Africahit - Kenya: Stop Imitating the West, Papa Wemba Tells Youth

Visiting Congolese musician Papa Wemba has called on the youth to stop imitating the West.

Congolese rumba musician Papa Wemba, who is in the country for a number of shows in Nairobi and Mombasa.

Papa Wemba, who arrived in the country on Wednesday night for a series of shows, said it was sad that most African youths were moulding the future along Western values.

"It is bad that almost every African man wants to be like an American or European and they will copy anything they do from their singing, to their lifestyle," he said.

The rumba musician said young people should embrace the culture of hard work and invest more in educating themselves than looking for short-cuts to make it big in life.

He said most youths thought the only way to make it was by picking a microphone and imitating some American hip-hop artists in the name of making music.

Papa Wemba is in the country to usher in the New Year. He will perform today at the Carnivore and move to the Coast where he is scheduled to perform at the Mombasa Sai Resort on New Year's eve.

This is the third time the musician is visiting the country. Papa Wemba was among the first musicians to join the influential Soukous Band and Zaiko Langa Langa alongside stars such as Nyoka Longo Jossart, Manuaku Pepe Felly, Evoloko Lay Lay, Teddy Sukamu, Zamuangana Enock and Mavuela Simeon.

He is credited with launching Zaiko clan's trade mark use of high fashion as a form of social rebellion, and his dashing self-styled look is a 1930s throwback featuring baggy pleated trousers.

In 1974, he quit Langa Langa to form his own band - Isife Lokole - and then in 1976, launched Viva la Musica. Keen to reach a wider audience, he ended up in Paris in the early '80s, taking with him the entire group.

Papa Wemba's music vision went beyond the capabilities of seasoned Congolese rumba artistes as he began experimenting with a wide range of eclectic sounds.

In 1987, he created another band in Paris with European and African musicians, and set about playing music that did not adhere to the core principles of Congolese pop. But the Afropop did not go down well with the home fans, although it opened doors for him in Europe and the US, especially when he and the new group took part in the 1988 travelling spectacle - Africa Oyé.

Since then, Papa Wemba has led parallel lives, performing and recording both with Viva la Musica and the crossover group.

Papa Wemba has a shy, if roguish, demeanour behind his Parisian polish. On stage and on record, his gangling stride, generous smile and elastic voice - honed and jagged like a spinning saw blade - are irresistible.

Papa Wemba built Viva la Musica around young and talented musicians like singers Kisangani Esperant, Jadot le Cambodgien, Pepe Bipoli and Petit Aziza.

Despite the wave of migrations to Europe in the 1990s, Papa Wemba maintained a group in Kinshasa called variously Nouvelle Ecriture, Nouvel Ecrita and Viva la Musica and another in Paris - Nouvelle Generation, La Cour des Grands and Viva Tendance.