Rhumba stars whose death left their families fighting

At the height of their careers, they enjoyed global fame. They traversed the globe, entertaining huge crowds, but after their deaths, their families were left in wrangles.

Most of these musicians led affluent lives away from their home countries while accumulating wealth abroad. Fights over their wealth led to delays in their burials, some for years.

Renowned musicians like Lokassa Ya M’bongo of Soukous Stars, La Poete Lutumba Simaro Massiya of Bana Ba OK, and Verckys Kiamuangana Mateta of Orchestra Veve are prime examples.

All of these originated from Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lokassa Ya M’bongo died on March 15, 2023, in Nashua, New Hampshire, in the United States of America. Massiya passed on March 30, 2019, in Kinshasa, while Kiamuangana Mateta died on October 13, 2022.

Global rhythm guitarist Lokassa Ya M’bongo, regarded as one of the best guitarists in the world—a feat recorded in the Guinness Book of Records—honed his skills at the Afrisa International Orchestra of Tabu Ley.

He later formed Soukous Stars in Paris, France, before relocating to the U.S. He was also an accomplished singer and composer.

He died at the age of 76, and his body remained abroad for 18 months before burial in Kinshasa due to family wrangles.He is reported to have married four wives and had several children.

Massiya, the deputy band leader of TP OK Jazz, led by Franco Luambo Luanzo Makiadi before shifting his focus to Bana OK Orchestra, was also a victim of this predicament.

Massiya, a rhythm guitarist, songwriter, poet, and composer, died at the age of 81. His burial in Kinshasa was delayed by two months due to a protracted legal battle among his family members.

Verckys Kiamuangana Mateta, who was a member of Franco’s band before his departure to form Orchestra Veve from the 1950s to 1969, died at the age of 78. His burial in Kinshasa was also delayed by two months due to family disputes.

He was a polished songwriter, saxophonist, and producer.

The squabbles deprived them of state burials, which are always accorded to musicians of their repute by the DRC government.

Franco was given a state burial upon his death on October 13, 1989, an honour ordered by then-President Mobutu Sese Seko in Kinshasa after Franco recorded an album in praise of the Zairean dictator.

Sese Seko was deposed from power in 1997.

A similar but different tussle erupted within the Mighty TP OK Jazz Orchestra four years after Franco’s death when family members demanded high royalties from band members for using the band’s musical equipment.

The Franco family wanted the band to pay them 70 per cent of earnings from any show, a demand that did not sit well with the group. This led to a split and the formation of Bana OK Orchestra, led by Massiya, in 1993.

The disagreements ultimately led to the demise of the Mighty TP OK Jazz Orchestra, as its members returned all musical equipment to the Franco family. “We are the ones who did the donkey work and not the family. Therefore, we could not agree to their terms, hence the split to form Bana OK Orchestra,” Massiya told this reporter before his death.

Rhumba pundits have raised several questions: Why are these disputes so consistent? Are they necessary? Are they settled amicably, or do they end up in court battles? Why can’t governments implement dispute resolution mechanisms to prevent them?

According to Kenya-based Rhumba promoter Mfumu Kimbango, the rush for wealth and financial resources is the key reason behind these wrangles.

“Financial woes have resulted in these reputable musical legends failing to receive befitting send-offs. It has brought shame to their families despite their sterling careers that spanned decades,” said Kimbango, an associate of all these fallen musicians.

Kimbango said the trio should have been given decent send-offs.

In the event of a prominent musician’s death, the DRC government offers $30,000 (Sh4.5 million) to cater for funeral expenses.

The funds come from a special kitty set up by the DRC government, known as the Government Musicians’ Kitty.

Kimbango said the scramble for these funds is the primary cause of family wrangles.

“Immediate family members should be the bona fide beneficiaries of these funds, not others,” Kimbango said.

Cyprian Tabu, of the DRC Embassy in Nairobi and President of Congolese Musicians in the Diaspora, confirmed that their government provides substantial financial support to the families of fallen artists who are to be buried in Kinshasa.

“The level of support depends on the artist’s value, achievements, and the number of medals he or she has won for the country, as well as their level of fame,” said Tabu.

He, however, said the DRC government does not provide support to musicians in the diaspora.