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Noël Ngiama Makanda (born 25 December 1965), known professionally as Werrason, is a Congolese singer-songwriter, composer, producer, philanthropist, and the bandleader of Wenge Musica Maison Mère.[1][2][3][4] He was a co-founding member of Wenge Musica, a musical group that played a pivotal role in the development of the ndombolo dance music genre during the 1990s.[5][4][6][7][8]
Ngiama is widely recognized as one of the emblematic figures of Wenge Musica. His compositions, such as "Mulolo", "Kin É Bougé" (featuring JB Mpiana), and notably "Kala-Yi-Boeing", are acclaimed as some of Wenge Musica's most distinguished works.[9][10][11] Following Wenge Musica's disbandment in 1997 due to internal disputes between Ngiama and JB Mpiana, the band split into Wenge Musica Maison Mère, led by Ngiama, and Wenge BCBG, headed by JB Mpiana.[3][12][13]
In December 1999, Wenge Musica Maison Mère released the ndombolo-infused album Solola Bien!, which achieved gold certification and experienced immediate success across Africa and its diaspora in France.[14][15][16] In September 2000, Wenge Musica Maison Mère became the second African act to perform and sell out the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy following Koffi Olomidé earlier that year.[17][18][19] With a career spanning nearly four decades, Werrason has produced numerous successful studio albums, including seven with Wenge Musica, nine with Wenge Musica Maison Mère, and four solo studio albums. Notable solo releases include Kibuisa Mpimpa (2001), Témoignage (2005), Sans Poteau (2015), and 7 jours de la semaine (2017).[20][21][3]
Aside from music, Ngiama is known for his humanitarian work. He founded the Werrason Foundation in 2000, a non-profit organization that aids orphans in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[5][22] Recognized as an "Ambassador For Peace" and "people's singer" by the United Nations Global Compact,[22][23] Ngiama is an advocate for UNESCO's initiatives against AIDS and discrimination.[5]
When Werrason's college band Wenge Musica split in December 1997, Werrason, Masela, and Dominguez then created Wenge Musica Maison Mère, a band based at Zamba Playa in Kinshasa. With the help of among others Sankara de Kunta and Zacharie Babaswe, Werrason travelled the country to recruit young musicians. The band's first album, Force d'Intervention Rapide was released on November 28, 1998.[24][25]
His song "Chantal Switzerland" became a noted song of the year, while his animator Bill Clinton Kalonji was voted best animator.[26] Their second album, Solola Bien (1999) was successful in the African music scene,[27] and earned the Gold Record in France.
In June 2001, Werrason released his first solo album Kibuisa Mpimpa, a double CD with 17 tracks. This recording was the result of five years of preparation, four months of studio work, and over 2,000 hours of writing.[28] The album earned him two Kora Awards on 3 November in Sun City, South Africa: Best Male Artist of Africa and Best Male Artist of Central Africa. Event organizers stated that he was the first African musician to receive both honors simultaneously.[29][30]
On 15 February 2025, Werrason made a triumphant return to the European stage after a 14-year hiatus with a sold-out concert at Arena Grand Paris.[34][35][36] The event attracted a vast audience and featured Wenge Musica Maison Mère and their dancers, with performances of iconic hits such as "Solola Bien" and "Techno Malewa".[37] Former bandmates, including Bill Clinton Kalonji and Héritier Watanabe, joined him on stage,[37] and a live album featuring 12 selected songs from the night was later released on 16 April.[38] On 27 February, he took part in a peaceful march in Paris, denouncing the M23 campaign in eastern DRC alongside members of the Congolese diaspora.[39] He later performed at Brussels' Couleur Café festival on 28 June.[40][41] On July 18, he was part of the closing event of the first World Music and Tourism Festival (Festival Mondial de la Musique et du Tourisme) at the Palais du Peuple in Kinshasa, organized by the Congolese government with assistance from UN Tourism.[42]
In September 2021, the Parisian prefecture announced the cancellation of a large concert of Werrason which was to be held at the Zénith of Paris, citing "risks of serious disturbances to the public order and of attacking the safety of the spectators", in particular with threats of the demonstrations of radical opponents to the regime in place. Werrason has expressed his anger towards France.[43]
^ abAyorinde, Michael (February 2011). "Werrason: un seigneur à Paris" [Werrason: a lord in Paris]. Afrique magazine (in French). Paris, France. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
^Kanka, Joseph (November 9, 2001). "Afrique: Koras 2001 a Sun City: Werrason n°1 d'Afrique" [Africa: Koras 2001 in Sun City: Werrason No. 1 in Africa]. Le Phare (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
^"Winners". Koraawards.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2009. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
^Mande, Ordi (February 17, 2025). "Paris s'incline devant le Roi de la Forêt" [Paris bows to the King of the Forest]. Mbote (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
^ abKanka, Joseph (November 9, 2001). "Afrique: Koras 2001 a Sun City: Werrason n°1 d'Afrique" [Africa: Koras 2001 at Sun City: Werrason n°1 in Africa]. Lephareonline.net/ (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
