JB Mpiana: Musician with velvet vocals

By Caroline Nyanga

There is little doubt the Wenge Musica ‘clan’, now splintered, is one of the most influential music groups to come from the Democratic Republic of Congo. So, the expected performance of Jean Bedel Mpiana Tshituka (JB Mpiana) and his Bon Chic Bon Genre—BCBG (handsome and smart men)—in Nairobi next month, will offerfans nothing but the best.

Because of the many past false promises about the musician, also known as Souverin 1er Premiere, coming to Kenya, The Standard decided to seek him on telephone to get it from the horse’s mouth.

Speaking from New York, US, the long-serving original Orchestre Wenge Musica leader confirmed he was indeed coming to Kenya. Mpiana is scheduled to perform in Dallas Philadelphia this weekend.

"I can’t wait to visit Kenya once again. My fans will not only be entertained but will also have the opportunity to catch up with the latest dance moves," he says.

Jean Bedel Mpiana Tshituka

The musician, whose album Kipe Ya Yo (Mind your business) is doing well, says he will come with sweet music and wants his Kenyan fans to "eat" it.

He is expected to perform at Carnivore’s Simba Saloon on December 26, and later at Bomas Club, Nairobi, on New Year’s eve. The shows are organised by promoter Jules Nsana of Nsana Promotions.

Known for his fashionable dressing, energetic stage performances and bewitching vocals, Mpiana, or simply Mukulukulu alongside Wenge Musica four by four, captured the imagination of the nation with their hip-shaking ndombolo style when they visited Kenya in 1997. Then, their album Kalayi Boeing was ruling the airwaves. Unfortunately, the band later broke up. Since then, Mpiana has not staged a show in Kenya.

"I have been to Kenya on two occasions, not to perform, but on transit to Tanzania and Congo," he says.

This time Mpiana says he has lots of surprises for Kenyans: "I will be introducing new dancing styles besides the usual ones like mulolo, echubele, kiliwazenza and lopele."

Music albums

Mpiana has many albums under his cap. They include Toujours Humble, Feux de L’amour (Ndombolo), Titanic, Internet, Anti Terro, Kipe Ya Yo and Quel Est Ton Probleme (What is Your Problem).

For more than a decade, there has been fierce competition in the Congolese music scene, with Koffi Olomide, Werra Son and Mpiana as the main players. Others who have been added into the list include top animator (formerly with Werrason) Bill Clinton, Fally Ipupa, and Ferre Gola.

The rivalry among the musicians has been reflected in the frenetic bids for CD recordings of new compositions in which they have not failed to take jibes at each other while trying to widen their fan bases.

Popularity

Koffi has gained wider international prominence while Werrason and Mpiana have continued to consolidate their popularity at home and abroad. What makes Mpiana and Werra stand out is the fact that they are both founder members of the original Wenge Musica four by four.

Wenge built up a solid reputation for its fusion of lyrical vocals, rap percussion and acoustics into dance form. This was the group that also had Alain Makaba, Adolphe Dominguez, Blaise Bula, Didier, Masela, Marie-Paul and Aime Buanga. However, the bubble burst after about a decade and the top guns in the band went separate ways. What is interesting is that they still wish to retain the Wenge Musical label in their new outfits.

It emerged that the front -runners are Werrason and Mpiana. And since then, there has been intense rivalry between the two ex- Wenge vocalists, especially in DRC.

So deep was the schism seven years ago, that it was said the duo would not see eye to eye. Their releases not only displayed a feeling of superiority, but also were intended as a jest to the opponent’s inadequacies. This saw the release of Mpiana’s dramatic Titanic and Werra’s drastic response with Force d’Intervention Rapid.

However, the differences seemed to have been buried and what has been left behind is healthy competition, which saw Werra further produce Operation Dragon, and Mpiana Internet.

Presidential truce

It took the intervention of President Joseph Kabila, who invited the two music giants to his presidential palace for a pacification exercise to assuage the bitterness between the fanatical sons.

Mpiana who believes he is the best artiste alongside Werrason, Koffi and Papa Wemba, in that order, told The Standard, that the prolonged rivalry between him and Werrason will never end: "The fact that it has kept us on our toes all along simply means that it is a good thing."

No wonder both musicians enjoy an almost cult status in their home country as attested to by the sales of their latest releases. While Werra enjoys fanatical support, Mpiana has been acknowledged as the "poet and ballads specialist" due to his satin smooth voice and sentimental lyrics.

So, how does he handle his female fans? "Yes, I love all my fans and I always make sure that they are entertained to the fullest. But I have a deeper understanding with my wife and family. They are my best friends," he says.