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.
Sala Keba
Papa Wemba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La misma rutina
Retina quemada en cualquier esquina
Esa es mi realidad y la de gala nada más
Tu dejala que se espabile sola
La droga cerdo tu ego me descoloca
Como a ti la coca
Quiero vernos en esta estación
Somos del norte
Manos frias mucha ropa
Ah
Que te provoca esa rabia interior que te denuca
Que si te preguntan por mi, dile que estoy mejor que nunca
Verdad la cosa va por dentro
Las mentiras crean la realidad
Y el frio el sentimiento
Queriendo derramar su rosa a mi sonrisa
Sin misa si quieres voy a otra cosa
En mi casa
Nunca falto cena y eso no se paga
Hace frío con la chupa guapa y la gorra de lana
Mama va por ti yo doy la mano
Por esta mierda
Y por dejar los gramos
Esta hierba me jode los pulmones
Y este chocolate esta cortado
Cojones
Menuda bullshit
Esto es un tripi de sensaciones
A veces no hay opciones
De chavales a hombres en menos de un segundo
El con el pincho y tu estás con los puños
Pienso en ti
Aqui se me fue la ruta
Entre las lumis los haters y las multas
Fuck the police primo
Seguimos odiando el mismo camino
Circo emocional
Tu disputas conmigo
Perderte, follar a dúo a trio
A mi no me importa eso del amor propio
Luego ya me ahogaré en la barra con los tragos
Inseparable como una guarra de un nabo
Quiero levanta GALICIA a base de colabos
Bum clap
Lumis de mierda que se creen tu pack por que de pack en pack se comen los rabos
Entiendes primo
Yeh
The lyrics of "Sala Keba" by Papa Wemba are in Spanish and contain several seemingly disconnected phrases that are difficult to interpret without context. The song seems to describe a daily routine that the singer performs, which they find mundane and unfulfilling. They speak of burning their retina at every corner, suggesting that they are constantly exposed to things that are harmful to them. They also mention someone who is struggling with drug addiction, which could be a reflection of the social issues that are prevalent in the singer's environment. Despite this, they express a desire to move forward and connect with their northern roots, even in the midst of cold weather and challenging circumstances.
As the song progresses, the singer seems to become more introspective and contemplative, expressing an inner rage and a desire to be seen as strong and resilient. They mention that lies can create one's reality and that emotions are influenced by external factors, such as the weather. They also discuss wanting to create positive change in their community and calling out hypocrisy and negativity when it arises. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but they suggest a sense of frustration and restlessness that is common amongst those who are living in challenging circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Me levanto a las siete de la mañana
I wake up at seven in the morning
La misma rutina
The same routine
Retina quemada en cualquier esquina
Burnt retina on any corner
Esa es mi realidad y la de gala nada más
That is my reality and nobody else's
Tu dejala que se espabile sola
Let her figure it out on her own
La droga cerdo tu ego me descoloca
Drug, pig, your ego throws me off balance
Como a ti la coca
Like cocaine to you
Quiero vernos en esta estación
I want to meet you at this station
Es la que toca
It's the right one
Somos del norte
We're from the north
Manos frias mucha ropa
Cold hands, lots of clothing
Ah
Ah
Que te provoca esa rabia interior que te denuca
What causes that interior rage that breaks you
Que si te preguntan por mi, dile que estoy mejor que nunca
If they ask about me, tell them I'm better than ever
Verdad la cosa va por dentro
Truth is, it's what's on the inside
Las mentiras crean la realidad
Lies create reality
Y el frio el sentimiento
And the cold is the feeling
Queriendo derramar su rosa a mi sonrisa
Wanting to pour their rose onto my smile
Sin misa si quieres voy a otra cosa
Without mass, if you want I'll do something else
En mi casa
In my house
Nunca falto cena y eso no se paga
Dinner is always served and it's never paid for
Hace frío con la chupa guapa y la gorra de lana
It's cold with the stylish jacket and wool cap
Mama va por ti yo doy la mano
Mom is looking out for you, I'll lend a hand
Por esta mierda
For this crap
Y por dejar los gramos
And for leaving the grams
Esta hierba me jode los pulmones
This weed messes up my lungs
Y este chocolate esta cortado
And this chocolate is cut
Cojones
Balls
Menuda bullshit
What bullshit
Esto es un tripi de sensaciones
This is a trip of sensations
A veces no hay opciones
Sometimes there are no choices
De chavales a hombres en menos de un segundo
From boys to men in less than a second
El con el pincho y tu estás con los puños
He's got a needle and you've got your fists
Pienso en ti
I think of you
Aqui se me fue la ruta
Here I lost my way
Entre las lumis los haters y las multas
Between the prostitutes, the haters, and the fines
Fuck the police primo
Fuck the police, cousin
Seguimos odiando el mismo camino
We still hate the same path
Circo emocional
Emotional circus
Tu disputas conmigo
You argue with me
Perderte, follar a dúo a trio
Lose you, fuck as a duo or trio
A mi no me importa eso del amor propio
I don't care about self-love
Luego ya me ahogaré en la barra con los tragos
Later, I'll drown in the bar with drinks
Inseparable como una guarra de un nabo
Inseparable like a sow and a turnip
Quiero levanta GALICIA a base de colabos
I want to lift GALICIA with collaborations
Bum clap
Bum clap
Lumis de mierda que se creen tu pack por que de pack en pack se comen los rabos
Shitty whores who think they're your pack because they eat dicks from pack to pack
Entiendes primo
Understand, cousin
Yeh
Yeh
Contributed by Mackenzie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kevin Mitten
The lyrics are spanish. Probably not correct.