This month marks 25 years since Wenge El Paris released their album K.O. Debout ‘Carte Jaune’. Sadly, the album did not receive the success that fans, band members and the public were expecting. However, some songs such as Proverbe, Terminus Benoîte, Jalousie, J’ai Vu, J’ai Vaincu and P.D.G. Nkoku Costa still live on in people’s memories





The album marked their return three years after releasing Couvre-Feu in 1998. Although Aimé Buanga was the first bandleader within the Wenge clan to give members the opportunity to include their own songs on a group album with Jugement Dernier in 1998, Marie Paul was the first bandleader of Clan Wenge that breakthrough on the Congolese music-scene, who allowed his musicians to do so. JB Mpiana and Werrason had at that time only co-founders and admins the chance on the albums on Solola Bien, Titanic, and Intervention Rapide.
On K.O. Debout, singers Arc-en-Ciel, Kene-Kene, and Charly Chaplin, as well as guitarist Pitshou Santiago, were finally able to show their skills as songwriters after spending four years in the group. Arc-en-Ciel contributed Torture d’Amour, Charly Chaplin dedicated L’Os des Os to his childhood friend and national football player Jean Mukul (R.I.P.), Pitshou Santiago added Ingratitude and Kene-Kene brought J’ai Vu, J’ai Vaincu. Dello Bass who had become Vice-President got the occassion to put two songs; Barre de Fer Kiangana and Fusée Diata Bawu







The album also highlighted newly recruited singers Celezino, Digital Lidjo, and Pitshou Volcan, along with guitarists Stora Milangi and Proffa, who had previously been reserve players. It was also the first time that Babel Bingema, a member of El Paris since 1993 and Dello Bass’s backup, to play bass on a studio album of the group

Background;

After the success of Couvre-Feu, Wenge El Paris was voted Best Group of the Year 1998. Couvre-Feu won Best Album of the Year, Marie Paul was named Best Star of the Year, Manda Chante Best Singer and Bizima Best Atalaku. However, before the end of 1998, there were several problems within the group. At one point, Manda Chante decided to leave El Paris and form Wenge Référence after he was beaten by Marie Paul’s bodyguard, Manix, while trying to enter the group’s rehearsal place. This happened at a time when tour promoters were preparing a European tour. Because of Manda Chante’s departure, concert-promoters started to have doubts and eventually decided to cancel the tour.



Shortly after the cancellation, Wenge El Paris went on an African tour instead, touring Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Kenya. While the group spent months abroad, the press claimed that Wenge El Paris was finished and started to write negative articles, being aware about several incidents that took place (fights between the bandleader and musicians) and the group at some point being stuck in one of these countries. In July 1999, El Paris returned after seven months of absence and performed at the Esplanade of the Palais du Peuple. The success of the show led and crowds still following Marie Paul when getting through the streets, made the press concluded, “Marie Paul reste tel qu’il est” (Marie Paul remains the same).
During the same period, Marie Paul came into contact with the producer Abeto Center, who awarded him a red BMW and promised to organize a European tour. Abeto Center would produce several concerts for Wenge El Paris in Kinshasa, including the concert at Stade Tata Raphaël (formerly known as Stade du 20 Mai). At the same time he would sell cassettes in Europe of his concerts. The succes of the show at Stade Tata Raphael, made him enter Wenge El Paris in studio, in the hope to produce their upcoming album in the future. Wenge El Paris using recording files of Stade Tata Raphael, correcting the vocal-lines at Studio Meko and adding stadium-noises, which they created themselves in the studio. Like the cassette of the event, the cd would get named Evenement Jaune. While in Europe, it kept Wenge El Paris alive despite Manda Chante’s departure, which was perceived as the end of the group, the live-album seriously flopped in Kinshasa because of logistic and distribution problems.





Despite the successes, public attention remained focused on the rivalry between JB Mpiana and Werrason. Marie Paul was often perceived as pro-Werrason because he openly supported him on television and frequently made guest appearances at Wenge Maison Mère shows. Despite the incident the previous year at the Tokufa Pona Congo event in September 1998 at Stade des Martyrs, there were no attacks coming from the Wenge El Paris camp and Werrason continued to mention Marie Paul in Coco Madimba during the concerts. But upon his return in Kinshasa, Marie Paul did an interview where he came with a yellow card. He declared that he was giving Werrason a warning for being ungrateful and he would not only attack Werrason but JB Mpiana as well, opening a war on two fronts. The upcoming Wenge El Paris album was therefore named Carte Jaune. Having already a bad name for attacking bandleaders and elders, Marie Paul would tarnish his image as bandleader by doing multiple interviews to attack Werrason instead of letting his musicians do that job.

In December 1999, when the band was preparing to tour Europe, Abeto Center’s visa applications were unfortunately rejected. It was a huge disappointment for both the band members and Marie Paul. For these reasons, Bizima decided to leave the group, as he hoped to perform in Europe like his childhood friends Bill Clinton Kalonji and Gentamicine Lissimo. He would join Quartier Latin, coming with new cri’s like Tsholilo and Coco Wele, slowly preparing the Bercy with them. Bizima’s departure was a huge blow to the Wenge El Paris and different atalaku’s would getting tested to replace him.
Early February 2000, Wenge Maison Mère announced a concert at the Stade des Martyrs scheduled for 26 February 2000. In response, Dello Bass went on television with his peers to react. He declared that people would witness a “knock-out from two meters away” and announced that Wenge El Paris would organize an event on the same date at the YMCA in Matongé. In reality, Marie Paul was not truly motivated for a fara-fara, but pushed by Dello Bass and members of his entourage, he accepted the challenge and the preparations slowly began.

In the run-up to the event, Werrason decided that he would arrive at the Stade des Martyrs on a motorcycle, wanting to replicate Johnny Hallyday’s famous entrances at the Parc des Princes. As he had done before at the Palais du Peuple, he organized a parade on the way to the venue. He left his house in Ma Campagne (Ngaliema) heading towards Bandal. However, instead of going directly to the stadium, he wanted to send a message to Wenge El Paris by demonstrating his supremacy and attracting their crowd.He therefore passed through Matongé. But when he arrived there, Wenge El Paris fans began throwing stones at him. Werrason lost his balance and fell. He quickly tried to get back on his motorcycle but fell again, twice, until a bodyguard intervened and brought him to the jeep where Adolphe was waiting. A few meters later, he mounted the motorcycle again and continued to the Stade des Martyrs, entering the stadium with it.

For El Paris supporters, this aggression was seen as a victory. Wenge El Paris later performed at the YMCA, where atalaku Patou Bofosa mocked Werrason with the chant: “Frère Omoni, K.O. debout?” Although Werrason received a lot of praise for filling the Stade des Martyrs, Wenge El Paris also generated buzz because of the confrontation at the YMCA. However, neutral fans were shocked by the way Werrason had been attacked with stones. Wenge El Paris would later adopt K.O. Debout as the title of their upcoming album.

Shortly after the YMCA show, things became quiet around the group, and not long afterwards they went for a tour in South Africa. While there, the businesswoman Frida Mushi (Zulu 21), who had sponsored them several times in the past, contacted them to express her interest in organizing a European tour. Upon returning to Kinshasa, Wenge El Paris went on television to announce that they would soon travel to Europe. The news was received with skepticism, as the group had been promising such a trip since 1994. In other interviews, they appeared on TV alongside businessman P.D.G. Nkoku Costa, who promised to finance the visa’s and to produce the K.O. Debout album. To prepare both the tour and the album, the group went into seclusion in Kinkole. The recordings of K.O. Debout took place at Studio Meko.

Although Frida wanted the same lineup as during Couvre-Feu, Marie Paul made several changes, which led to a some of drama. Atalaku Doukouré, who was part of the group since they arrived in 1993, was left behind, because of Marie Paul not being happy for his indiscipline during the tour of South Africa
The late Belis Mfumu Luvutula, part of the administrative staff and formerly the first president of Wenge 4x4, obtained a visa. However, guitarist Pitshou Santiago’s request was denied and Pitshou traveled using Belis’s passport.This was a huge disappointment for Belis, who had played a key role in creating fan clubs across Kinshasa with his friend Jules Biselele (R.I.P.) after the founding of Wenge Aile Paris. He had even been jailed for a time after being sued by Didier Masela, Werrason, and JB Mpiana. Belis had promised himself he wanted nothing more to do with music.

Alain Mwepu was also left behind, despite his importance to the group, his past in Wenge 4x4 and 7 years in Wenge El Paris. Marie Paul was unhappy that musicians seemed to respect Alain Mwepu more than him and still holding grudges from earlier confrontations abroad.
Celezino was selected, as Marie Paul appreciated how actively he defended Wenge El Paris on television and attacked Adolphe Dominguez, who often ignored Marie Paul when being  asked about him. Digital Lidjo was also chosen, while Pitshou Volcan was left behind.
Kene-Kene nearly missed the trip because he had been close to joining Wenge BCBG a few months earlier, but he was saved by Frida, who insisted he be included.

To everyone’s surprise, former Anti-Choc guitarist Janvier Okota, who had failed to make it to Bercy with Quartier Latin, was placed on the European list despite not even having spent a full year with Wenge El Paris.
Although being left behind (Babel Bingema, Pitshou Volcan, Doukouré, Alain Mwepu, etc.) were calmed down by Marie Paul’s ex’wife Valerie Tambwe, who said that there would be second team that would get into Europe the following month. But it didn’t happen.
Wenge El Paris traveled through Brazzaville to Paris and performed the same day, on 2 December 2000 at LSC. It was their first European concert since 1993, after seven years of being stuck in Kinshasa. Artists such as the late Fafa de Molokai, guitarist Collégien Zola, César Loboko (formerly of Wenge Aile Paris) and Ricoco Bulambemba attended the show.

Unlike other groups, who would typically arrive several days in advance to promote themselves in known restaurants and nightclubs of the Congolese community in Paris, Wenge El Paris did not have time to do so. Sadly, they performed in an almost empty LSC, as the concertpromoter Claude Mussay taught that Marie Paul would sell it easily out with the power of pulling huge crowds in Kinshasa.



Just as had happened during the famous JB Mpiana show there, the press were harsh towards Wenge El Paris, writing negative articles about them. The images that were showed in Kinshasa deceived El Paris-fans and them in return saying that the low attendance was due to the rain, being a “spiritual attack” from rivals, not realizing that European rain being different from the rain in Congo.

For years, the LSC concert of El Paris became a reference point. Whenever an artist would plan an event at LSC, the press would question if the show would either succeed like Academia or fail like El Paris.

People in Europe knew Wenge El Paris had announced their arrival, but many did not believe it because the promise had been repeated every year for seven years. Next to it, the group still did not have a new album on the market. Realizing the mistake, a new event was scheduled at the Théâtre du Gymnase Marie-Bell for New Year’s Eve 2001, with the slogan “Toza sur le terrain” (“we are here on the ground”) to prove they were truly in Europe. In the meantime, the group re-entered the studio to adjust parts of K.O. Debout, which had already been completed in Kinshasa  and to add new shout-outs. With Marie Paul and his musicians in Europe, they realized that they hadn’t the same impact in Europe like they had in Kinshasa, seeing that apart from their albums and Abeto produced cassettes, there were no videos on the market of big events they had in Kinshasa (1994-1999). It was a huge blow for Marie Paul, who saw the events at l’Esplanade  Palais du Peuple of 1997, before Wenge’s split and that of 1999 as the biggest highlights of his career.

Wenge El Paris’s show at Marie-Bell ended up by getting sold out. However, because of the negative publicity surrounding LSC, there was little real hype around it and the press remained relatively quiet about it

The release, reception and aftermath;

In February 2001, K.O. Debout  ‘Carte Jaune’ was finally released. Like most albums from major bands, it immediately created curiosity and high expectations. The record was well welcomed by the “ba ndimi” (El Paris fans) in Kinshasa and reached number four in several music charts, sometimes even peaking at number three. Tracks such as Proverbe and P.D.G. Nkoku Costa received television promotion, while the générique was frequently aired on diaspora radio stations such as RFI and Africa N°1. Later, it was selected for various African DVD compilations.



However, problems soon emerged. Claude Mussay, who had been appointed by businessman Nkoku Costa as producteur délégué, was imprisoned for fraud. This situation damaged the promotion of the album, especially since Nkoku Costa himself had little experience in producing artists. In the meantime, Wenge El Paris continued touring in Europe, but it seemed as if the LSC concert had cursed the rest of the tour. In many cities, they ended up performing in empty halls.



After a show at the Concert Noble in Brussels, journalist Zacharie Bababaswe talked about the group’s history, explaining how Wenge El Paris had started with Ricoco. But it apparently made Marie Paul’s staff and his ex’wife mad. The same week she attacked Bababaswe on television and ordered the ‘ba ndimi’ to throw stones to him if they ever saw Bababaswe.Furious, Bababaswe responded with a television episode in which he would insult and humiliateMarie Paul for several minutes. Alongside criticizing the Concert Noble performance, which he presented, Zacharie showed an extract from an interview in which Marie Paul, when asked about his favorite fruit, answered “beignets” (puff-puff) being his favorite fruit. While many viewers felt Bababaswe had gone too far for a journalist, the clip damaged Marie Paul’s credibility as a bandleader. Some fans turned their backs on him and joined rival groups. For years, that extract would follow Marie Paul.

Despite the conflict with Bababaswe, two weeks later Wenge El Paris performed at Cabaret Sauvage, in a concert produced by Félix Petit. Petit believed in the group’s potential and openly told them he hoped to produce them at the Zénith de Paris in the following  year, considering this concert as a test. Because the event also served as the official presentation of K.O. Debout, Joël Photo Mbetenge was brought in as promoter, known as one of the strategists behind Werrason’s successes at Villejuif and Bercy, as well as Papa Wemba’s Zénith in 2000. Koffi Olomidé was invited as a guest star.



Despite the promotion, the Cabaret Sauvage show was a big failure. Once again, the group performed in an empty hall. A few weeks later, several musicians expressed the desire to return to Kinshasa. Marie Paul, however, wanted them to remain in Europe. He even encouraged his musicians to start relationships with sugarmoms and fans in order to secure long-term papers, believing Wenge El Paris should not have to depend on visa requests.This created frustration within the group.

As Jean Pierre Saah shortly before the release of K.O. Debout ‘Carte Jaune’ said that he had the desire to produce him, Marie Paul had still hope was waiting for a call for him to produce the following album. But due to K.O. Debout failling and people reporting to him about how the Europe-tour was going, late Jean Pierre Saah changed his mind. Meanwhile, fans in Kinshasa wondered whether Marie Paul would ever return and what the future of Wenge El Paris would be.

Back in Kinshasa, songwriter/sapeur Chancelier Desi Mbwese, who had just launched his own band, was contacted by the owners of Bibi Play ( which had served as Wenge El Paris’s rehearsal base since 2000), to make his headquarter. While the remaining team of Wenge El Paris was still rehearsing there in Marie Paul’s absence under the supervision of Doukouré and Babel. Because of Desi Mbwese facing threats from El Paris fanatics, claiming that  he abandoned the idea of using Bibi Play as his rehearsal place. After that, Dello Bass announced that he left Wenge El Paris, sharing in different interviews the reasons behind his departure. Marie Paul would claim in the press that Koffi Olomidé influenced him to leave. Not long it, it was reported that Dello Bass had joined Quartier Latin, which was not true.



Months later, half of the musicians of El Paris in Europe had left and newspapers were writing that Wenge El Paris had disbanded and that Marie Paul being finished. Marie Paul, however, would prove them wrong the following year.

Background;

After the success of Couvre-Feu, Wenge El Paris was voted Best Group of the Year 1998. Couvre-Feu won Best Album of the Year, Marie Paul was named Best Star of the Year, Manda Chante Best Singer and Bizima Best Atalaku. However, before the end of 1998, there were several problems within the group. At one point, Manda Chante decided to leave El Paris and form Wenge Référence after he was beaten by Marie Paul’s bodyguard, Manix, while trying to enter the group’s rehearsal place. This happened at a time when tour promoters were preparing a European tour. Because of Manda Chante’s departure, concert-promoters started to have doubts and eventually decided to cancel the tour.



Shortly after the cancellation, Wenge El Paris went on an African tour instead, touring Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Kenya. While the group spent months abroad, the press claimed that Wenge El Paris was finished and started to write negative articles, being aware about several incidents that took place (fights between the bandleader and musicians) and the group at some point being stuck in one of these countries. In July 1999, El Paris returned after seven months of absence and performed at the Esplanade of the Palais du Peuple. The success of the show led and crowds still following Marie Paul when getting through the streets, made the press concluded, “Marie Paul reste tel qu’il est” (Marie Paul remains the same).
During the same period, Marie Paul came into contact with the producer Abeto Center, who awarded him a red BMW and promised to organize a European tour. Abeto Center would produce several concerts for Wenge El Paris in Kinshasa, including the concert at Stade Tata Raphaël (formerly known as Stade du 20 Mai). At the same time he would sell cassettes in Europe of his concerts. The succes of the show at Stade Tata Raphael, made him enter Wenge El Paris in studio, in the hope to produce their upcoming album in the future. Wenge El Paris using recording files of Stade Tata Raphael, correcting the vocal-lines at Studio Meko and adding stadium-noises, which they created themselves in the studio. Like the cassette of the event, the cd would get named Evenement Jaune. While in Europe, it kept Wenge El Paris alive despite Manda Chante’s departure, which was perceived as the end of the group, the live-album seriously flopped in Kinshasa because of logistic and distribution problems.





Despite the successes, public attention remained focused on the rivalry between JB Mpiana and Werrason. Marie Paul was often perceived as pro-Werrason because he openly supported him on television and frequently made guest appearances at Wenge Maison Mère shows. Despite the incident the previous year at the Tokufa Pona Congo event in September 1998 at Stade des Martyrs, there were no attacks coming from the Wenge El Paris camp and Werrason continued to mention Marie Paul in Coco Madimba during the concerts. But upon his return in Kinshasa, Marie Paul did an interview where he came with a yellow card. He declared that he was giving Werrason a warning for being ungrateful and he would not only attack Werrason but JB Mpiana as well, opening a war on two fronts. The upcoming Wenge El Paris album was therefore named Carte Jaune. Having already a bad name for attacking bandleaders and elders, Marie Paul would tarnish his image as bandleader by doing multiple interviews to attack Werrason instead of letting his musicians do that job.

In December 1999, when the band was preparing to tour Europe, Abeto Center’s visa applications were unfortunately rejected. It was a huge disappointment for both the band members and Marie Paul. For these reasons, Bizima decided to leave the group, as he hoped to perform in Europe like his childhood friends Bill Clinton Kalonji and Gentamicine Lissimo. He would join Quartier Latin, coming with new cri’s like Tsholilo and Coco Wele, slowly preparing the Bercy with them. Bizima’s departure was a huge blow to the Wenge El Paris and different atalaku’s would getting tested to replace him.
Early February 2000, Wenge Maison Mère announced a concert at the Stade des Martyrs scheduled for 26 February 2000. In response, Dello Bass went on television with his peers to react. He declared that people would witness a “knock-out from two meters away” and announced that Wenge El Paris would organize an event on the same date at the YMCA in Matongé. In reality, Marie Paul was not truly motivated for a fara-fara, but pushed by Dello Bass and members of his entourage, he accepted the challenge and the preparations slowly began.

In the run-up to the event, Werrason decided that he would arrive at the Stade des Martyrs on a motorcycle, wanting to replicate Johnny Hallyday’s famous entrances at the Parc des Princes. As he had done before at the Palais du Peuple, he organized a parade on the way to the venue. He left his house in Ma Campagne (Ngaliema) heading towards Bandal. However, instead of going directly to the stadium, he wanted to send a message to Wenge El Paris by demonstrating his supremacy and attracting their crowd.He therefore passed through Matongé. But when he arrived there, Wenge El Paris fans began throwing stones at him. Werrason lost his balance and fell. He quickly tried to get back on his motorcycle but fell again, twice, until a bodyguard intervened and brought him to the jeep where Adolphe was waiting. A few meters later, he mounted the motorcycle again and continued to the Stade des Martyrs, entering the stadium with it.

For El Paris supporters, this aggression was seen as a victory. Wenge El Paris later performed at the YMCA, where atalaku Patou Bofosa mocked Werrason with the chant: “Frère Omoni, K.O. debout?” Although Werrason received a lot of praise for filling the Stade des Martyrs, Wenge El Paris also generated buzz because of the confrontation at the YMCA. However, neutral fans were shocked by the way Werrason had been attacked with stones. Wenge El Paris would later adopt K.O. Debout as the title of their upcoming album.

Shortly after the YMCA show, things became quiet around the group, and not long afterwards they went for a tour in South Africa. While there, the businesswoman Frida Mushi (Zulu 21), who had sponsored them several times in the past, contacted them to express her interest in organizing a European tour. Upon returning to Kinshasa, Wenge El Paris went on television to announce that they would soon travel to Europe. The news was received with skepticism, as the group had been promising such a trip since 1994. In other interviews, they appeared on TV alongside businessman P.D.G. Nkoku Costa, who promised to finance the visa’s and to produce the K.O. Debout album. To prepare both the tour and the album, the group went into seclusion in Kinkole. The recordings of K.O. Debout took place at Studio Meko.

Although Frida wanted the same lineup as during Couvre-Feu, Marie Paul made several changes, which led to a some of drama. Atalaku Doukouré, who was part of the group since they arrived in 1993, was left behind, because of Marie Paul not being happy for his indiscipline during the tour of South Africa
The late Belis Mfumu Luvutula, part of the administrative staff and formerly the first president of Wenge 4x4, obtained a visa. However, guitarist Pitshou Santiago’s request was denied and Pitshou traveled using Belis’s passport.This was a huge disappointment for Belis, who had played a key role in creating fan clubs across Kinshasa with his friend Jules Biselele (R.I.P.) after the founding of Wenge Aile Paris. He had even been jailed for a time after being sued by Didier Masela, Werrason, and JB Mpiana. Belis had promised himself he wanted nothing more to do with music.

Alain Mwepu was also left behind, despite his importance to the group, his past in Wenge 4x4 and 7 years in Wenge El Paris. Marie Paul was unhappy that musicians seemed to respect Alain Mwepu more than him and still holding grudges from earlier confrontations abroad.
Celezino was selected, as Marie Paul appreciated how actively he defended Wenge El Paris on television and attacked Adolphe Dominguez, who often ignored Marie Paul when being  asked about him. Digital Lidjo was also chosen, while Pitshou Volcan was left behind.
Kene-Kene nearly missed the trip because he had been close to joining Wenge BCBG a few months earlier, but he was saved by Frida, who insisted he be included.

To everyone’s surprise, former Anti-Choc guitarist Janvier Okota, who had failed to make it to Bercy with Quartier Latin, was placed on the European list despite not even having spent a full year with Wenge El Paris.
Although being left behind (Babel Bingema, Pitshou Volcan, Doukouré, Alain Mwepu, etc.) were calmed down by Marie Paul’s ex’wife Valerie Tambwe, who said that there would be second team that would get into Europe the following month. But it didn’t happen.
Wenge El Paris traveled through Brazzaville to Paris and performed the same day, on 2 December 2000 at LSC. It was their first European concert since 1993, after seven years of being stuck in Kinshasa. Artists such as the late Fafa de Molokai, guitarist Collégien Zola, César Loboko (formerly of Wenge Aile Paris) and Ricoco Bulambemba attended the show.

Unlike other groups, who would typically arrive several days in advance to promote themselves in known restaurants and nightclubs of the Congolese community in Paris, Wenge El Paris did not have time to do so. Sadly, they performed in an almost empty LSC, as the concertpromoter Claude Mussay taught that Marie Paul would sell it easily out with the power of pulling huge crowds in Kinshasa.



Just as had happened during the famous JB Mpiana show there, the press were harsh towards Wenge El Paris, writing negative articles about them. The images that were showed in Kinshasa deceived El Paris-fans and them in return saying that the low attendance was due to the rain, being a “spiritual attack” from rivals, not realizing that European rain being different from the rain in Congo.

For years, the LSC concert of El Paris became a reference point. Whenever an artist would plan an event at LSC, the press would question if the show would either succeed like Academia or fail like El Paris.

People in Europe knew Wenge El Paris had announced their arrival, but many did not believe it because the promise had been repeated every year for seven years. Next to it, the group still did not have a new album on the market. Realizing the mistake, a new event was scheduled at the Théâtre du Gymnase Marie-Bell for New Year’s Eve 2001, with the slogan “Toza sur le terrain” (“we are here on the ground”) to prove they were truly in Europe. In the meantime, the group re-entered the studio to adjust parts of K.O. Debout, which had already been completed in Kinshasa  and to add new shout-outs. With Marie Paul and his musicians in Europe, they realized that they hadn’t the same impact in Europe like they had in Kinshasa, seeing that apart from their albums and Abeto produced cassettes, there were no videos on the market of big events they had in Kinshasa (1994-1999). It was a huge blow for Marie Paul, who saw the events at l’Esplanade  Palais du Peuple of 1997, before Wenge’s split and that of 1999 as the biggest highlights of his career.

Wenge El Paris’s show at Marie-Bell ended up by getting sold out. However, because of the negative publicity surrounding LSC, there was little real hype around it and the press remained relatively quiet about it

So Marie Paul behaved like a musician more than a leader by insulting his competition directly and too often. I've noticed the more successful artists either play the victim or delegate attacks to their musicians and through spokespersons. If people see you're too reactionary, what is the perception? Ah Marie Paul, wana mobali azali impoli to zoba?

Making the band stay in Europe for papers assumes that your fans wait 3-5 years for your return to Kinshasa and embrace you with plien na plien. Can somebody explain the logic behind this strategy? Because I have yet to see a group succeed doing this, maybe Koffi is only one...and he always returned to Kinshasa with a handful of musicians. The whole band can't stay and the momentum survive!

Marie Paul had already the label of 'impoli', because attacking elders like Pepe Kalle and Papa Wemba during his prime. He even once called Nouvelle Ecriture "Nouvelle Crayon" hahahaha. But in 1999 it really became worse. Mbuta Likasu even talked shortly about in one of his skechts.



from 1:44 "Tokendi kosembelela Roi Pele po munoko diminue po alingi kofinga trop"

Bandleaders like to sed musicians, because they know that the public will not like them anymore  if they will insult or attack rivals by themselves. When they send artists or spokemen, they can act like, they hadn't send them. A good example is how many people turned their back against Ferre Gola, after the famous "premiere soin" interview with Carine Mokonzi. An example of playing innocent, is  the way, Koffi suspended Zobozi for attacking Papa Wemba and JB Mpiana in 2003, claiming that Zobozi said stuff that he didn't send to say, while it was himself who sended him.

For Wenge El Paris, it was because Marie Paul was probably afraid to get stuck for x years again. In 2004, Zacharie Bababaswe asked him to return and became his manager, coming with a project to let him perform at Olympia in 2005. Marie Paul then decided to go on his own without the remaining musicinas (most of them had temporarily joined Viva Tendance). In Kinshasa, he would claim that Pitshou Santiago, Celezino, Bizima and co stayed because they prefered the life of Europe and weren't real musicians. While in Europe, the musicians themselves said that Marie Paul went to Kinshasa without informing them. In Kinshasa his return after almost 4 years created some buzz. Because he had dissapeared and people hadn't heard about him since Eboulement. But it was not that he received a triumphal return, because a part of the fans became parents and had responsibilities, while the young fans decided to suppport either Maison Mere or Wenge BCBG. Some were also dissapointed for the way he reconciled with Zacharie Babababswe in 2002 (he gave him a shout-out in Amanda Duchesse from Ebouelemt) despite the humilation. After his return, Marie Paul did a succesful show at GHK and performed at YMCA and at Marché de la Liberté in Masina. He would also make different interviews to make alot of noise, about his upcoming album Yebela Vision and shots towards Werrason, claiming that he copied his style of having long hairs. But quickly after that it went quite around him. Marie Paul also not having the ability anymore to walk with big crowds around him. At the same time people were focused on Maison Mère, BCBG, Les Marquis, Quartier Latin, Nouvelle Ecriture, Wazekwa and Karmapa



The first band to receive papers is TP OK Jazz who were based in Belgium since the mid-1980s (you had an aile Kinshasa and aile Bruxelles). The second band to  get longterms papers is Viva la Musica. But there for musicians that were selected for Papa Wemba's worldmusic-band Molokai. Only Reddy Amisi, Stino Mubi, Luciana Demingongo and Demukuse getting papers. Reddy, Stino and Luciana once went with Papa Wemba to Kinshasa for a serie of concerts in 1990/91 for Primus, being backed by local musicians. But it ended up by being a bad experience for Luciana, since that Manda Mobutu started to date his girlfriend and was jealous of him. So during their return, he saw Manda rip his passeport and other stuff happening. This traumitized Luciana and he hadn't returned to Kinshasa until Reddy invited him in 2023, to celebrate his 40 years of music-career.  Luciana managed to get back in Europe with help from Defao who of the bosses working for Air Zaire.  Except 1995, Reddy would follow Papa Wemba for  all remaining trips to Kinshasa (1991, 1992, 1993 and 1996). In 1994, Univra made travel a big part of Viva la Musica to Kinshasa. But the majority of musicians weren't happy with the money they received and decided to boycot, the series of concerts that were planned for 1995.



Tabu Ley went on exil for Mobutu, but I am not sure if the musicians of Afrisa  received long-term papers in France, before settling in USA



Victoria Eleison was if they aren't the 3nd, the 4th band to get longterms papers in France. After touring in Europe, South Corea and Japan, Emeneya wanted to return back, but it coincided with the lootings of September 1991. So they waited for the situation to calm down, but when they wanted to return in february 1992, you had incident of 'marche de chretiens' were alot of people were killed and people believing that soon a raise up would start or a coup. So Emeneya decided to stay once again in Europe and Gerard Akueson helping them out ot get longterms papers. But different bandmembers would leave one by one. Bass players Fellycko Mbuji Mayi went to settle in Boston after backing Wenge Aile Paris of Aime Buanga in the US. Drummer Maneno passed away because of an overdosis and guitarist Akwesa Kumbaro at some point joining Viva la Musica for a short time. When returning to Kinshasa in 1997, only Malembe Chante and Auguy Lutula came with Emeneya.




Making the band stay in Europe for papers assumes that your fans wait 3-5 years for your return to Kinshasa and embrace you with plien na plien. Can somebody explain the logic behind this strategy? Because I have yet to see a group succeed doing this, maybe Koffi is only one...and he always returned to Kinshasa with a handful of musicians. The whole band can't stay and the momentum survive!

If they're not careful, Fabregas and Heritier may stunt their success by allowing their beef to overshadow their music. Despite Villa Nova album experiencing a healthy viewership peak of 350k views with each clip and Je M'en Fous has impacted streaming, but Chomi left and the conversation is not centered on the actual group or praising Fabro for putting together a good project.

Heritier can't brag too much, because Zala is outpacing Chemin de la Glorie in fan engagement. However, he's talking about a gospel album and again, he's going back and forth with Ferre or Fabro. If peace is made, it's to flaunt an appearance from their rival at a concert to build back good will and then it's back to bickering like schoolgirls.

You'd think they'd learn a lot from Werrason, but I guess they're the first generation of leaders with social media making things harder to navigate logically...