In September 2000, a Congolese band sold out the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, one of the largest indoor arenas in France. Wenge Musica Maison Mère, led by Werrason, became only the second African act to fill the venue, following Koffi Olomide earlier that year. Three years before, the band had not existed.
Wenge Musica
Wenge Musica was one of the great Congolese bands of the late 1980s and 1990s, a group of young musicians from Kinshasa who updated rumba and soukous with faster, harder dance rhythms. Its frontmen included Werrason, born Noël Ngiama Makanda, and JB Mpiana. The band’s success also brought rivalry.
The split
In December 1997, Wenge Musica broke apart over internal disputes. JB Mpiana led one faction as Wenge BCBG. On 20 December 1997, Werrason, Didier Masela and Adolphe Dominguez formed Wenge Musica Maison Mère, “the mother house”, claiming the original band’s identity. The two factions became rivals, and their fans fought the battle in Kinshasa’s bars and on its streets.
Ndombolo
The music of the period was ndombolo, a fast, hip-swinging dance style that spread from Kinshasa across Africa. Its dancing was so suggestive that some governments tried to keep it off television. Fans loved it.
Solola Bien!
In December 1999, Wenge Musica Maison Mère released Solola Bien! The album, packed with ndombolo, went gold. It established Werrason as the “King of the Forest”, one of his many nicknames, and the most popular bandleader in Congolese music at the turn of the century.
Bercy
The Bercy concert in September 2000 was a statement. Reports put the crowd at around 17,000 fans, many from the Congolese diaspora in France and Belgium. It confirmed that Congolese music could fill the biggest venues in Europe.
Kibuisa Mpimpa
In 2001, Werrason released his first solo album, Kibuisa Mpimpa. It is widely regarded as a classic of Congolese dance music, and its songs became anthems across Central and West Africa.
The rivalry
The competition between Werrason and JB Mpiana defined Congolese music for years. Each released albums and staged concerts to outdo the other. Their fans argued endlessly about who was the true heir to Wenge Musica.
Still filling halls
Werrason has continued to perform and record into the 2020s. In February 2025, Africanews reported on a comeback concert in Paris that drew about 7,000 fans and was billed as a night of unity. The split of 1997 created two bands where there had been one. For Werrason, it also created a career that has lasted far longer than the original Wenge.
