Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
31 July 2009
Harare — The stage is set and rhumba lovers should brace up for a blast this weekend as the capital hosts one of the sought-after performers -- Werrason.
The rhumba superstar Werrason arrived in Harare to a welcome reception on Wednesday night from his base in DRC ahead of his concert tonight at the Harare International Conference Centre.
Arguably the biggest name in the genre at the moment, Werrason, real name Noel Ngiama Makanda, would be supported by his 25-member piece band including the ravishing six dance queens and 17 top musicians.
The group will be performing for the first time in Harare courtesy of one of the prominent club moguls and promoter -- Kaembe Chez Ntemba.
Asked why he brought Werrason at this time of the year, Kaembe said Zimbabwe was his second home and a lot of fans wanted to see Werrason live on stage.
"I have a house here and I'm here every three or so months so Zimbabwe is like my second home. I know Harare like I do Kinshasa. Basically, I'm not a briefcase promoter and have a good working relationship with a lot of rhumba musicians," he said.
However, he was confident that the gig would give something new this weekend and that fans would get value for their money.
And Werrason says he has a pleasant surprise for his legion of fans to be unveiled at the gig and those who would attend the gig would be in for a real treat.
Featured at the gig would be his latest dance -- Techno Malewa, which promises to thrill as much as the previous Sele jive.
After the Zimbabwean tour, Werrason will stop in Zambia where he has lined up two shows on Saturday at the Pamodzi Hotel and then at the Showgrounds on Sunday.
According to his website Werrason was born on December 25, 1965 in Kikwit, Kwilu Province in DRC.
He was singing for the Protestant church of Cebezo Kinshasa at the age of 12. At the same time, he became a martial art champion.
"At the beginning of the 80's, Werrason created the musical band "Wenge Musica 4X4 Tout Terrain Bon Chic Bon Genre".
The group split in 1997, with J.B. Mpiana leading "Wenge Musica BCBG".
The next year Werrason created a new band "Wenge Musica Maison Mere (WMMM)".
He launched the album "Force d'Intervention Rapide". He toured throughout Europe, Africa, the USA, and Canada.
His 1999 album "Solola Bien" was rewarded with the Golden Record in France.
"In 2000 he performs in Paris-Bercy in front of 17.000 fans. In 2001 he won 2 Kora Awards in South Africa including Best African Performer.
From 2002 to 2004 he had a world tour and held two concerts in Paris Zenith alongside jazz saxophonist Manu Dibango at the Paris Olympia.
He also shared the stage with artists such as Passi, Doc Gynéco , Benji and Akil who later invited him for their musical projects.
In 2005, Werrason organised a large concert at Kikwit, his city of birth.
Werrason join forces, in 2006 in Kinshasa, with the Jamaican superstar Shaggy who, during an interview in CNN recognises Werrason as "the greatest current African artist".
In 2007 he released "Sous-Sol", his first world music album.
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