He says that generique is what Congolese music is known for and that Congolese artists became too focused on rhumbas. He says that he's tired of artist being called names like the King of rhumba. he says that since Congolese artists weren't into generiques anymore their songs weren't playing at parties anymore and Nigerian Ivorian artist started to use Congolese generique tempo. Robinho said that it's in Congolese people identity to do generiques because it's a dance and that is entertainment because that is the African and Congolese way. He said that if a generique is successful then their album will be successful.

He's absolutely right, P Square weren't this famous, before of this massive weight on Rumba, look at the new generation artists like Djino, Chai, Bogus, Heritier, and so on always rumba, is boring after a wild, and this is why in clubs you listen to naija and Ghana songs while the only Congolese music are the old ones like Loi or etat major or Awilo remix of Congolese legend generiques

I totally agree with him. He is also correct when he says the generics and sebenes make an album popular. This is why i like fally ipupa.....he has noticed the negativity of 100% rumbas and has started including many sebenes.

I disagree with him because most Congolese artists have had atleast a generique in their album.(Papa Wemba had nine in the second to last album) A lot the fifth generation artists have had at least two generiques and a country or of sebene songs in their albums. If an artist wants to be know as a king of rhumba then let him because that's what they want to be known as and they probably make good rhumbas. Whose to say they didn't add sebene to those rhumbas and who's to say they dont make good generiques (Koffi for example). Besides Papa Wemba I don't seen an artist ignoring a generique because they all have atleast one generique in an album.

I disagree with him because most Congolese artists have had atleast a generique in their album.(Papa Wemba? had nine in the second to last album) A lot the fifth generation artists have had at least two generiques and a country or of sebene songs in their albums. If an artist wants to be know as a king of rhumba then let him because that's what they want to be known as and they probably make good rhumbas. Whose to say they didn't add sebene to those rhumbas and who's to say they dont make good generiques (Koffi for example). Besides Papa Wemba I don't seen an artist ignoring a generique because they all have atleast one generique in an album.

Jdog i think the issue here is sebene:rumba ratio. In today's albums its probably 95%:5%......and this is what has killed Congolese music. Sounds arcade Zambia which was had many sales regarding Congolese music does not stock even 1 cd today.

The boy is right to some extent. What he should be saying is that times have changed, people want music to dance to not to listen to that's why afrobeats originating from West Africa is dominating and Congolese music is sinking,it's because Congolese musicians are doing too many rhumbas and less generiques or sebene songs or less danceable generiques and too long for nothing for some artists.

Congolese music was still very popular a long time ago, Franco, Tabu Ley and others never did generiques but there music was popular in africa and overseas, only a few songs had a bit of simple sebenes otherwise the most popular congolese songs are rhumba songs.

yeah i think what did a bad service to rumbas in terms of popularity abroad is the new technology there are very rarely live rumbas with a certain dancing tempo,like my older brother says todays rumbas are to be listened and try to dance on it just for the sake of it but when take for example tabuley's sorozo its something else
even with koffi who is one of those who started intensive use of programming with a lot of synthé in rumba,you can realise that one of the rumba which really gets people excited to dance is ngobila which i a pure odemba with all instruments

In my opinion, he's right but he also has to think about the creativity you put in each sebene and generique. Rhumbas are easy to make because you don't have to change tempo or chord. You could play rhumba with ease, whereas in sebenes and generiques you need new licks, solos, and animations. People want new things in every song not a re-rendition of the same partitions over and over. But overall, yes, we need more danceable music than slow ones. Not all of us are in love...

Congolese music was still very popular a long time ago, Franco, Tabu Ley and others never did generiques but there music was popular in africa and overseas, only a few songs had a bit of simple sebenes otherwise the most popular congolese songs are rhumba songs.

In the olden days (1920s to 1980s)....west african music was probably very traditional in nature and not as advanced as the traditional congolese music. The only other bigger bands in africa that time were mangelepa and super mazembe but these were derivatives of congolese music structure. So Congolese music was still doing well with slow tracks by Grand Kalle...Afrisa and TPok Jazz. Zaiko langa langa then improved the music by improvising the sebene and no one in africa could beat this. Others tried like Zouk of Prince Eyango of cameroun but to no avail. When koffi olomide brought in the new style by having more balads, west africa was just starting to copy congolese music structure. Now the 5th generation like Fally.....Ferre etc began their career by starting it off with more slows until some of them woke up to the fact that coupe de calle was on top. Such artists are young fally who has of late been doing senenes. I fear for heritier who is trying out a ferre gola style which has seen ferre in a downward path.

Congolese music was still very popular a long time ago, Franco, Tabu Ley and others never did generiques but there music was popular in africa and overseas, only a few songs had a bit of simple sebenes otherwise the most popular congolese songs are rhumba songs.

In the olden days (1920s to 1980s)....west african music was probably very traditional in nature and not as advanced as the traditional congolese music. The only other bigger bands in africa that time were mangelepa and super mazembe but these were derivatives of congolese music structure. So Congolese music was still doing well with slow tracks by Grand Kalle...Afrisa and TPok Jazz. Zaiko langa langa then improved the music by improvising the sebene and no one in africa could beat this. Others tried like Zouk of Prince Eyango of cameroun but to no avail. When koffi olomide brought in the new style by having more balads, west africa was just starting to copy congolese music structure. Now the 5th generation like Fally.....Ferre etc began their career by starting it off with more slows until some of them woke up to the fact that coupe de calle was on top. Such artists are young fally who has of late been doing senenes. I fear for heritier who is trying out a ferre gola style which has seen ferre in a downward path.

Everything you have said except for the highlighted in red which is totally false. Ferre Gola's popularity has grown not because of sebene but his rhumba, Ferre's has always been criticised for not paying attention to sebene and he only answered recently with the singe ''Seben', it is the same even for Fally, when Fally who started his career with an album of one generique and lots of slow music and followed the same path on his next two albums.

I totally agree with Robinho. Just compare an album nowdays to an old one. Very big difference. Like Avis De Recherche by Zaiko from 1995, or Fiesta D'Or by Aurlus Mabele from 2001. Huge difference. Those albums didn't even have a non-congolese track. Today, there is everything on albums but cool guitar tunes. Only for moments, for fraction of the playtime of the CDs.

The boy is right to some extent. What he should be saying is that times have changed, people want music to dance to not to listen to that's why afrobeats originating from West Africa is dominating and Congolese music is sinking,it's because Congolese musicians are doing too many rhumbas and less generiques or sebene songs or less danceable generiques and too long for nothing for some artists.

Congolese music was still very popular a long time ago, Franco, Tabu Ley and others never did generiques but there music was popular in africa and overseas, only a few songs had a bit of simple sebenes otherwise the most popular congolese songs are rhumba songs.

Ah, but those rumbas that Franco and Tabu Ley played, they represented a much higher level than what you can find on CD's recently. To be honest nowdays I am only eager to listen to rumbas if it is from Extra Musica. They were always good at writing fine rumba. But I think it is because Roga Roga is the band leader and a musician as well, who focuses on the melody, too. Those artists who don't play instruments just sing, if they create a rumba, they mostly don't care about the music, they just need something to put the lyrics onto, even if it is just simple programmed beat. So the outcome is a ton of boring songs.

Sly.......I mean what i say. Your opinion is yours and i respect it. But one day you will be forced to check your facts.