally and if he hadn't giving songs to him, since that there were street rumors that he gave Kidiamfuka to him, which wasn't true and if Droit Chemin wasn't his inspiration because of Ligne Droite with the handsign Fally was doing in the generique.

As for Ligne Droite flopping, it might be because Reddy didn’t have a proper producer and was forced to handle everything on his own. That wasn’t the case with Compteur à Zéro, which was released by Next Music (formerly Sono). According to Marchouse, in one of the few interviews where he talked about his departure from Casa do Canto, Reddy was actually upset and didn't understand why Ligne Droite had flopped. He also mentioned that one of the musicians had passed away just before the album's release, but before Marcahouse could finish his sentence, the journalist cut him off by asking another question.

Reddy occasionally had concerts in Europe with session musicians like Fofo le Collégien, Fila Basele, Simolo, and others. I used to have a DVD of him performing at Salon Wilson in 2008 or 2009, which included a bonus of Baby Ndombe opening the show. At that time, Baby had gained a lot of weight, but he still managed to do a backflip. I believe Emiliodj uploaded that concert on YouTube, but not the part with Baby Ndombe. However, I personally found the concert quite boring. I even once fell asleep while watching that DVD, when my brother came come over and we eventually decided to put on the movie Esobolo to laugh at the late Djany Fayi and Vue de Loin. I prefer the shows Reddy did with Casa do Canto, which had a lot more energy