Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba commonly known as Papa Wemba (June 14, 1… Read Full Bio ↴Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba commonly known as Papa Wemba (June 14, 1949 – April 24, 2016) was a Congolese rumba, later known as soukous, singer and musician. He was one of Africa's most popular musicians.
Papa Wemba was one of the very first musicians to join the influential Soukous band, Zaiko Langa Langa when it was created on December 24, 1969 in Kinshasa (Capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo) along with such well known Congolese musicians as Nyoka Longo Jossart, Manuaku Pepe Felly, Evoloko Lay Lay, Teddy Sukamu, Zamuangana Enock, Mavuela Simeon, and others.
In a Congolese musical world dominated at the time by Franco Luambo and his remarkable band TPOK Jazz, Tabu Ley Rochereau's Afrisa, and by then-new musical groups like Les Grands Maquisards, Le Trio Madjesi, and even younger bands like Bella-Bella, Thu Zaina and Empire Bakuba, the young and talented Papa Wemba (then known as Jules Presley Shungu Wembadio), was one of the driving forces that by 1973 made Zaiko Langa Langa one of the most-performing dominant Congolese groups, featuring such popular numbers as "Chouchouna" (Papa Wemba), "Eluzam" and " Mbeya Mbeya" (Evoloko Lay Lay), "BP ya Munu" (Efonge Gina) and "Zania" (Mavuela Somo).
In December 1974, at the pinnacle of their fame (and just a month after the Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa), Shungu Wembadio (Papa Wemba), along with Evoloko Lay Lay, Mavuela Somo and Bozi Boziana (who'd joined Zaiko Langa Langa a year earlier), left Zaiko Langa Langa to establish their own musical ensemble Isifi Lokole, ISIFI being an acronym for "Institut de Savoir Ideologique pour la Formation des Idoles." In July 1975, Shungu Wembadio officially adopted the soon-to-be-well-known worldwide artist name Papa Wemba, the addition of "Papa" (father) an allusion to what were in fact rather awesome family responsiblities as the first son in a family where both father and mother (Wemba's parents) had been deceased since the 1960s.
The "feux d'artifice" (fireworks) that was Isifi Lokole would only last a year, with the single "Amazone" (Papa Wemba) as its biggest commercial "hit" record. In November 1975, Papa Wemba, Mavuela Somo and Bozi Boziana abandoned Evoloko Lay Lay and Isifi Lokole to create the group Yoka Lokole (also known as The Kinshasha All-Stars, or Lokole Isifi, or simply Isifi), along with Mbuta Mashakado, another Zaiko Langa Langa 'transfusion.' Yoka Lokole enjoyed slightly less popular success than the original Isifi Lokole, but for a time still managed to remain at the top the African pop music wave with hit songs like "Matembele Bangui", "Lisuma ya Zazu" (Papa Wemba), "Mavuela Sala Keba", and "Bana Kin" (Mavuela Somo).
Like Isifi Lokole, the electronic-instrument driven Yoka Lokole (or The Kinshasha All-Stars) would not last much longer than a year, given the merger of so many big-name talents in the band's lineup. After a year of modest success, controversies within Yoka Lokole over money and prestige (complicated by Wemba's arrest and brief incarceration in Kinshasa Central prison in December 1976 for the 'crime' of being suspected of having had physical intimacy with an influential army general's daughter) would lead Papa Wemba, then feeling diminished by peers and neglected by the public, to form his own group Viva la Musica in February 1977.
At his home in the Matonge neighborhood of Kinshasa, Papa Wemba structured Viva la Musica around young talented artists like singers Kisangani Esperant, Jadot le Cambodgien, Pepe Bipoli and Petit Aziza, guitarists Rigo Star, Syriana, and Bongo Wende. The group had nearly instantaneous success, with hit songs like "Mere Superieure," "Mabele Mokonzi," "Bokulaka," "Princesse ya Sinza," and others.
During the height of his success in 1977, Papa Wemba's family home, which had become a popular, some even said hallowed/special place for Matonge youths to gather "à la mode" (i.e., to be cool) was named the "Village Molokai," and Wemba assumed the exalted moniker "Chef Coutumier" (Chief) of the Village of Molokai. In those days people referred to Papa Wemba as the "chief from the heartland (village)" to differentiate him from Kinshasa-born musical bigshots Mavuela Somo and Mashakado. However years later Mavuela would say that their difficulties only simply amounted to trivial foolishness over money, ambition and fame between some very-young people (that at the time they all were).
Since 1977, Viva la Musica has seen both the 'defections' of musicians every two or three years and the entrée and emergence of other new talents. King Kester Emeneya (1977-1982), Koffi Olomide (1978-1979), Djuna Djanana (1978-1981), Dindo Yogo (1979-1981), Maray-Maray (1980-1984), Lidjo Kwempa (1982-2001), Reddy Amissi (1982-2001), Stino Mubi (1983-2001) are among the currently well-known Congolese musicians who have served at one time or another with Viva la Musica. An old Kinshasa anecdote says that a college student then-named Antoine Agbepa Koffi was such an impressive songwriter that one day in 1977 Papa Wemba exhorted, "Ooh! l'homme idee" (Oh! the idea-man!) thereby on-the-spot renaming the impressive young singer-songwriter Koffi 'Olomide'--and the name stuck!
After the wave of African emigration to Europe in the 1990s, Wemba maintained one group in Kinshasa (called at times "Nouvelle Ecriture," "Nouvel Ecrita," and now again "Viva la Musica") and another one in Paris ("Nouvelle Generation," "La Cour des Grands," and now "Viva Tendance"). He has also consistently maintained a very high profile in World Music with such great hits as "L'Esclave" (1986), "Le Voyageur, Maria Valencia" (1992), "Foridoles, Dixieme Commandement" (1994), "Emotion" (1995), "Pole Position" (1996), "Fula Ngenge" (1999), "Bakala dia Kuba" (2001), and "Somo Trop" (2003). Many would assign Wemba the status of African-music "living legend," as few others in history could claim (Franco Luambo, Tabu Ley Rochereau, and Miriam Makeba certainly among them).
Papa Wemba is also known as an actor. In 1987, he played the male lead role in the successful Zairean (Congolese) film La Vie est Belle by Belgian director Benoit Lami and Congolese producer-director Ngangura Mweze.
Papa Wemba was one of the very first musicians to join the influential Soukous band, Zaiko Langa Langa when it was created on December 24, 1969 in Kinshasa (Capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo) along with such well known Congolese musicians as Nyoka Longo Jossart, Manuaku Pepe Felly, Evoloko Lay Lay, Teddy Sukamu, Zamuangana Enock, Mavuela Simeon, and others.
In a Congolese musical world dominated at the time by Franco Luambo and his remarkable band TPOK Jazz, Tabu Ley Rochereau's Afrisa, and by then-new musical groups like Les Grands Maquisards, Le Trio Madjesi, and even younger bands like Bella-Bella, Thu Zaina and Empire Bakuba, the young and talented Papa Wemba (then known as Jules Presley Shungu Wembadio), was one of the driving forces that by 1973 made Zaiko Langa Langa one of the most-performing dominant Congolese groups, featuring such popular numbers as "Chouchouna" (Papa Wemba), "Eluzam" and " Mbeya Mbeya" (Evoloko Lay Lay), "BP ya Munu" (Efonge Gina) and "Zania" (Mavuela Somo).
In December 1974, at the pinnacle of their fame (and just a month after the Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa), Shungu Wembadio (Papa Wemba), along with Evoloko Lay Lay, Mavuela Somo and Bozi Boziana (who'd joined Zaiko Langa Langa a year earlier), left Zaiko Langa Langa to establish their own musical ensemble Isifi Lokole, ISIFI being an acronym for "Institut de Savoir Ideologique pour la Formation des Idoles." In July 1975, Shungu Wembadio officially adopted the soon-to-be-well-known worldwide artist name Papa Wemba, the addition of "Papa" (father) an allusion to what were in fact rather awesome family responsiblities as the first son in a family where both father and mother (Wemba's parents) had been deceased since the 1960s.
The "feux d'artifice" (fireworks) that was Isifi Lokole would only last a year, with the single "Amazone" (Papa Wemba) as its biggest commercial "hit" record. In November 1975, Papa Wemba, Mavuela Somo and Bozi Boziana abandoned Evoloko Lay Lay and Isifi Lokole to create the group Yoka Lokole (also known as The Kinshasha All-Stars, or Lokole Isifi, or simply Isifi), along with Mbuta Mashakado, another Zaiko Langa Langa 'transfusion.' Yoka Lokole enjoyed slightly less popular success than the original Isifi Lokole, but for a time still managed to remain at the top the African pop music wave with hit songs like "Matembele Bangui", "Lisuma ya Zazu" (Papa Wemba), "Mavuela Sala Keba", and "Bana Kin" (Mavuela Somo).
Like Isifi Lokole, the electronic-instrument driven Yoka Lokole (or The Kinshasha All-Stars) would not last much longer than a year, given the merger of so many big-name talents in the band's lineup. After a year of modest success, controversies within Yoka Lokole over money and prestige (complicated by Wemba's arrest and brief incarceration in Kinshasa Central prison in December 1976 for the 'crime' of being suspected of having had physical intimacy with an influential army general's daughter) would lead Papa Wemba, then feeling diminished by peers and neglected by the public, to form his own group Viva la Musica in February 1977.
At his home in the Matonge neighborhood of Kinshasa, Papa Wemba structured Viva la Musica around young talented artists like singers Kisangani Esperant, Jadot le Cambodgien, Pepe Bipoli and Petit Aziza, guitarists Rigo Star, Syriana, and Bongo Wende. The group had nearly instantaneous success, with hit songs like "Mere Superieure," "Mabele Mokonzi," "Bokulaka," "Princesse ya Sinza," and others.
During the height of his success in 1977, Papa Wemba's family home, which had become a popular, some even said hallowed/special place for Matonge youths to gather "à la mode" (i.e., to be cool) was named the "Village Molokai," and Wemba assumed the exalted moniker "Chef Coutumier" (Chief) of the Village of Molokai. In those days people referred to Papa Wemba as the "chief from the heartland (village)" to differentiate him from Kinshasa-born musical bigshots Mavuela Somo and Mashakado. However years later Mavuela would say that their difficulties only simply amounted to trivial foolishness over money, ambition and fame between some very-young people (that at the time they all were).
Since 1977, Viva la Musica has seen both the 'defections' of musicians every two or three years and the entrée and emergence of other new talents. King Kester Emeneya (1977-1982), Koffi Olomide (1978-1979), Djuna Djanana (1978-1981), Dindo Yogo (1979-1981), Maray-Maray (1980-1984), Lidjo Kwempa (1982-2001), Reddy Amissi (1982-2001), Stino Mubi (1983-2001) are among the currently well-known Congolese musicians who have served at one time or another with Viva la Musica. An old Kinshasa anecdote says that a college student then-named Antoine Agbepa Koffi was such an impressive songwriter that one day in 1977 Papa Wemba exhorted, "Ooh! l'homme idee" (Oh! the idea-man!) thereby on-the-spot renaming the impressive young singer-songwriter Koffi 'Olomide'--and the name stuck!
After the wave of African emigration to Europe in the 1990s, Wemba maintained one group in Kinshasa (called at times "Nouvelle Ecriture," "Nouvel Ecrita," and now again "Viva la Musica") and another one in Paris ("Nouvelle Generation," "La Cour des Grands," and now "Viva Tendance"). He has also consistently maintained a very high profile in World Music with such great hits as "L'Esclave" (1986), "Le Voyageur, Maria Valencia" (1992), "Foridoles, Dixieme Commandement" (1994), "Emotion" (1995), "Pole Position" (1996), "Fula Ngenge" (1999), "Bakala dia Kuba" (2001), and "Somo Trop" (2003). Many would assign Wemba the status of African-music "living legend," as few others in history could claim (Franco Luambo, Tabu Ley Rochereau, and Miriam Makeba certainly among them).
Papa Wemba is also known as an actor. In 1987, he played the male lead role in the successful Zairean (Congolese) film La Vie est Belle by Belgian director Benoit Lami and Congolese producer-director Ngangura Mweze.
Foridoles
Papa Wemba Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Papa Wemba:
Ah Ouais Eh eh eh eh Eh eh eh eh Eh eh eh eh Eh…
Ainsi soit-il nga na kendeki mombebo eh na zongi na mboka eh na komi…
Amazone Yo mwana moko na soni yo vandaka na libala Yo bindinké…
Au nom de l'amour Dans l'Eden y avait Eva Toi dans mon cœur Oyo nini osali…
Awa Y' Okeyi Soki lelo yokeyi (e)? Nani a kobokolo elanga tolona? Soki le…
Baila Kinzonzi Elongi na yo o-o-oh é troubla nga motema o-o-oh Soki na…
Blessure eeh Liwa omemaka kaka okeyi, Mais tala makambu otiki na…
Bonjour Daddy ekomama se bongo la vie etindama se bongo na bibilia linga…
Bravo Cathy Bravo cathy Oh mama. Yo kuna sans ko yeba, A kanga mambu…
Congo moko Ebale ya Congo ohh Ezali lopango te eh Kasi ezali se-eh-eh n…
Elongi Ya Jesus Mokonzi ihhh Yo ozali motema ngolu uh Ndima losambo na biso …
Epelo Maman olonaki ndeté na lopangu pona kobombana moyi Papa abu…
Esclave Likambo nini na ngai Ni mwana ya mama hahaha Nilikama nini n…
Est-ce que Est-ce que obanza mpe gaio oo Mpo nga mabanzo ma nga…
Excuse Me Ozali nano na motema Ozali Kaka na esika ebeti Saka ngo oh L…
Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa i keep…
Fula Ngenge Ngai Na mati na Ngomba, Ko Luka Elongi Na yahwe, Na ba…
Hommage Nasili yo nini Nasili yo nini eee Po olimwa nga boye Nasali …
Image Yalee leloooo eee Yalee lelooo Yale leloo eee Yale leloo eee…
Jamais Kolonga Eya... eya lele mama Nga nakowa oh mokili Ebebi na masumu Ey…
jeancy jeancy maman tu la tromper jancy tu ma trahit jeancy Epelboi…
Kaokokokorobo Pesa biso nguya, tobare bazembezembe ná bantusa esprit Toren…
Le Voyageur Ah nga le voyageur mabanzo Elekeli nga mingui Joe pesa ngai …
Lingo Lingo Iyolela muana mama moseka Ndako ya nzambe eziki moto Mokolo …
Ma rosa Yooo omipesi omibuakiii na motema aa na maboko manga oboyi…
Madilamba Madilamba Madilamba Madilamba lamba lamba Mudiwaku layi kuyi…
Maman Bilengi mingi na sala na berceaux ya mama Eleki elingi kolek…
Maria Chérie Maria aa Lelo nakomi passe temps epanayo Mpo nazangi …
Maria Chérie Maria losako Y'otondi gracia Mokonzi ajali nayo Sambela…
Maria Valencia Soki bo moni yé na nzéla Soki bo moni yé na…
Matinda Yaka yaka yaka bolingo Zonga zonga zonga bolingo Matinda Mat…
Mawe See guys they di rush They di rush in the game…
Mi Amor Paroles de la chanson Mi Amor: Aaahh Bo lamoussaki Elodie n…
Mima Adama Bombola Tu es la qualité qui résous le problème de…
Mitard Mitard... Veux dire boloko na boloko, nyansara na nyansara..…
Mon jardin secret Paoloo De Souzaaa Paolo aaa oaaa(Bolingo Oh) Paolo aaaa Jar…
N'Djamena Faut pas réveiller le chat qui dort Na sosoli ango pona…
Nakokite I wanna love you girl (love you girl, love you…
Nandimi Na ndimi eh benga nga zoba na bolingo mais motema ezua…
No Comment Eva Pt. 2 No comment Surtout pas de commentaire Songi songi ebomeli …
Nzete Ya Sequoia Jules Maswa oyebi ndenge nazalaki, Mwasi kitoko, santé nzete…
O Koningana O ko ningana Soit o wuta Brazza, Luanda, South Africa, Abidj…
Ombela Yawaya mukalunga bana ba mama eh Yawaya mukalunga bana ba ta…
Omesatone Sec Bidens eh, monganga Yebisa bango ba pesa nga raison na…
Phrase Love Tous le jours kaka maloba Ya love Kasi lelo yoka phrase…
Poule de la mort Ezali tricherie to ezalie tirage au sort Ngai Tresor Ngando …
Pourquoi Tu n'es pas là Mamé mamé (ma) Mamé (ma) Mamé mamé (mama) Mamé (ma) oka To …
Rail On Machozi yangu yote namalizika Mie nitalala na nani We unaend…
Recours Nakotisi recour pe nazui eyano te Kasi olobi na nga nini…
Référence Huuuum oka Bankana eee Bokeba maboke ya limbondo botiaki na …
Safari Maji yangu ya mecho imeni toka na huruma Kwa kuona watu…
Sai Sai Na Bruxelles, Référence ya Saki Sharufa, Ambiance à Gogo, To…
Sala Keba Me levanto a las siete de la mañana La misma rutina Retina…
Santa Sous une belle saison L'Afrique a entonné sa mélopée d'amour…
Show Me The Way 1. Ngaï na bugui nzéla Po…
Simple rêve Dans mes rêves, je suis une fleur Plus de parfum, plus…
Toutou ma biche Buala yayi mambo mingi Buala yayi mambo mingi Keto yayi fièl…
Triple option Dans mes rêves, je suis une fleur Plus de parfum, plus…
Ye te oh I wanna get you right, You're a nasty girl Yé té oh…
Yoko Na tango ya kala ba mama balataka Zigida po na nin…
Yolele Na leka lofundu eh Na leka lolendo eh Eloko na lakisa…
Zero Tala ngai muana mawa naye Lel'oyo boyambani nga naye Mbula n…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@NorlyGwakuzu-kp7it
Kombo nanga formateur des idoles je pense à mon très cher papa avec cette musique 😢
@patricktshimanga6681
PAPA WEMBA ...MAWA TROP VRAIMENT BAKOLISA BOULE NA BANGO NA MOLOKAYI...A Dieu vieux le nguru wemba djo
@aimembauchy
Le géant de la musique de la RDC.
@rogerbavuwu772
Bokul et Reddy, quel duo!
@bahatipaluku9101
Le Vrai Roi de la Rhumba; Papa Wemba; l'Eternel.!
@rodrymassengo8123
Que des bons souvenirs kou mavula, matondo Papa Wemba
@carloskalombo6353
Chers amis lorsque vous écoutez ce grand de la musique congolaise , africaine et internationale boyokaka nini ? Depuis qu'il nous a quitté , je l'impression que ses oeuvres renaissent le jour le jours , ah papa wemba for ever
@jeromemampasi9730
Quand on a connu papa Wemba ce n'était pas la sape qui primait c'était un bon week-end conseiller,sur sa musique ;un grand baobab de la musique Africaine que son âme repose en paix.
@user-bf9vs6wu1e
Foridoles. Forever
@salomonmbangilwa6230
Et que Viva la Musica!!! Machine à musique!!!