Wenge Musica Maison Mère

Wenge Musica Maison Mère, also spelled as WMMM, is a musical band founded in December 1997, by Werrason, Didier Masela and Adolphe Dominguez, after the split of the original band, Wenge Musica, created in 1981. Since its foundation, the band has a rivalry with JB Mpiana's Wenge BCBG. Under the leadership of Werrason, the group contained stars like Ferré Gola, Héritier Watanabe or Bill Clinton Kalonji. The band faced a deformation after Ferré, Bill Clinton and JDT Mulopwe left the band to create Les Marquis de Maison Mère in 2004.

Wenge Musica Maison Mère
OriginDecember 1997, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
GenresNdombolo · Soukous
LabelsJPS (1997–2003) · Diego Music (2009–2012) · Werrason World (since 2013)
MembersWerrason
Past membersFerré Gola
Héritier Watanabe
Baby Ndombe
JDT Mulopwe
Didier Lacoste
Didier Masela
Adolphe Dominguez

History

Foundation and presentation (1997–1999)

1997, after the release of Feux de l'Amour, JB Mpiana's first solo album, the group Wenge Musica members started to develop feud between them. In a concert in the GHK, the band started dissing themselves, and according to some rumours, Werrason and Mpiana, fought in the stage. All the fans were shocked, including Papa Wemba, who was a special guest.[1] The group split on 7 December 1997.

A couple of weeks later, on 20 December 1997, Werrason, Didier Masela, and Adolphe Dominguez, all members of the fallen Wenge Musica, create Wenge Musica Maison Mère.

At its foundation, the group received the support from King Kester Emeneya, Koffi Olomidé, and Marie-Paul Kambulu. Later, they proceed to recruit singers and musicians. The same year, the group has the voices of Baby Ndombe, JDT Mulopwe, Didier Lacoste, Serge Mabiala, Adjani, and Ferré Gola, who came from JB Mpiana's Wenge BCBG. In 1997, the group made its first performance in the RTNC, the Congo's national TV channel.[2]

A year later, their debut album, Force d'Intervention Rapide, was released, after they signed to Cameroonian label, JPS. The album had the remix of Kala-Yi-Boeing, a 1993 hit by Wenge Musica, composed by Ngiama, and the successful rumba song, Chantal Switzerland.

From Solola Bien to Terrain Eza Mine and Bercy concert (1999–2000)

In 1999, WMMM recorded in Paris the album Solola Bien.[3] The album is one of the most high-ranked Congolese albums. The album contains Ferré's hit, Vita-Imana.

According to fans, the sentence Solola bien, that means Speak properly, was addressed to JB and Wenge BCBG, as their rivalry continued to grow.

After the success of Force d'Intervention Rapide and Solola Bien, a remix of the first-mentioned album was released in 2000 as Terrain Eza Mine.

After Koffi Olomidé, on 16 September 2000, Werrason and Wenge Maison Mère performed at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, the actual AccorHotels Arena. They were "auto-proclaimed" it as the Concert of the Millenary. The singer from Wenge BCBG, who was among the public, left the group to join Maison Mère. Later, Werrason Ngiama, became the only administrator of the band, after Didier Masela and Adolphe Dominguez left the band. Masela re-created Wenge Musica,[4] and Dominguez founded Wenge Tonya Tonya.[5]

From Kibuisa Mpimpa to Tindika Lokito (2001–2004)

In 2001, Werrason's first solo album, Kibuisa Mpimpa / Opération Dragon, was released. It's considered as a classic album in the Soukous world. The discs [as it's a double album], contains featurings with Manu Dibango, Nathalie Makoma and Déesse Mukangi. The album got Werra and his group, 2 Kora Awards in South Africa.[6] On 26 and 27 April 2002, after the invention of the dance move Koyimbiko, originated by a Kongo traditional chant,[7][8] the group performed in the Zénith Paris.

The same year, the album Solola Bien becomes gold record after 150,000 copies were sold.

In December 2002, the album A la queue leu leu, was released. The album promotes the dance Koyimbiko, as it's written on the album art.[9] It's the last album signed to the label JPS. In 2004, the group returns to Kinshasa and gets contracts with BRALIMA, a beer company. The group's first maxi-single, Tindika Lokito, is released. The cd is meant to promote the Skol beer. After the popularity of the maxi-single, the band tours in the United Kingdom, and then it faced one of its major splits. Ferré Gola, Bill Clinton Kalonji, J.D.T. Mulopwe, Serge Mabiala, Japonais Maladi, and others left the band to create Les Marquis De Maison Mère and released their first album Miracles, the same year.

Maison Mère's comeback

After the split, Werrason recruited young members including animator Roi David. Alerte Générale was the maxi-single that announced the comeback of the successful group.[10]

Between 2006 and 2008, they released another maxi-single and one album, Sous-Sol was the first disc by Werrason with a "world music" style. The album Mayi ya Sika contained 2 volumes. It was released in May 2008.

On 8 November 2008, the band played in the Zenith Paris for the third time, with guests including Youssoupha.

In 2009, the dance Techno Malewa became strongly popular in Kinshasa's streets. It got released in albums Techno Malewa Sans Cesse and Techno Malewa Suite et Fin (released in 2010), who placed No. 2 on the Congolese Hit Parade (#1 was Bande Annonce by Zaïko Langa-Langa).[11]

2010s

WMMM played for the fourth time in the Zénith Paris on 13 November 2010. They are invited to play in the Stade de France with fellow Congolese singers Fally Ipupa and Jessy Matador.

In 2014, another Werrason solo album, Flêche Ingéta, is released in December 2014 in Paris, and January 2015 in Kinshasa.

In 2017, they recruited Sarah Solo, a Congolese female guitarist, who played in Diemba (Balançoire). After the song got released as a single, in November 2017, 7 Jours De La Semaine is released.[12]

After recruiting singers and instrumentists, in 2019, the album Formidable is released under his label, Werrason World.[13]

Partial discography

Studio albums
  • 1998: Force D'Intervention Rapide
  • 1999: Solola Bien
  • 2000: Terrain Eza Miné
  • 2001: Kibuisa Mpimpa
  • 2002: A La Queue Leu Leu
  • 2004: Tindika Lokito (Maxi)
  • 2004: Alerte Générale (Single)
  • 2005: Temoignage
  • 2008: Mayi Ya Sika
  • 2009: Techno Malewa Sans Cesse
  • 2010: Techo Malewa Suite Et Fin
  • 2014: Fleche Ingéta
  • 2017: 7 Jours De La Semaine
  • 2019: Formidable

See also

References list
  1. "Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique / D.R. Congo : J.B. M'Piana & Wenge Musica BCBG". www.musiques-afrique.net. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  2. Le commencement de Wenge Musica Maison Mère (1997) – YouTube (p. www.youtube.com)
  3. "Wenge Musica Maison Mère de Werrason – Solola Bien". Discogs. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  4. "Wenge Musica", Wikipédia (in French), 25 May 2020, retrieved 26 May 2020
  5. "Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique / D.R. Congo : Adolphe Dominguez & Wenge Tonya Tonya". www.musiques-afrique.com. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  6. Trefon, Theodore (2004). Reinventing Order in the Congo: How People Respond to State Failure in Kinshasa. Zed Books. ISBN 978-1-84277-491-5.
  7. François Luambo Makiadi & TPOK Jazz – Yimbi 1959 (p. www.youtube.com
  8. Koyimbiko dance demostration by Wenge Masion Mère – YouTube (p. www.youtube.com)
  9. "Musiques d'Afrique: A la queue leu leu". www.musiques-afrique.com. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  10. "Musiques d'Afrique: Alerte Générale". www.musiques-afrique.com. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  11. Techno Malewa (music video) — Werrason & WMMM (2009)
  12. "Musiques d'Afrique: 7 jours de la semaine". www.musiques-afrique.net. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  13. "Musiques d'Afrique: Formidable". www.musiques-afrique.net. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
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