Congolese rumba star Ferre Gola wows fans

Visiting Congolese musician Ferre Gola last Friday lived to his billing as one of the most popular rumba musicians after he staged a sterling performance to a sizeable crowd at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi.

Ferre defied a rather disappointing sound hitch and sang his heart out to his adoring Kenyan fans, who thronged the venue in droves, expecting the very best.

It had been a day of contrasts with Pope Francis having just left the country that afternoon and with a looming threat of the El Nino rains that have been pounding the country.

But fortunately, the rains took a break that evening, as if to welcome the sensational Ferre Gola, and enabled most fans to get to the venue.

According to Jules Nsana,  the promoter of the concert,  the singer had felt the trip was a “blessing in disguise” as he landed at the JKIA in Nairobi just a few minutes after Pope Francis.

“Being a staunch Catholic himself, Ferre was humbled to have arrived at the same hour with the Pope, who was beginning his maiden African tour,” Nsana said.

Ferre, who starting singing with a catholic choir in his early teenage years says he cherished the catholic upbringing. 

As concerns the sound hitch, the promoter, while apologising to revellers for the hitch noted that it was the provider of the sound system who had let them down at the last minute.

“We had thought all was well till when we noticed the sound  hitch when the group was already on stage,” Nsana said.

During an interview later at the Villa Rosa Kempinski  Hotel in Nairobi where he has been staying, Ferre recalled with nostalgia his first visit to Kenya with the original Wenge Musica band in 1997.

By then the group was led by JB Mpiana and Werrason with whom he teamed up in the splinter Orch Wenge Musica Maison Mere after the Kenyan tour.

KENYA HOLDS SPECIAL PLACE

“Kenya has a special place in my musical journey and I am working on a special song in Kiswahili to be dedicated to Kenyans,” he said.

This is the second time Ferre is touring Kenya with his own band after his first solo tour in 2009.

Ferre took to the stage shortly after 11pm last Friday. This was a after a  warm-up session by 15 members of his band that he had brought in from Kinshasa earlier in the week.

The sound setback in the huge auditorium failed to dampen Ferre’s spirits and he went on to give a good account of himself as one of DR Congo’s mercurial singers in Lingala.

He moved the crowd with scintillating performances of some of his popular love ballads such as “Vita Imana”, “Maboko Pamba” and “Kamasutra”.

During a recent interview, he said he felt proud of the “Vita Imana” song as it was the one that propelled him to fame as a solo artiste and composer.

“In the song, he laments about an immoral lover who, despite all that’s done for her, still double deals like football players or fans who keep swopping teams,” he said.

The former Orchestre Wenge Musica singer is scheduled to perform this evening at Club Buccaneer in Kisumu.

Nairobi based rumba musician  Igwe Prezda Bandason and his Patrons  Musica band are among those who will perform the curtain raiser show. Bandason blends rumba and benga beats during live shows.

Entry for this evening’s show will be Sh1,500 (advance) before 9pm, Sh2,000 (regular) and Sh3,000 (VIP). The organisers have assured fans of better management of the sound system in this evening’s show.

REQUEST FROM FANS

As promoter Nsana said, it was mainly due to requests by his fans in Kisumu that he chose to have an additional show in the Lingala-crazy lakeside town.

Most of the fans who attended the show were grateful and seemed to have been buoyed by the good weather that evening.

Speaking to Zuqka, Eddie Busiega, a diehard rumba fan, said he had been looking forward to the show and was determined to be there at all costs.

“Despite the sound challenges Ferre tried his best to give us his best. Time allowing, I would have also travelled to Kisumu for the show this evening,” he said.

Sammy Ya Kembo said that during the show he had an opportunity to bond with long-lost rumba friends.

He was among the first to arrive and the venue shortly after 7.30pm at a time when there wasn’t yet much activity on stage other than warm up rumba music.

“I am hoping that in the next show, there will be arrangements for better sound. However, Ferre still has that top vocal prowess,” he said.

Nairobi based rumba musician John Junior was also among those who attended the show flanked by some family members.

Also elated was Nancy Celin a great fan of Ferre Gola who also made an early arrival at the Bomas of Kenya. She was accompanied by many other fans of Ferre who also danced and sang along.

FINAL TOUCHES TO NEXT ALBUM

Back home in DRC Congo Ferre had been putting the final touches to his next album which he hinted at during the three-hour show.

Some revellers joined Ferre on stage to sing along some of his hits such as “100 kilos”, “Boite Noire”, “Derangement”  and “Litaka”.

Lady Zena host of KTN’s Rasha Rasha  rumba music was at hand to spice up the lively meeting of rumba music fans during the show. In the recent past, Ferre has also enjoyed a good working relationship with his former boss, Koffi Olomide, who mentions him in his latest controversial 13eme apotre album. Koffi’s “Selfie” clip released in October  received a record 2 million views on YouTube within three weeks after its release.

Back in 2004, Ferre released the “Insecticide” song with Koffi Olomide, which  is off  the “Danger De Mort” album.

Meanwhile Ferre’s earlier scheduled show in Dar es Salaam to have come after the Nairobi one was postponed to a later date by the Dar organisers.