It was being speculated that, when Papa Wemba died, in April 2016, his former music student, Koffi Olomide did not attend the late maestro musician’s funeral.
The history of these two musical friends from DR Congo, dates back to the 1970s when young Koffi (Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba) started becoming an associate in the group Viva La Musica.
Koffi was a very good composer such that Papa Wemba (Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba) gave him a platform and exposure to fulfil his musical dream, even giving him his famous stage name ‘Olomide’.
Wemba also trained Olomide to sing. Many projects followed until 1986 when Koffi started working on his own.
Trouble in their relationship however started between 1993 and 1994. It was mostly arising from personal problems including something which looked like a ‘Love Triangle!’
Reports say when Papa Wemba started dating Rosette Kamono, who was Koffi’s favorite female dancer, the move triggered animosity.
Apparently, Koffi Olomide was not impressed at all, and it is said that he retaliated by snatching one of Papa Wemba’s mistresses. The game was drawn, but a lifelong rift had just 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 Noblesse Oblige, but in 1994 Wazekwa also started working for Papa Wemba in the albums such as Foridole of 1994 and Pole Position which came out in 1996.
It is believed that 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 pop-sounding album Wake Up, but soon after that, the relationship between them hit a snag when Papa Wemba accused Koffi Olomide of refusing to share equally the huge amount of money paid by the donors of that project.
In fact, Papa Wemba is said to have even threatened to sue Koffi Olomide and started the legal process.
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