Wenge Musica Maison Mère, also spelled as WMMM, is a musical band founded in December 1997, by musicians Werrason, 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 of Werrason, the group developed stars such as vocalists Ferré Gola, Héritier Watanabe, Fabregas le Métis Noir and Bill Clinton Kalonji. The band faced its first split after Ferré, Bill Clinton and JDT Mulopwe left the band to found Les Marquis de Maison Mère in 2004.
History
Foundation
Foundation and beginnings (1997–1999) In 1997, after the release of then-Wenge Musica vocalist JB Mpiana’s Feux 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, including Papa 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, formed Wenge Musica Maison Mère.
At its foundation, the group received the support from King 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, and Ferré Gola, who came from JB Mpiana's Wenge BCBG. In 1997, the group had its first performance on the RTNC, the Congo's national 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 of Kala-Yi-Boeing, a 1993 hit by Wenge Musica, composed by Ngiama, and the successful rumba song, Chantal Switzerland.
Rise and fall
From Solola Bien to Terrain Eza Miné and Bercy concert (1999–2000) In 1999, WMMM recorded the album Solola Bien in Paris. The album is one of the most highly-acclaimed Congolese albums. The album contains Ferré Gola’s hit song, Vita-Imana.
According to fans, the sentence Solola bien, that means Speak properly, was addressed to JB Mpiana and Wenge BCBG, as their rivalry continued to grow.
After the success of Force d'Intervention Rapide and Solola Bien, a remix of the aforementioned album was released in 2000 as Terrain Eza Miné.
After Koffi Olomidé, on 16 September 2000, Werrason and Wenge Maison Mère performed at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, the actual AccorHotels Arena. They were "self-proclaimed" it as the Concert of the Millenary. Aimelia Lias, a singer from Wenge BCBG, who was among the public, left the group to join Maison Mère. Later, Werrason Ngiama, 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.
From Kibuisa Mpimpa to Tindika Lokito (2001–2004) In 2001, Werrason's first solo album, Kibuisa Mpimpa / Opération Dragon, was released. It's considered a classic album in the Soukous world. The discs [as it's a double album], contains features from Manu Dibango, Nathalie Makoma and Déesse Mukangi. The album earned Werrason and his group, 2 Kora Awards in South Africa. On 26 and 27 April 2002, after the invention of the dance move Koyimbiko, originated by a Kongo traditional chant, the group performed in the Zénith Paris for 2 days straight.
The same year, the album Solola Bien (Lingala for “Speak properly”) became a gold record after 150,000 copies were sold.
In December 2002, the album A la queue leu leu, was released. The album promotes the dance Koyimbiko, 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 to Kinshasa and 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 create Les Marquis De Maison Mère with Japonais Maladi and released their first album Miracles, the same year.