THE TROUBLED RELATIONSHIP

Papa Wemba and Koffi Olomide

The history of these two friends dates back to the 1970s, when young Koffi started becoming an associate in the group Viva La Musica. He was a very good composer. Papa Wemba gave him a platform and exposure to fulfill his musical dream, even giving him his famous stage name 'Olomide'. He also trained him to sing.  Many projects followed until 1986, when Koffi started working on his own.

Trouble in the relationship began around 1993/1994 from a personal problem between them when Papa Wemba started dating Rosette Kamono, who was Koffi's favorite female dancer. He was not impressed at all, and it is said that he retaliated by snatching one of Papa's mistresses. The game was drawn, but a lifelong rift had been created.

In around 1994-1996, another dimension of the conflict emerged in the form of Felix Wazekwa. Felix had begun as a composer friend of Koffi, even helping him in the composition of the album NOBLESS OBLIGE, but in 1994 started working for Papa Wemba in the albums FORIDOLE 1994 and POLE POSITION 1996. The two albums brought Papa back to the top after a long span of poor performance, and Koffi was not happy at all, putting Felix in the same rivalry status as Papa.

In 1996, through their common friends, they reconciled and released the reconciliation album WAKE UP, but soon after that, the relationship between them hit a snag when Papa Wemba accused Koffi of refusing to share equally the huge amount of money paid by the donors of that project, even starting the process of suing him.

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