Viva La Musica
Encyclopedia
Viva La Musica is a popular band from Zaire
(now DR Congo
) founded by singer Papa Wemba
in 1977. While Viva La Musica started out as a soukous
band (essentially a spin-off of Zaiko Langa Langa
), it eventually grew into a world music
act, reaching some popularity and success in the Europe
an, American
, and even Asia
n markets, as well as in most of Africa
. The band is still active today, although it is just one of a number of musical ensembles used by Papa Wemba as a backup for his essentially soloist production.
(now DR Congo) as a member and singer of other prominent soukous band, most notably Zaiko Langa Langa
, Isifi Lokole
and Yoka Lokole
, all of which were founded or co-founded by Wemba. In 1977, Wemba established the community of Molokai
, in Kinshasa
, a sort of musicians' commune. Viva La Musica was the main musical act from Molokai. It was at that time that Wemba got the nickname "Papa" by which he would be known thereafter. The name "Viva La Musica" was chosen as a tribute to American
salsa
star Johnny Pacheco
, one of Wemba's major influences, who used the motto Que viva la musica ("long live music" in spanish
) in his performances. In fact, Papa Wemba had already used the Viva la musica! slogan in his former band Yoka Lokole
, as a battlecry introducing sebene (dance) sections of their live performances, so the Congolese audience was already familiar with that name when Viva La Musica debuted in February 1977.
Viva La Musica's overall style was the outcome of a careful balancing of several elements, some of which of political
nature. While the group would be dressed like Europe
ans (something that was not easily accepted by the "Africanist" government of Mobutu Sese Seko
), this was counterbalanced by an explicit endorsement of Congolese tradition, including the use of lokole
drums and Wemba's declared support for Mobutu's Authenticité
campaign. One of the first songs of Viva La Musica was dedicated to Mobutu's wife.
As with the previous bands created by Papa Wemba, Viva La Musica had an impressive lineup, including several of the most talented Zairean musicians of the time. The list of new talents discovered by Wemba and hired to play in Viva La Musica over the years include Kisangani Esperant, Jadot le Cambodgien, Pepe Bipoli, Petit Aziza, Rigo Star
, Syriana
, Bongo Wende, Koffi Olomide
, and Kester Emeneya.
The band was an instant success. Less than one year after their debut, the Elima newspaper awarded the band as "Best Orchestra" of Zaire, while Papa Wemba was declared "Best Singer" and one of their early hits, Mère Supérieure, was listed as Best Song. In the next two years, the band peaked several times at the top of the local charts, with hits like Moku Nyon Nyon, Mabele Mokonzi, Bokulaka, Princesse ya Sinza, Nyekesse Migue' l, and Cou Cou Dindon.
In 1979 Wemba spent six years in Paris
, performing with group Afrisa International. When he came back to Zaire, Wemba's fascination with European habits, and especially with European fashion
, became even more obvious in Viva La Musica recordings, with songs like La Firenze (a tribute to Italian
fashion) and other that directly or indirectly mentioned fashion designers and brands. While much of Viva La Musica's production still reflected the complementary interest in Congolese tradition (for example, hit single Ana Lengo, selling half a million copies in Africa, was sung in kitelela language), the blatant violation of the government-imposed dressing code brought much criticism to the band from the press. This, however, did not affect the band's popularity, that easily filled venues with a capacity of dozen of thousands attendees.
In the early 1980s
, Wemba neglected Viva La Musica to strengthen his collaboration relations with European (mostly French
) artists. He stayed in Europe so long that rumors spread in Zaire about his alleged death. As a consequence of his absence, Viva La Musica went to pieces, and in 1982 14 of its 19 members had left. Wemba recreated the band in 1983 with a completely renovated lineup that released Rumba Rock-Frenchen, one of the first Zairean albums to sell well in the European market. This success convinced Wemba that it was time to "slam the door on Zaire", as he announced on his website
. From that moment on, Viva La Musica's albums were explicitly conceived for the world music
market rather than the Zairean-soukous audience. In 1986, the international status of the band was sealed by a tour that reached as far as Japan
. At the same time, several members of the group were fired because, according to Wemba, they were not able to cooperate with non-African musicians and were not interested in any music except that of Zaire.
In 1987, the band actually relocated to Paris
. Wemba's musical interests, anyway, already reached way beyond Viva La Musica. Solo productions (such as the eponymous Papa Wemba album of 1988) and collaborations with international artists (such as Peter Gabriel
, Eric Clapton
, Stevie Wonder
, and others) became prominent. Viva La Musica was essentially reduced to a group of session musician
s that Wemba would rely on when he was in Europe; but at the same time, he had other musical ensembles, such as Molokai International and Nouvelle Ecriture. This state of things was made clear by performances such as a pharaonic concert in Bruxelles in 1999, where Wemba led a huge band comprising Viva La Musica, Molokai, Nouvelle Ecriture, and even former Zaiko Langa Langa members.
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
(now DR Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
) founded by singer Papa Wemba
Papa Wemba
Papa Wemba was born Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba in 1949 in Lubefu . He is a Congolese rumba musician, one of Africa's most popular musicians, and prominent in World music.-Zaiko Langa Langa:...
in 1977. While Viva La Musica started out as a soukous
Soukous
Soukous is a dance music genre that originated in the two neighbouring countries of Belgian Congo and French Congo during the 1930s and early 1940s, and which has gained popularity throughout Africa...
band (essentially a spin-off of Zaiko Langa Langa
Zaiko Langa Langa
Zaiko Langa Langa are a seminal soukous band from DR Congo. The word "Zaiko" is a portmanteau for the lingala phrase Zaire ya bankoko, meaning "Zaire of our ancestors", where "Zaire" must be read as a reference to the river by that name, now called Congo...
), it eventually grew into a world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
act, reaching some popularity and success in the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and even Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n markets, as well as in most of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. The band is still active today, although it is just one of a number of musical ensembles used by Papa Wemba as a backup for his essentially soloist production.
History
Before creating Viva La Musica, Papa Wemba had already obtained popularity in ZaireZaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
(now DR Congo) as a member and singer of other prominent soukous band, most notably Zaiko Langa Langa
Zaiko Langa Langa
Zaiko Langa Langa are a seminal soukous band from DR Congo. The word "Zaiko" is a portmanteau for the lingala phrase Zaire ya bankoko, meaning "Zaire of our ancestors", where "Zaire" must be read as a reference to the river by that name, now called Congo...
, Isifi Lokole
Isifi Lokole
Isifi Lokole were a soukous band from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They were founded in 1974. The word "Isifi" is an acronym for "Institut du Savoir Ideologique pour la Formation des Idoles", while the lokole is a traditional Congolese drum...
and Yoka Lokole
Yoka Lokole
Yoka Lokole was a soukous band from Zaire founded by Papa Wemba and others in 1975 and disbanded in 1978. Despite its short life, Yoka Lokole was a prominent band in Zaire in the mid-1970s, as its lineup comprised several of the most influential soukous musicians of the times, including Papa...
, all of which were founded or co-founded by Wemba. In 1977, Wemba established the community of Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
, in Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
, a sort of musicians' commune. Viva La Musica was the main musical act from Molokai. It was at that time that Wemba got the nickname "Papa" by which he would be known thereafter. The name "Viva La Musica" was chosen as a tribute to American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
star Johnny Pacheco
Johnny Pacheco
Johnny Pacheco is a Dominican producer, musician, bandleader, and one of the most influential figures in American salsa music.-Early life:...
, one of Wemba's major influences, who used the motto Que viva la musica ("long live music" in spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
) in his performances. In fact, Papa Wemba had already used the Viva la musica! slogan in his former band Yoka Lokole
Yoka Lokole
Yoka Lokole was a soukous band from Zaire founded by Papa Wemba and others in 1975 and disbanded in 1978. Despite its short life, Yoka Lokole was a prominent band in Zaire in the mid-1970s, as its lineup comprised several of the most influential soukous musicians of the times, including Papa...
, as a battlecry introducing sebene (dance) sections of their live performances, so the Congolese audience was already familiar with that name when Viva La Musica debuted in February 1977.
Viva La Musica's overall style was the outcome of a careful balancing of several elements, some of which of political
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
nature. While the group would be dressed like Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans (something that was not easily accepted by the "Africanist" government of Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga , commonly known as Mobutu or Mobutu Sese Seko , born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, was the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 to 1997...
), this was counterbalanced by an explicit endorsement of Congolese tradition, including the use of lokole
Lokole
The lokole is a traditional slit drum played by the Mongo people in different areas of the Congo region, e.g., in the Kasai area. It is used both as a musical instrument and as a log drum to send messages in the bush; for example, it is known to be played to announce someone's death to the...
drums and Wemba's declared support for Mobutu's Authenticité
Authenticité (Zaire)
Authenticité was an official state ideology of the Mobutu regime that originated in the late 1960s and early 1970s in what was first the Democratic Republic of the Congo, later renamed Zaire...
campaign. One of the first songs of Viva La Musica was dedicated to Mobutu's wife.
As with the previous bands created by Papa Wemba, Viva La Musica had an impressive lineup, including several of the most talented Zairean musicians of the time. The list of new talents discovered by Wemba and hired to play in Viva La Musica over the years include Kisangani Esperant, Jadot le Cambodgien, Pepe Bipoli, Petit Aziza, Rigo Star
Rigo Star
Rigobert Bamundele, best known as Rigo Star, is an appreciated soukous guitarist and composer from DR Congo, now based in Paris. He has played with several major soukous and world music acts, including Papa Wemba's Viva La Musica, Bozi Boziana's Anti-Choc, Kanda Bongo Man, Koffi Olomide, Kelele,...
, Syriana
Syriana
Syriana is a 2005 geopolitical thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, and executive produced by George Clooney, who also stars in the film with an ensemble cast. Gaghan's screenplay is loosely adapted from Robert Baer's memoir See No Evil...
, Bongo Wende, Koffi Olomide
Koffi Olomide
Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba, also known as Koffi Olomide , is a DR Congolese soukous singer, dancer, producer, and composer. He is also known by a multitude of other names and aliases.-Background:...
, and Kester Emeneya.
The band was an instant success. Less than one year after their debut, the Elima newspaper awarded the band as "Best Orchestra" of Zaire, while Papa Wemba was declared "Best Singer" and one of their early hits, Mère Supérieure, was listed as Best Song. In the next two years, the band peaked several times at the top of the local charts, with hits like Moku Nyon Nyon, Mabele Mokonzi, Bokulaka, Princesse ya Sinza, Nyekesse Migue
In 1979 Wemba spent six years in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, performing with group Afrisa International. When he came back to Zaire, Wemba's fascination with European habits, and especially with European fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
, became even more obvious in Viva La Musica recordings, with songs like La Firenze (a tribute to Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
fashion) and other that directly or indirectly mentioned fashion designers and brands. While much of Viva La Musica's production still reflected the complementary interest in Congolese tradition (for example, hit single Ana Lengo, selling half a million copies in Africa, was sung in kitelela language), the blatant violation of the government-imposed dressing code brought much criticism to the band from the press. This, however, did not affect the band's popularity, that easily filled venues with a capacity of dozen of thousands attendees.
In the early 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, Wemba neglected Viva La Musica to strengthen his collaboration relations with European (mostly French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) artists. He stayed in Europe so long that rumors spread in Zaire about his alleged death. As a consequence of his absence, Viva La Musica went to pieces, and in 1982 14 of its 19 members had left. Wemba recreated the band in 1983 with a completely renovated lineup that released Rumba Rock-Frenchen, one of the first Zairean albums to sell well in the European market. This success convinced Wemba that it was time to "slam the door on Zaire", as he announced on his website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
. From that moment on, Viva La Musica's albums were explicitly conceived for the world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
market rather than the Zairean-soukous audience. In 1986, the international status of the band was sealed by a tour that reached as far as Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. At the same time, several members of the group were fired because, according to Wemba, they were not able to cooperate with non-African musicians and were not interested in any music except that of Zaire.
In 1987, the band actually relocated to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Wemba's musical interests, anyway, already reached way beyond Viva La Musica. Solo productions (such as the eponymous Papa Wemba album of 1988) and collaborations with international artists (such as Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, and others) became prominent. Viva La Musica was essentially reduced to a group of session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s that Wemba would rely on when he was in Europe; but at the same time, he had other musical ensembles, such as Molokai International and Nouvelle Ecriture. This state of things was made clear by performances such as a pharaonic concert in Bruxelles in 1999, where Wemba led a huge band comprising Viva La Musica, Molokai, Nouvelle Ecriture, and even former Zaiko Langa Langa members.
Dances popularized by Viva La Musica
As is common in the soukous tradition, Viva La Musica has introduced several dance styles in the Congolose popular culture. The list of dance styles created or popularized by the band includes:- CooCoo Dindon (1979)
- Griffe Dindon (1980)
- Eza Eza (1981)
- Mansota (1982)
- Rumba Rock-Frenchen (1983)
- La Musselman (1984)
- La Firenze (1984)
- Se-Ya (1986)
- Kwassa kwassaKwassa kwassaKwassa kwassa is a dance rhythm from the Democratic Republic of the Congo that started in the 1970s where the hips move back and forth while the hands move to follow the hips. It was very popular in Africa in the late 1980s. The words kwassa kwassa may have come from the French quoi ça?...
(1987) - Comme a l'ecole (1989)
- Bouloukoutu (1991)
- Mingi Mingi (1993)
- Tuna Sortie (1994)
- Chege (1996)
- Nsu Nsengele (1999)