[2] Dubbed the "King of Rumba Rock",[1] he was one of the most popular musicians of his time in Africa and played an important role in world music.

It was there that Wemba was able to achieve more of an "eclectic sound" in his work,[9] influenced by western popular music that reflected a European flavor and style, referred to as "Europop.

[7]On 23 December 1969 Wemba, who was accompanying one of the Mitshio brothers to visit their aunt in Kinshasa, found the band Bel Guide National rehearsing in the backyard.

[13] In December 1974, at the pinnacle of their fame (and just a month after the Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa),[1] Papa Wemba (usually called 'Shungu Wembadio' at this point in his career) along with Evoloko Lay Lay, Mavuela Somo and Bozi Boziana,[13] left Zaiko Langa Langa to establish their own musical ensemble Isifi Lokole.

[13] Isifi Lokole would only last a year together as a group, with the single "Amazone" (a Wemba composition) as its biggest commercial "hit" record.

[8] After a year of modest success, controversies within Yoka Lokole over money and prestige were also complicated by Wemba's arrest and brief incarceration in Kinshasa Central prison in December 1976[14] when he was suspected of having a relationship with army general's daughter.

[2] Wemba's vision was to structure Viva la Musica around young, talented but largely unknown artists, including the singers Prince Espérant, Jadot "le Cambodgien" Sombele, Debaba el Shabab, Pepe Bipoli and Petit Aziza, and various guitarists such as Rigo Star, Syriana, and Bongo Wende.

Beginning in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Wemba (both by himself and with Viva la Musica) started traveling to Paris,[9] believing there was a potentially wider audience for the music he had been helping to create during the preceding decade.

The group consistently maintained a high profile in world music with hits like "Le Voyageur" (1992),[10] "Emotion" (1995),[1] "Pole Position" (1996) and "Somo Trop" (October 2003).

[1] In February 2003, Wemba was suspected of being involved in a network that had allegedly assisted hundreds of people in illegally immigrating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo into Europe.

For example, Priyan Weerappuli (leader of the Sri Lankan group Pahan Silu) referred to Wemba as being among his greatest musical influences.

Some of them included not only Koffi Olomide and Manu Dibango (both mentioned previously), but musicians King Kikii and Femi Kuti, along with soccer star Samuel Eto'o (among others) gave testimony to his lasting influence on them.

[10] Wemba said: The Sapeur cult promoted high standards of personal cleanliness, hygiene and smart dress, to a whole generation of youth across Zaire.

[29]After Wemba's death, Cameroonian saxophonist Manu Dibango told the BBC during an interview: "His whole attitude about dressing well was part of the narrative that we Africans have been denied our humanity for so long.

"[25]Papa Wemba got some attention as a movie actor, primarily because he played the male lead role in a very successful Zairean film La Vie est Belle (Life is Beautiful) [1987] by Belgian director Benoît Lamy and Congolese producer-director Ngangura Mweze.

[30] Wemba made another kind of contribution to cinema, thanks to his work on the soundtracks for Children of Men, Besieged, and Black Mic Mac.

[31] Wemba died at the age of 66 after collapsing on stage in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, during the FEMUA urban music festival on Sunday 24 April 2016.

[3] On Monday 25 April it was reported that his widow, Mama-Marie Luzolo Amazone, flew to Abidjan "accompanied by family members and government officials.