Koffi Olomide: Why I did not attend Papa Wemba's funeral

Congolese music grandmaster Papa Wemba was laid to rest at his Molokai home on Wednesday 11 days after his death.

The singer, born Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba collapsed at the Femua Festival in Ivory Coast aged 65 years old.

Five days after his death the Abidjan and Congolese Government assisted with the transportation of his body to Ngaliema Morgue (à la morgue de la clinique Ngaliema) in Kinshasa where a post mortem was conducted to establish the cause of his death. The results will be restricted to family members only.

On Monday morning his body lay at Kamanyola national stadium – (or Stade des Martyrs located in Lingwala, Kinshasa for two days for public viewing and mourning. 

During all this one thing was evident. Congolese music maestro Koffi Olomide was missing in action. He was busy staging various show outside DRC.

Many have questioned Koffi’s act – with others insinuating that his actions have not gone down well with most of Papa Wemba’s fans.

To make matters worse, there have been rumors that Papa Wemba could have been poisoned with a microphone.

“People will always find something to say whenever a prominent person dies. Truth is, Papa Wemba was not in good health at the time of his concert. He defied doctors orders to take rest after recuperating from a coma- since he had been paid for the show,” says his close confidant from DRC.

While admitting that DRC has encountered a great loss following the death of Papa Wemba – Koffi explains that his conscious is clear and that he has never had any ill motives towards his mentor and father papa Wemba- let alone any Congolese musician. 

On the perceived rift between him and Papa Wemba Koffi admits they have not been in good terms owing to his departure from Viva La Musica to form his own Quartier Latin in 1986.

“Although our relationship was not as close as we used to be when I first joined his Viva La Musica band I still viewed him as a mentor and a ‘father’ musically speaking,” says Koffi

As for why he chose to abscond Wemba’s burial even though he was part of the funeral committee – Koffi says it was the deceased wish that he does so. 

“Papa Wemba always made it clear that incase of his death I should not attend his burial and vice versa,” he says, adding that despite this he would have wished to be present at the burial. 

As he lay in state, his coffin was draped in Congolese national colors with an enormous red hat, modeled on the hat he was wearing at the time of death

Thousands of mourners were in attendance, among them President Joseph Kabila.

The president not only paid a tribute to the singer at the memorial held at the parliamentary building, but also awarded him with one the DR Congo's highest honours for the "loyal and eminent services given to the nation".

Unlike prominent deceased Congolese musicians who have been buried at Gombe cemetery situated within La Gombe municipality in the Lukunga district, Kinshasa, Wemba’s wish was to be buried at his Molokai home. He becomes the first prominent Congolese musician to break away from the hallowed tradition.