Wenge Musica Maison Mère

Wenge Musica Maison Mère, also spelled asWMMM, is a musical band founded in December 1997, by musiciansWerrason, Didier Masela and Adolphe Dominguez, after the split of their original band,Wenge Musica, created in 1981. Since its foundation, the band has had a rivalry with former bandmate JB Mpiana's Wenge BCBG. Under the leadership ofWerrason, the group developed stars such as vocalistsFerré Gola,Héritier Watanabe,Fabregas le Métis NoirandBill Clinton Kalonji. The band faced its first split afterFerré,Bill Clintonand JDT Mulopwe left the band to foundLes Marquis de Maison Mèrein 2004.
In 1997, after the release of then-Wenge Musica vocalistJB Mpiana’sFeux de l'Amour, the band’s members started to develop a feud amongst themselves. In a concert in the GHK, the band began infighting, and according to some rumours, Werrason and Mpiana, fought onstage. All those in attendance were shocked, includingPapa Wemba, who was a special guest of the band.The group split on 7 December 1997.
A couple of weeks later, on 20 December 1997,Werrason, Didier Masela, and Adolphe Dominguez, all former members of the newly-disbanded Wenge Musica, formedWenge Musica Maison Mère.
At its foundation, the group received the support fromKing Kester Emeneya,Koffi Olomidé, and Marie-Paul Kambulu. Later on, they recruited singers and musicians such as Baby Ndombe, JDT Mulopwe, Didier Lacoste, Serge Mabiala, Adjani, andFerré Gola, who came from JB Mpiana's Wenge BCBG. In 1997, the group had its first performance on theRTNC, theCongo'snational TV channel.
A year later, their debut album,Force d'Intervention Rapide, was released after having been signed to Cameroonian label, JPS. The album had the remix ofKala-Yi-Boeing, a 1993 hit by Wenge Musica, composed byNgiama, and the successful rumba song,Chantal Switzerland.
In 1999, WMMM recorded the albumSolola Bienin Paris.The album is one of the most highly-acclaimedCongolesealbums. The album contains Ferré Gola’s hit song,Vita-Imana.
According to fans, the sentenceSolola bien, that meansSpeak properly, was addressed to JB Mpiana and Wenge BCBG, as their rivalry continued to grow.
After the success ofForce d'Intervention RapideandSolola Bien, a remix of the aforementioned album was released in 2000 asTerrain Eza Miné.
AfterKoffi Olomidé, on 16 September 2000, Werrason and Wenge Maison Mère performed at thePalais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, the actualAccorHotels Arena. They were "self-proclaimed" it as theConcert of the Millenary. Aimelia Lias, a singer from Wenge BCBG, who was among the public, left the group to join Maison Mère. Later,WerrasonNgiama, became the only administrator of the band, after Didier Masela and Adolphe Dominguez left the band. Masela re-created Wenge Musica,and Dominguez founded Wenge Tonya Tonya.
In 2001, Werrason's first solo album,Kibuisa Mpimpa / Opération Dragon, was released. It's considered a classic album in theSoukousworld. The discs [as it's a double album], contains features fromManu Dibango,Nathalie Makomaand Déesse Mukangi. The album earned Werrason and his group, 2Kora Awardsin South Africa.On 26 and 27 April 2002, after the invention of the dance moveKoyimbiko, originated by aKongotraditional chant,the group performed in theZénith Parisfor 2 days straight.
The same year, the albumSolola Bien(Lingala for “Speak properly”) became a gold record after 150,000 copies were sold.
In December 2002, the albumA la queue leu leu, was released. The album promotes the danceKoyimbiko, as it's written on the album art.It was the group’s last album released by the JPS Productions label. In 2004, the group returned toKinshasaand signed sponsorship contracts with BRALIMA, a Congolese beer company. Shortly after, the group's first maxi-single,Tindika Lokito, was released. The CD was meant to promote a local Congolese brand of beer; Skol beer. During the ensuing popularity of the maxi-single, the band embarked on a tour in the United Kingdom, after which it faced one of its major splits. Then-emerging artists Ferré Gola, Bill Clinton Kalonji, J.D.T. Mulopwe, Serge Mabiala, Japonais Maladi, and others left the band following a dispute with Werrason to createLes Marquis De Maison MèrewithJaponais Maladiand released their first albumMiracles, the same year.
After the split, Werrason recruited young members including animator Roi David.Alerte Généralewas the maxi-single that announced the comeback of the successful group.
In 2005 Werrason released his second solo album namedTémoignage.
Between 2006 and 2008, they released another maxi-single and one album,Sous-Solwas the first disc by Werrason with a "world music" style. The albumMayi ya Sikacontained 2 volumes. It was released in May 2008.
On 8 November 2008, the band played in theZenith Parisfor the third time, with guests includingYoussoupha.
In 2009, the danceTechno Malewabecame immensely popular in Kinshasa's streets. It was released in the albumsTechno Malewa Sans CesseandTechno Malewa Suite et Fin(released in 2010), which placed No. 2 on the Congolese Hit Parade (#1 wasBande AnnoncebyZaïko Langa Langa).
WMMM played for the fourth time in theZénith Parison 13 November 2010. They were invited to play in theStade de Francewith fellow Congolese singersFally IpupaandJessy Matador.
In 2011, with WMMM, Techno Malewa suite & fin is released
In 2014, another Werrason solo album,Flêche Ingéta, is released in December 2014 in Paris, and January 2015 inKinshasa.
In 2017, they recruited Sarah Solo, a Congolese female guitarist, who played inDiemba (Balançoire). After the song was released as a single, in November 2017,7 Jours De La Semainewas released.
After recruiting singers and instrumentalists, in 2019, the albumFormidablewas released under Werrason’s own label, Werrason World.
In 2021 Werrason and his band announced their return to the Zénith Paris, in June. The concert was reported for the first time on September 17, 2021. By the week of the concert, the group did not have visas. For the second time the concert was reported, on September 25. The cancellation of the concert was announced later. Days later, Werrason declared at a press conference that he believes "it is an injustice and that his concert was sabotaged by the French authorities."