Subissez les Conséquences
| Subissez les Conséquences | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 1987 | |||
| Recorded | 1987 | |||
| Genre | Congolese rumba | |||
| Length | 30:18 | |||
| Label | ProZal | |||
| Producer | Jossart N'Yoka Longo | |||
| Zaïko Langa Langa chronology | ||||
| ||||
Subissez les Conséquences is the eighteenth studio album by the Congolese rumba band Zaïko Langa Langa, first released in December 1987 through ProZal, following Papa Omar from May of the same year.[1]
Clocking in at a compact 30 minutes across just four tracks, this release stands as a snapshot of the band's "classic" late-1980s lineup, shortly before the major 1988 split that resulted in the birth of Zaïko Langa Langa Familia Dei.[2] The album's title, meaning "face the consequences", is often viewed as a subtle premonition of that breakup.[2]
Upon its release, it drew attention from loyal fans and new Western listeners who had become interested in African popular music during the decade. Copies also circulated in Latin America, particularly in Colombia, where the band's repertoire was among the early known Congolese recordings and the song "Nibe" was nicknamed "El Buey".[3][4]
A remastered digital edition was released in 2022 on major streaming platforms.
Background
[edit]By 1987, Zaïko Langa Langa, founded in Kinshasa in 1969, had long since cemented its status as a revolutionary force in modern African popular music. By ditching traditional brass sections in favor of searing electric guitars, intricate percussion, and the explosive vocal atalaku animations, the band pioneered a lean, dance-driven sound that stripped rumba to its rhythmic core and laid the groundwork for the ndombolo explosion of the 1990s and beyond.
Beneath the success, however, tensions were mounting over royalties, compensation, and leadership.[5] Defying the odds, Zaïko Langa Langa celebrated their 18th anniversary (celebrated after the album release) with a two-day event at the Palais du Peuple in Kinshasa, featuring massive audiences and guest performances by Papa Wemba, Evoloko Jocker, Mavuela Somo, and Félix Manuaku Waku.[6]
Production and composition
[edit]Recording
[edit]Recorded in Brussels in 1987, hot on the heels of their earlier effort Papa Omar, Subissez les Conséquences shows subtler stylistic experimentation. The track "Moyen Te" features an unidentified Belgian bass player. According to later recollections from band member JP Buse, "Kevalina" was initially overlooked during sessions, languishing until Buse collaborated with Paris-based Congolese musician Bony Bikaye on an arrangement. This sparked a reworking by Mbuta Matima, who infused it with "Zaïko color," gradually drawing in more voices for the recording.[7] Leader Jossart N'Yoka Longo allegedly told Buse that he was going to contribute backing vocals but ended up solely performing atalaku animation.[7]
Music and lyrics
[edit]The album marks a departure from Zaïko's purer rumba roots, blending funk-inspired bass lines and dance pop sensibilities to create a sleek, cosmopolitan veneer that feels both innovative and slightly unmoored from tradition. The four tracks showcase the band's signature interplay of soaring vocals, propulsive rhythms, and crowd-igniting animations.[1]
Opening with Bimi Ombale's "Nibe," the album dives into a heartfelt rumba ballad about a woman scarred by past heartbreak, hesitating to open her heart again.
"Lisumu", composed by Enoch Zamuangana, the album's most steadfast nod to classic rumba conservatism, centers on the humiliation of a publicized breakup, with the protagonist too embarrassed to face society delivered through traditional guitar weaves and percussion that harken back to Zaïko's foundational sound, providing a grounding anchor amid the record's subtle innovations.
Buse's "Kevalina" follows, a defiant anthem where a man urges his partner to ignore the gossip and "noises" of outsiders threatening their bond.
Closing the set is "Moyen Te", composed by Popolipo, which pushes the experimentation further, its dance pop-flavored bass grooves propelling a mid-tempo exploration of relational dynamics, while the ensemble's atalaku animations reach their characteristic frenzy.
Cover
[edit]The cover was designed by Jacques Duquesne and Joss Bokken. The sleeve features a photograph taken from upper behind the stage during a 1987 Zaïko Langa Langa concert at the Salle de la Madeleine in Brussels, capturing the band performing before a large audience.
Critical reception
[edit]In its March 1988 Tam-Tam review, Zaïko Langa Langa's Subissez les Conséquences is hailed as another spellbinding entry in the band's hypnotic saga: "Les Zaïko se suivent et se ressemblent!" yet fans crave more, bewitched by their "musical fétiches." The critic spotlights Bimi Ombale's stunning vocals on "Nibe" and the delirious, full-throttle animation "Maria hé", a fiery winter antidote that warms the soul.[1]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nibe" | Bimi Ombale | 8:03 |
| 2. | "Lisumu" | Enoch Zamuangana | 7:26 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kevalina" | JP Buse | 7:27 |
| 2. | "Moyen Te" | Popolipo | 7:22 |
Personnel
[edit]- Jossart N'Yoka Longo – vocals (1, 2, 4), animation
- Bimi Ombale – vocals (1, 3)
- Lengi Lenga – vocals
- Dindo Yogo – vocals
- JP Buse – vocals
- Nono Monzuluku – animation, shaker
- Bébé Atalaku – animation, shaker
- Mbuta Matima – arrangements, rhythm guitar (1)
- Beniko Popolipo – lead guitar (3, 4), bass guitar (1)
- Petit Poisson – lead guitar (1, 2), mi-solo guitar (3)
- Jimmy Yaba – mi-solo guitar (1, 2, 4), rhythm guitar (3)
- Enoch Zamuangana – rhythm guitar (2, 4)
- Oncle Bapius – bass guitar (2)
- Yvon Kabamba – bass guitar (3)
- Unidentified Belgian musician – bass guitar (4)
- Meridjo Belobi – drums
- Bakunde Ilo Pablo – drums
- José Piano Piano – synth
- Djerba Manzeku – congas
References list
[edit]- ^ a b c "Spécial Anniversaire". Tam-Tam. 11. 1988.
- ^ a b Malonga, Samuel (23 October 2023). "La scission de Zaïko Langa Langa" [The split of Zaïko Langa Langa]. Mbokamosika (in French). Retrieved 6 November 2025.
- ^ Federico, Ochoa Escobar; Sebastián, Rojas, Juan (6 December 2022). Músicas y prácticas sonoras en el Caribe colombiano: Volumen 2: multiculturalismo y prácticas musicales en la industria (in Spanish). Sello Editorial Javeriano-Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Cali. ISBN 978-628-7618-43-5.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Bensignor, François (1 January 1988). Sons d'Afrique (in French). Paris, France: FeniXX. pp. 87–88. ISBN 978-2-7062-6256-2.
- ^ Mukana, Kazadi wa (30 November 1999). "The evolution of urban music in Democratic Republic of Congo during the 2nd and 3rd decades (1975-1995) of the Second Republic-Zaire". African Music. 7 (4). Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa: International Library of African Music: 73–87. doi:10.21504/amj.v7i4.1999. ISSN 2524-2741.
- ^ Option, Numéros 42-47. Los Angeles, California, United States: Sonic Options Network. 1992. p. 62.
- ^ a b Afrimpact Magazine TV (2021-08-21). [Full] JP Buse parle: Les fétiches, la magie de Zaïko L.L, le Saint Esprit& sa fondation|LaCauseShow. Retrieved 2025-11-06 – via YouTube.