Koffi Olomide & Quatier Latin - Live au Palais de Congres Strasbourg, France

 

 

Feature and photography by Hortense Fuller

 
   

AfricaSounds had the fortune of witnessing Koffi Olomide & Quartier Latin during their 2002 European tour in support of the superb double release of the "Effrekata" album.  The concert, which took place at the Palais de Congres in Strassbourg, France, was captured on video by the promoter and is currently on the market.  Unlike his larger-venue shows which are tighter and more structured affairs, the Palais de Congres show revealed the band leader and group relaxing with the audience and extending many of their hits into lengthy jams.  The audience had traveled from throughout the Alsace region and also neighboring Switzerland and Germany to witness the show.  

Typical for Congolese music events, the evening started very late, in part because the promoters were clearly waiting for the hall to fill with fans.  By the time the band had begun, well after midnight, a nice sized crowd had formed although one would have expected an even greater audience for Olomide due to his immense popularity in Europe.

Olomide's latest release, a double album, contains outstanding dance hits and, more significantly, a second disc of stripped down, romantic ballads making it one of the most pleasant new releases in recent memory
 
   
Olomide was in good spirits for the occasion, and directed his band through countless hits including some ballads from the earlier part of his career.  He even began to take requests from the eager audience towards the end of the concert.  Greater emphasis seemed to be placed on the vocals that night, harmonies were well structured and each singer was given more than ample time to express his thoughts during the extended jams.  During the sebenes, percussion and guitar dominated as the animateurs whipped the crowd up into a frenzy.  Olomide has rotated through several troupes of dancers over the past few years, one dancer on this night stood out due to her unique and in some cases peculiar movements that had the audience focused on her next moves.  
   
   
Olomide has smartly brought singer and excellent dancer Montana on board (photo above).  Montana was previously one of the lead singers for General Defao's Big Stars band which disbanded while on their U.S. tour several years back.  Happily for Montana, his presence has been growing within the Quartier Latin group, as evidenced by the bounty of flowers which the female fans flung at his feet during the performance.  
   

 

Quartier Latin possess a unique stage presence as can be seen by the singers' stances in the photos above and below

  

 

 
   
   

Olomide and Quartier Latin have perfected the concept of a line dance

 

  
   

Fanciful silhouettes were possible in part to a lack of proper lighting, but the results prove interesting

 

  
 
   
The concert started off with the classic Ultimatum, a hit in the mid 90s that further galvanized Olomide's popularity throughout Central Africa.  Later, the song "Washington" off the Effrakata album was a highlight due to the heartfelt vocals and rousing sebene that followed.  The audience, who knew every word, sang along to Olomide's heartfelt vocals and in some cases sang for him, much to his pleasure.  Even the lyrics of songs off the new double "Effrakata" album appeared to be on the tips of everyone's lips.  
   
   
This dancer has a way of swinging and wiggling that is totally unique among dancers in the Congolese band, as evidenced by the concert video which has now hit the streets.  
   

   

   
Samples of Quartier Latin's upcoming winter release sound promising, with stepped up guitar and rousing new animations.  As there has been a veritable lack of new releases over the past eight months, this winter season should hopefully reverse that trend, with releases scheduled for most of the leading Congolese artists, including Olomide's Quartier Latin, Papa Wemba and Nouvelle Ecrita, King Kester Emeneya, Bozi Boziana, Marie Paul, Werrason and J.B. Mpiana.