Adieu Papa Wemba 1949 - 2013

The African award winning singer, Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba a.k.a Papa Wemba was no more. Diabetes had claimed the life of one of the most popular performers in the continent.

Papa Wemba sprang into the spotlight with his unique vocal delivery in the music group, Zaiko Langa Langa in 1973. He later moved on to another band in 1974 called Isifi – Institut du Savoir Ideologique pour la Formation de Idoles - Lokole with “Amazone” as their greatest hit at that time. Barely a year later, the young talented singer moved yet to another group called the Yoka Lokola a.ka The Kinshasa’s Wa Fania All-Stars. It was in 1977 that Wemba formed the popular band, Viva La Musica structured around young talented artists including Antoine Agbepa better known as Koffi Olomide as the groups songwriter. The group gained an instantaneous success with hits like “Mere Superieure”, “Mabelle Mokozi”, and “Bukulak”.

After two decades, the superstar took off to settle in Europe where he became one of the pioneers of a new genre called “World Music” with his new group “Molokai International”. He explained that, “I’m a star in Zaire, a star in Africa but I decided to slam down on Zaire because I don’t want to play for Zaireans only, but for all humanity”

Beside the music, Papa Wemba tried his hands into films and received critical acclaims but also achieved both fame and notoriety in his male role in the 1987 film, “La Vie Est Belle. In 1997, he got another role in “Combat de Fauves” and another one in the 2004, “Les Habitat Neufs de Gouverneur” (The Governor’s New Clothes) and then in the 2012 Belgian drama, “Kinshasa Kids”.

However, it was not all rosy for the famous man because he tasted the unfriendly prison yards in 1976 for allegedly falling in love with a General’s daughter. He was arrested again in 2003 for smuggling hundreds of illegal immigrants into Europe for a profit. He was sentenced to three and a half months behind bars and fined 30,000pounds. To add insults upon injury, Papa Wemba was further banned from entering Belgium and France. A decision which, according to close sources, had a profound psychological effect on the man.

After his release from jail, Papa Wemba returned home a changed man. He claimed he underwent a spiritual conversion in jail and found Jesus. He released an album titled, “Somo Trop” carrying songs to that effect.

Zaire now known as DR Congo had gone through her socio-economic political turmoil with clubs banned, others turned into churches and a new ruler Joseph Kabila had taken over the late Mobutu and the French had named Kinshasa the new center of music in Congo. Then rose the new sound of fast paced party music – soukous- which Papa Wemba pushed forward until his death.

The great African music icon will be missed indeed! Adieu Papa Wemba, RIP!