"Paris, Africa" in a Week

The Paris Charlety Stadium Show featuring:

	Papa Wemba with Viva la Musica Cour des Grands, Nouvelle Ecriture & Les Fioti-Fioti
	King Kester Emeneya & Washifa of Victoria Eleison
	Grand Pere Bozi Boziana & Deesse with Anti Choc
	Savanet de Pitsho of the AGB Stars
	Abeba Lipordo with Viva la Musica

By Martin Sinnock "Muana Machete"

Saturday, 12 August

We all eat breakfast and await our transport back to Berchem railway station. Bozi is relaxed and asks me for some constructive criticism of last night’s show. We agree on how changes need to be made for tonight’s stadium concert in front of a Congolese audience. Bozi is thrilled when Ethan gives him a Stars and Stripes ski-hat which he then proudly wears for the rest of the day. While the band return direct to Paris, Charlie, Ethan and I stop off at Bruxelles Central station and walk up the hill to Petit Matonge, the Congolese quarter of the city. I start pointing out some of my favourite architecture and our route takes us past the old European office of Luambo Franco.

Alexis Azulino with Martin Sinnock, returning to Antwerpen in the band's tour bus (Photo by Charles Fuller)

In Petit Matonge we are greeted by Gina in Musicanova, who I have not seen for about three years (Pierrot who runs the shop is away). Charlie and Ethan are able to pick up some of the cds that we were unable to find in Paris. We only have a short time prior to our train back to Paris and the run back to the main station is exhausting. Ethan, a former Boston marathon runner, is looking like he is either about to drop dead or alternatively to kill me. He must be terribly jet-lagged from yesterday’s flight, plus he is weighed down with cds, and wearing some particularly cumbersome and unattractive sandals. Both Charlie and Ethan are struggling to keep up with my whirl-wind tour of the European Congolese music scene. We catch the train with literally seconds to spare – Ethan is totally beat. Our energy revives a little as we relax on the train back to Paris.

We walk to our hotel and immediately bump into Lidjo Kwempa who finally gets to meet “Ethan Bloomberg Radio Boston” (Lidjo sang Ethan’s name on his last cd). Araï and Takako then appear (Araï too has been waiting to meet Ethan for the first time) and some friends from England, Vincent and Hisano also arrive (they too have travelled to see tonight’s show).

Charlie, Ethan and I have some dinner and then try to get a couple of hours sleep prior to the all night concert. We meet up with Déesse whom we escort to the stadium where we find Winan waiting for us. The stadium is a giant indoor basketball arena and at 00.30 there are no refreshments on sale and little sign of any audience. We meet and greet various friends and eventually sit down with Bozi and Déesse in the musicians’ area.

The evening's big event

Solo artist Abeba Lipordo backed by Viva la Musica (Photo by Martin Sinnock)

The first couple of hours of the show are horrendous as we suffer some dreadfully turgid reggae, some lame theatrical stuff and a couple of boring playbacks. Chanteuse Isa (la Fleure du Zaïre) causes things to liven up: her rumba-cabaret and salsa stuff always gets things going. But the audience is small and the sound is dire as it echoes around the cavernous arena. Abeba Lipordo performs a couple of good tunes (his hit “Arrestation” is always popular) backed by Viva Cour des Grands.

New group AGB Stars led by Savanet de Pitsho, JF Ifonge and Cesar Loboko are strong, albeit very derivative of the Quartier Latin style, which is the group that Savanet and Ifonge used to perform with. Their musicians are tight and their stage show is well put together.

Savanet de Pitsho of the AGB Stars performing a strong set at the

Paris Stadium Show (Photo by Martin Sinnock)

But it is Bozi and Déesse’s marvelous performance that is the first to really stir the crowd (which is still only a few hundred strong). Sticking with big hits like “La Reine de Sabbah” and “Swizeland” makes this Anti-Choc show a pure nostalgia trip. But the stage presentation by Bozi’s dancers gives it a good contemporary edge which is slightly different to the usual “Ndombolo” dance moves that most bands perform. The band play well and I totally forgive them for the disappointment I felt during the previous night’s show.

Deese and Bozi Boziana on an Anti-Choc nostalgia trip (Photo by Martin Sinnock)

By now the sound quality has improved a bit in the stadium and there are just about enough people in the audience to save the event from looking like a disaster. I spot an old friend, professional photographer Leni Sinclair, who has arranged to meet me. Leni is having a great time taking pictures so I introduce her to Bozi and a few other musicians.

An enticing dancer in the Anti-Choc entourage (Photo by Ethan Bloomberg)

Papa Wemba taking control of the Festival (Photo by Ethan Bloomberg)

Nouvelle Ecriture perform an adequate set which only really comes to life when Wemba introduces the Fioti-Fioti dancers. Their show is much abbreviated from the show I saw a month earlier at The Zenith but they still totally slay me with their charm and youthful exuberance. When Viva la Musica Cour des Grands take over the stage the excitement builds to a climax; and at something like 0600 in the morning a huge buzz of excitement surges through the audience as King Kester Emeneya joins Papa Wemba on stage.

The Fioti-Fioti (Photo by Martin Sinnock)

They duet on “Kimpiatu”, the King’s anthem, and the entire crowd joins in as the first lines “Hafi miko....” are sung. Kester- Ya Mukolo thrills the audience with a short, but oh so sweet set. He duets with Omba, then with old Victoria colleague Washifa, and each time a fan walks on stage to dash him some money he magnanimously passes it straight to soloist Demoukousse who is playing with his usual elegance and class.

The audience are eager to see the new dances “Kiwanzenza” and “Tshiaku Libondas” and with good humour Kester gives a quick demonstration. He is no great dancer and he soon breaks off laughing; and the crowd love him just for giving us a taste of these new dance sensations. The show is soon over and I make my way over to greet Emeneya who is surrounded by fans. He sees me, pushes his way through his admirers, and embraces me before being swamped again by well-wishers. It is more than two years since I last saw him and I am pleased he has recognised me amongst the crowd.

King Kester Emeneya being dashed with money while Papa Wemba watched from the background - (Photo by Ethan Bloomberg)

King Kester Emeneya & Omba Tsimba at the Charlety Stadium show (Photo by Martin Sinnock)

With the show finished we plan on leaving – but two of the headline acts have still not performed. The shambolic organisation has meant that Evoloko Lay-Lay and his entourage have no hope of performing. And Gina wa Gina and his group choose to play with no stage lighting, to a satiated audience who are already making their way out of the stadium. The post-concert discussion between artists and promoter is set to be heated. Bozi usually has the right philosophy for these events: Play early, get paid, and let the rest fight out the “top billing” battle of the egos. Bozi is a cool and quite shrewd character whose modesty and timidity may well serve him better in the long run. Wemba, who justifiably has top billing, controls and to some extent manipulates the scheduling of many of these type of concerts. I am sure that his intention was not to insult Evoloko and Gina; but it is almost as if he plans the show to be chaotic and disorganised in order that his eventual appearance (usually at 0400) comes as a calming and disaster-saving highlight. Rightfully Wemba is known as “M’zee” or “Papa”. We all leave the stadium and chat at the main gate.

Photos are taken, not just by the visiting journalists but also by top Congolese photographer Athis, who is as charming as ever. Emeneya tells me of his plans to bring his Kinshasa musicians to Europe in October and we agree to meet up. Winan and Emeneya have never met before and I am pleased that they are getting on together. For some time now I have been thinking that Winan’s voice would work well with Emeneya’s and I have vague plans to try and encourage them to work together. Déesse had already left the show before the end but when bidding me farewell had agreed to come visit me in September whilst touring England with Mosese Fan-Fan. Bozi thanks me for helping organise his trip to the Antilliaanse Festival and we agree to get together soon. Winan, Charlie, Ethan and I walk back toward central Paris where we find a cafe open for breakfast. It is 0830 on Sunday morning and Winan and I enjoy a beer which will hopefully help us to sleep. Ethan looks happy but tired. Charlie has passed the happy stage and is dead on his feet. We get him home and he is asleep before his head hits the pillow. – Youth of today? No stamina!!

Grand Pere Bozi Boziana with Grand Frere Martin Sinnock, outside the Charlety Stadium in Paris (Photo courtesy of Martin Sinnock)

Click here to continue to Part 5: Koffi Olomide's Birthday Fete