Let me be very clear that the issue Kapaya is rasing is not limited to Werrason, it affects all musicians in Congo including Flamme himself as he has songs he produced outside Maison Mere where those who  participated have nothing to show for it. It is something musicians talk about when they are members of  a group but completely ignore it when they are leaders themselves. It affects all bands and I mean all without exception. These musicians don't make money through hefty salaries or allowances but they do so through donor relations they establish through their leaders.

Look at Jamaique, Werrason allows him to perform in Kisangani and make his own money. Jamaique now does this almost every year. Jamaique gets money from these paid shows and donors directly through Werrason's blessings. This is basically how in the same band others end up with cars and houses while others still rent. I am not saying this is the correct way of doing things but this is basically how bands operate in Congo.

Let me now zero in on Kapaya. When these musicians leave werrason, their belief is that he won't find anyone and that the success came due to their presence and work. Flamme left Werrason, released songs which flopped badly, he tried shows, it never worked. What he didn't understand is that much as he is talented, it is aura of Werrason that pushed his guitar works to the world. He worked with a band to produce his songs bit today he cannot account for how he empowered that band. When his solo career failed to pick up, he got frustrated and went on TV  aiming to destroy Werrason by claiming that all the work he did under Werrason was influenced by the devil, and that he has now repented and will nolonger play or be associated with secular music. Anywhere in the world he would get sued and pay handsomely for damaging Werrason's image and business. You don't do that because if music lovers hot convinced they would shan Werrason's music and shows. Did Werrason sue? No, he ignored him and left him to deal with fans. Everything went quiet and Flamme was seen doing session work for gospel artists. The moment Werrason went back to Europe with his first two shows, Flamme claiming rights to the same music he denounced. The same music he tried hard to kill and undermine when he claimed it was evil and was under influence of evil spirits when he played it. You work very hard to kill a business and turn back to claim you want to eat from the same thing you denounced and wanted to completely kill? Are you born again or just pretending? How cam you eat from something you wanted completely killed?

His argument might have some legally binding argument but it is not good for his future as a session player especially with gospel artists who paraded him as a born again and those who don't want to be associated with polemique and confusion. The case itself looks a bit more complicated than it seems and if he succeeds he might not get what he expects because a song is done by many people having their input. The judgement might actually open a Pandora box that might affect all bands and future band members as leaders will tighten how they work with band members. They will give them take it or leave it tight contracts and mostly hire them on short term basis and mostly work with session artists. It is not as straightforward as it seems. The ones that complained of not getting good salaries back then are now leaders failing to pay their own musicians well. Kapaya miscalculated, he restricted himself to gospel unlike other session artists that can play for anyone and make more money. He is now chasing blood money as a born again Christian.

For now, most of these young people don't join bands to make money but to get exposure and go solo or go to Europe. The clever ones make money through donors and use it well. Today we have Ferre, Fally, Wata, Fabro, Deplick making their own money.

In conclusion, I'm not saying this is the ideal way of managing the music industry in Congo but I am just saying this is how it runs and even those who want to claim something from their former band leaders are not giving their own band members anything. It is a deep problem.

All in all this swahili saying/proverb "Mgala muhuwe na haki yake mpe" looselly meaning "Give credit where credit is due,"just summarize all this coz leadership is not all about usurping power.

It is a Congolese music systems problem sir. The issue is not about giving credit because his name is shouted in those songs he played. The issue is about money. He wants a share of that money given to him for eternity. In essence if 50 people added their talent to a song, they should get something for eternity. This is why Koffi has advised him to drop the issue because it is complex. There is more than solo guitar that goes into a song. There are many players and huge expenditure on the part of the band to produce, market and brand it. I doubt there is any artists in Congo who would support this, even Flamme himself when people who worked with him demand houses he doesn't even have.

Yeah like nkosi says our stars use a "loophole" to steal the musicians right which is that it is a bit different to the format of most other music where you'll have max 4 guys who can pretend to majority of the rights,the leader singer,the guitarist who did the basics of the melody,the beatmaker/and or arranger
and the writer
in our music you have the writer who is barely considered as 99 per cent of our artists dont write anything but they have experience to shape up when their receive or to arrange collective inspiration,so it will be 1 ghostwriter,and they are even coming more and more with ready basics of melody now,so there is even cases where guitarists create nothing,then you have 4 to  8 guys doing chorus,ngongi mbonda and co but leaders claim its all their work and since they never ever take their groups to register to sacem individually it happens years after and is seen like rebellion

Translation summary please

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSqvs5xCa/