People write about 1st 2nd generation of Congolese musicians. can one list the generations and examples of musicians in each of the generation..currently in which generation are Fally and Ferre

Fally and Ferre are a part of the 5eme generation or the 5th generation in English.

I think the first generation is the pre-independence generation by Papa Wendo Kolossoy, the second generation is that of Dr Nico Kasanda,Franco/Lutumba, Tabu Ley,the third generation is that of Papa Wemba, Zaiko, Dindo Yogo, Koffi etc,the 4th generation is the Wenge's generation ie JB,Werra,Blaise Bula,Adolphe,Makaba,Titina, Alain Mpela,Aimelia,Manda Chante,Marie Paul etc and I think Wazekwa and Karmapa  belong to this generation as they started music late. The fifth generations is the generation of Ferre,Fally,Mirage, Kabosé and the many youngsters we have struggling to make it now.

I think the first generation is the pre-independence generation by Papa Wendo Kolossoy, the second generation is that of Dr Nico Kasanda,Franco/Lutumba, Tabu Ley,the third generation is that of Papa Wemba, Zaiko, Dindo Yogo, Koffi etc,the 4th generation is the Wenge's generation ie JB,Werra,Blaise Bula,Adolphe,Makaba,Titina, Alain Mpela,Aimelia,Manda Chante,Marie Paul etc and I think Wazekwa and Karmapa  belong to this generation as they started music late. The fifth generations is the generation of Ferre,Fally,Mirage, Kabosé and the many youngsters we have struggling to make it now.

thanks Sly so the current generation is the fifth ?

i think the 'generation' thing will soon phase out. from my understanding and how it was explained to me is that the generations are birthed from the big bands that become 'institutions' and the artists who offshoot from these institutions to start their own movements. i predict that it will be difficult to distinguish a 6th generation. we'll see.

i think the 'generation' thing will soon phase out. from my understanding and how it was explained to me is that the generations are birthed from the big bands that become 'institutions' and the artists who offshoot from these institutions to start their own movements. i predict that it will be difficult to distinguish a 6th generation. we'll see.

Yes good comment, like would Deplick, Fabregas, Brigade be considered 5th or 6th generation.

i think the 'generation' thing will soon phase out. from my understanding and how it was explained to me is that the generations are birthed from the big bands that become 'institutions' and the artists who offshoot from these institutions to start their own movements. i predict that it will be difficult to distinguish a 6th generation. we'll see.

Yes good comment, like would Deplick, Fabregas, Brigade be considered 5th or 6th generation.

Exactly. From a standpoint of style and age i would put them in a new generation (6th) but because they come from werrason wmmm as an institution technically they are 5th generation like ferre, who came from quartier latin but did a stint with wmmm as well. The criteria might change. Perhaps it is the artists who come from ferre and fally that will make 6th generation butfally hardly has an "institution" or big band format. At the very least it makes for good discussion lol

i think the 'generation' thing will soon phase out. from my understanding and how it was explained to me is that the generations are birthed from the big bands that become 'institutions' and the artists who offshoot from these institutions to start their own movements. i predict that it will be difficult to distinguish a 6th generation. we'll see.

Yes good comment, like would Deplick, Fabregas, Brigade be considered 5th or 6th generation.

Exactly. From a standpoint of style and age i would put them in a new generation (6th) but because they come from werrason wmmm as an institution technically they are 5th generation like ferre, who came from quartier latin but did a stint with wmmm as well. The criteria might change. Perhaps it is the artists who come from ferre and fally that will make 6th generation butfally hardly has an "institution" or big band format. At the very least it makes for good discussion lol

Yes I used to think (still might think like this) that 5th generation stars came from the like of Werra, Koffi etc. who are 4th generation and the 6th generation are the ones who come from the  5th generation artists  like Chouchou Miyake of Didier Lacoste's group.

I have a different judgement for generations


Generation 1: Papa Wendo's Clan
Generation 2: Le Grand Kalle, Tabu Ley, OK Jazz, African Jazz, Bana OK and etc.
Generation 3: Clan Langa-Langa (Zaiko), Zaiko, Evoloko, Papa Wemba, Bozi, Choc Stars, Victoria Eleison, Viva La Musica,
Empire Bakuba, Bella Bella (who weren't part of the Zaiko family)
Generation 4: Clan Wenge, Wenge Musica, Werrason, JB, Adolphe, Alain Mpela, Les Marquis des Maison Mere, Quartier Latin (not Koffi, Do Akongo and Popolipo the younger generation Fally, Bouro, Sam Tshintu, Mirage), Extra Musica, Culutra Pays A Vie (not Wazekwa but all musicians in the group), Station Japan, Dakumuda (although none have connection with the Wenge Family)

So called 5th Generation does not exist as most artist of the so called fifth come from Wenge family (Ferre, JDT, Mirage and etc.) or Zaiko family(Fally, Kabose and etc. like Felix wazekwa is from clan langa-langa as he participated in viva la musica even having his own song on a viva album.
Now for the fifth generation there has to be a group out the blue without any connections with the upper generations then there is a new generation.

I have a different judgement for generations


Generation 1: Papa Wendo's Clan
Generation 2: Le Grand Kalle, Tabu Ley, OK Jazz, African Jazz, Bana OK and etc.
Generation 3: Clan Langa-Langa (Zaiko), Zaiko, Evoloko, Papa Wemba, Bozi, Choc Stars, Victoria Eleison, Viva La Musica,
Empire Bakuba, Bella Bella (who weren't part of the Zaiko family)
Generation 4: Clan Wenge, Wenge Musica, Werrason, JB, Adolphe, Alain Mpela, Les Marquis des Maison Mere, Quartier Latin (not Koffi, Do Akongo and Popolipo the younger generation Fally, Bouro, Sam Tshintu, Mirage), Extra Musica, Culutra Pays A Vie (not Wazekwa but all musicians in the group), Station Japan, Dakumuda (although none have connection with the Wenge Family)

So called 5th Generation does not exist as most artist of the so called fifth come from Wenge family (Ferre, JDT, Mirage and etc.) or Zaiko family(Fally, Kabose and etc. like Felix wazekwa is from clan langa-langa as he participated in viva la musica even having his own song on a viva album.
Now for the fifth generation there has to be a group out the blue without any connections with the upper generations then there is a new generation.

the trouble with this is that those within the congolese industry already use the term 5th generation and have made that distinction already.

the trouble with this is that those within the congolese industry already use the term 5th generation and have made that distinction already.

The current distinction of genres is correct,it's all about era and style of music played at a particular time other than making the distinction by saying who came from which band because even older generation musicians came from top bands of their time which were off course in different generation to theirs.
In order to make this clear, I would say during the time of Papa Wendo, the music back then was kind of folklore/Cuban style rhumba, then came the Luambo's with a different kind of rhumba then we had the Zaikos who brought sebene with animation then we had the Wenge's who mixed up all the styles with a group of fine singers taking turns to sing lines and  with polished up sebene spiced up with excellent crisp clear and clean solo guitar partitions and now we are in the era of youngsters mixing rhumba with all sorts of styles/genres and the sebene is different, most of todays rhumbas are dirty/ explicit ballads with one person singing from start to finish and the sebene have dirty guitar solo guitar works as the soloists try to outshine each other.

That philosophy of the current musicians is just appalling, one singer singing the whole, acoustic and synthesizer taking over as the main melody. Whereas the older generation (wenge's) shared vocals, soloist had time to express themselves along with rhythm guitarists having partitions, sebene's, mix of styles folkore, pop, different lyrical themes, soul, funk and jazz. Artistically speaking congolese music is at it's worse 

where do you classify Defao ?

The Congolese Music generations are not only based on the age and the time the music was played, but rather on the kind of music played based on innovation and creativity. The fourth generation which is credited to Wenge Musica, transformed the congolese music completely and took it to the new heights, they took over from the fourth generation of Zaiko Langalanga  and add a lot of spices in all dimensions, the singing, the animation,the dancing and even the dress cord, Some Musicians like Defao and Koffi Olomide who belongs to the third generation jumped inn and change their music to match that of Wenge and they created a healthy competition.  To me we are still leaving in the era of the tiresome fouth generation because the current crop of musicians branded the fifth generation have not invented anything new, they have reverted to the old Rumba, they don't have a clue, no creativity and the Congolese Music is having a free fall, its no longer ruling the continent. 

This is wonderful discussion however these generations it seems like came with certain styles which were created by some musician we start naming attach them to those generations might sound fair as the styles goes with the years and type of musicians. Can it be fair enough to classify the generation by using the styles from Soukouss (1930s -1940s) ,Rumba ,Kwasakwasa,Pesa Posa,Madiaba, Ndombolo, Kisanola, Kiwanzenza which i hear was invented by King Kester , then take the music to level of putting the generations according to the styles because i see the musicians of different generations playing the same styles . Please give me insight if my understanding is wrong it has been long since someone created a dancing style. Is the dancing style not associated with the type of music.

Meresi Mingi