The people in Kinshasa well most in gritty boroughs do not concentrate on politics which I can't blame them because most haven't to school. Eventually they look up to Religion, Music, Sports and fashion. In nicer boroughs and richer boroughs there are people who have studied and have acknowledgement within politics. Now the people in the gritty boroughs are highly vulnerable and people from the society and elites need to help them know the truth about politics and this is were I believe music, sports and fashion should be involved to spread the word on corruption let me give you an example in the late  90's during Kabila seniors are Bana Tshangu (kids of masina, ndjili, kingasani ya suka and matete) who are fans of the wenge's forced out Rwandans out of kinshasa and why do you think so because at the time (Werra & JB were supporting Kabila Sr) see the influenced made that is what we need now you see it what I'm trying to elborate fellow members!!!!

PS guys lets stick to music please politics involves too much passion,the longer this debate lasts the longer some of us might needlesly lose temper....

Yeah I was starting to feel like my dad and the older folks when they especially talk about Congolese politics  .... Lol like some of us don't loose temper when talking about Congolese music.

we are lucky reddy is not here

Newside. I didn't know you were a combattant. When I say low life mother F's I refer to the chaps that actually go on camera to insult and issue threats or beat up musicians and their bodyguards. No sane person would kill another person just because of politics, I hate combattants for their unjustified violence on innocent people in diaspora for instance that guy who was one of the people that was hired to protect JB Mpiana for the cancelled zenith show last year, I don't know if he survived.

Fellow bloggers I'm a congolese person and whatever is agains Kabila Jr (who is not the son of Kabila Sr RIP) I will support whoever is against him because his downgrading our country instead dragging the country to prosperity and it's full potential to be the richest country so whoever is pro kabila i'm against them INGETA!!! if you're congolese I know you'll agree with me INGETA!

Fellow bloggers I'm a congolese person and whatever is agains Kabila Jr (who is not the son of Kabila Sr RIP) I will support whoever is against him because his downgrading our country instead dragging the country to prosperity and it's full potential to be the richest country so whoever is pro kabila i'm against them INGETA!!! if you're congolese I know you'll agree with me INGETA!

Ahhhhh Newside, you sound like the older folks who say that Kabila is not Congolese but from rwanda 

I do agree Sly with unnecessary violence used by the combattants (I'm not a combattants but I do attend protest and campaigns as I'm anti-Kabila) but yes we need to follow the philosophy of Thomas Sankara, Martin luther king and other political leaders who used peaceful campaigns but yes if your from london and you are congolese do you know dangerous it is to congo you can't get killed because of Kabila so we are in risk why shouldn't his people who support him should not be risk see JB I do like him because he apologized but I believe it was hypocrisy because in Kin his insulting the diaspora but his not that bad is people like Tshala Muana need to get beaten up for being loud-mouths and provoking but Sly what country are you from???

Ferre,Bill and Werra all took risks with these songs. And I heard that Bill even got beaten up at his house by Kabila supporters.

I will say that one thing I credit Kabila for forcing the M23 out of east Congo.

I do agree Sly with unnecessary violence used by the combattants (I'm not a combattants but I do attend protest and campaigns as I'm anti-Kabila) but yes we need to follow the philosophy of Thomas Sankara, Martin luther king and other political leaders who used peaceful campaigns but yes if your from london and you are congolese do you know dangerous it is to congo you can't get killed because of Kabila so we are in risk why shouldn't his people who support him should not be risk see JB I do like him because he apologized but I believe it was hypocrisy because in Kin his insulting the diaspora but his not that bad is people like Tshala Muana need to get beaten up for being loud-mouths and provoking but Sly what country are you from???

I see what you mean Newside however if you are a Christian or know the bible then you must understand that there will never be a perfect politician or perfect country, we are all doomed so things will never be fair and wars will not end so instead of concentrating on trying to remove kabila from power using underhand method ie intimidating citizens including musicians,congolese people especially those in diaspora need to identify people in diaspora who they need to fund for instance you have young men like Alain Mpela who failed to get to parliament, those are the people you need to be using.
We also know that you cannot force someone to apologise, JB Mpiana,Koffi and other musicians have nothing to apologise for  just as archos has said, they too are Congolese and have personal lives beside music.

Newside,i am a proper Zambian but with much interest in Congo because my forefathers originated from the Congo during the Luba/Lunda migration.

See the thing is Sly you need to look at this combattants affair from both sides of the argument.
I agree that combattants need to stop with unnecessary violence.
I agree that combattants should to stop threatening only musicans and be assertive towards people who are pro-kabila basically (PPRD)
I agree that combattants  should go to Kinshasa and start the campaigns and protests their.
In my opinion Sly if you balance this situation out you will understand where I'm standing within this problem.

  You're Zambian I thought you was congolese oh my but yes there is strong relations between luba's and southern countries of africa but the same at we are all Bantu's, Africans and in all a Human race from the world 

Newside, I would want to look at the combattant's arguments but the problem is that it's a group that has no clear objectives and no appointed or elected leader so we don't exactly know what is it they want and how they want to achieve their aims, so far what we've seen from them is violence and insults on political leaders and musicians who support them.
These combattant's only want one candidate, Ya Tshi Tshi and that is wrong.
Oui ndeko na ngai, naza zambien mais naza congolaise en spirituel.  Most people in Zambia and even some congolese guys think am congolese, they get shocked when I tell them am Zambian, we are one. Kiekiekie

I may not know much about this topic and further to that i am not Congolese but i am An African and allow me to state that;

1.  Musicians have private lives and interests to take care of especially family therefore i really do not understand why someone would want them to say only that which they want to hear musicians say.
2. I wonder why someone in Europe or American would want a musician in Kin to say something or act in a manner they themselves cannot do in the same streets of Kin.
3. Acting in a manner that affects the activities of musicians i.e performances in Kin or Abroad is similar to fighting the wrong enemy, one should take the fight to the enemy's doorstep.
4. The musicians were not given their popularity by anyone on a silver platter, they have earned it over the years therefore they should be left alone.

I hope I shall be forgiven if what I have said here doesn't please anyone.

Odanga, thank you for summarising everything, word!!!

On another note, i hope you've seen the news that hundreds of rebels in the east surrendered and the process of disarmament will start so whilst the combattants are making noise, others at home are working.

My take...Both Kabila and Combattants understand the power in Music and Kabila has managed to use musicians effectively in his campaigns and agenda. Combattants lack a unifying agenda.

guys the problem here is that we don't understand politic what we see and comment is face value.African governments change the life does not ask yourself why. we rejoice when governments change only to despair as no value is seen. this is because we hate a government so Mich that we want to replace it with anything better yet something of our own. African governments are about eating not making the cake bigger..
sometimes I laugh at how we indulge in politics yet we don't even know how governments are run. I come from s country thst has regular election yet life is still hard why because when we are not eating we complain protest etc until we are at the table then we proceed to make same errors..

I concur let us stick to music and maybe sports...

my take