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Look up arrondissement in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Arrondissement (/əˈrɒndɪsmənt/; French: [aʁɔ̃dismɑ̃]) is any of various administrative divisions of France, certain other Francophone countries, and the Netherlands.

France[link]

The 101 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. The capital of an arrondissement is called a subprefecture. When an arrondissement contains the prefecture (capital) of the department, that prefecture is the capital of the arrondissement, acting both as a prefecture and as a subprefecture. Arrondissements are further divided into cantons and communes.

Municipal arrondissement[link]

A municipal arrondissement (French: arrondissement municipal, pronounced [aʁɔ̃dismɑ̃ mynisipal]), is a subdivision of the commune, used in the three largest cities: Paris, Lyon and Marseille. It functions as an even lower administrative division, with its own mayor. Although usually referred to simply as an "arrondissements", they should not be confused with departmental arrondissements, which are groupings of communes within one département. The official translation into English is "district".

Belgium[link]

Belgium is a federalized country which geographically consists of three regions, of which only Flanders (the Flemish region) and Wallonia are subdivided into five provinces each; the Brussels Capital Region is neither a province nor is it part of one.

In Belgium, there are administrative, judicial and electoral arrondissements. These may or may not relate to identical geographical areas.

• The 43 administrative arrondissements are an administrative level between the municipalities and the provinces. Per region an overview of its municipalities (gemeenten/communes) and the district or administrative arrondissement these belong to can be found in the Municipalities of Belgium page; for these administrative arrondissements also more technical references are available.
• Belgium has 27 judicial arrondissements.
• Until a short while ago the electoral circles for the parliaments were electoral arrondissements; at present these circles are the provinces, except for the arrondissements Brussels-Capital (geographically coinciding with the Brussels Capital Region) and Halle-Vilvoorde (one of the two districts in the province Flemish Brabant in the Flemish region), which together still form the electoral circle Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde (in Dutch kieskring Brussel-Halle-Vilvoorde, in French cercle or circonscription électoral Bruxelles-Hal-Vilvorde).
  • For the elections of the Walloon Parliament, 13 arrondissements (or grouped arrondissements) are still being used as electoral circles:

Switzerland[link]

Subdivisions of the canton of Bern include arrondissements administratifs since 2010.

Netherlands[link]

In the Netherlands an arrondissement is a judicial jurisdiction, comprising a number of communes.

Canada[link]

In the province of Quebec, the cities of Lévis, Longueuil, Montreal, Quebec City, Saguenay, Sherbrooke, the small town of Métis-sur-Mer, and the municipality of Grenville-sur-la-Rouge are divided into arrondissements, called boroughs in English.

Boroughs were introduced as part of the 2001–2002 municipal reorganization in Quebec, and therefore cities which were constituted before then (in their present form) do not have boroughs. For instance, Laval has sectors (secteur) and districts (quartier), but not boroughs.

Haiti[link]

Each of Haiti's ten departments is sub-divided into arrondissements.

Nations of Africa[link]

Most nations in Africa which had been colonised by the French have retained the arrondissement administrative structure. These are normally subunits of a Department, and may either contain or be coequal with Communes (towns). In Mali the arrondissement is a subunit of a Cercle, while in some places arrondissements are essentially subdistricts of large cities.

• Each of Senegal's departments are subdivided into arrondissements. Dakar is further subdivided into arrondissements; see Arrondissements of Senegal.
• Between 1962 and 2002, each of Niger's departments were subdivided into arrondissements; see Arrondissements of Niger: Since 2002 they have been renamed Departments (with the former Departments renamed Regions).
• Each of Mali's Cercles are subdivided into arrondissements; see Cercles of Mali for maps of arrondissements by Cercle.
• Each of Benin's departments are subdivided into communes, which are in turn subdivided into arrondissements: they sit above villages in Benin's structure; see Communes of Benin for maps of communes by Department.
• Each of Cameroon's departments are subdivided into arrondissements: they sit above subdistricts and communes in Cameroon's structure; see Departments of Cameroon for maps of arrondissements by Department.
• Since 2002, Chad retains arrondissements only in the city of N'Djamena, which is divided into 10 municipal arrondissements.
• Djibouti retains arrondissements only in the city of Djibouti City, which is divided into six arrondissements.
• Morocco's Cercles are subdivided into communes rurales, municipalities, communes urbaines, and arrondissements, depending on the classification of the community.
• The Republic of the Congo, retains arrondissements only in the city of Brazzaville, which is divided into seven arrondissements. See Administrative divisions of the Republic of the Congo.

Notes[link]

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (June 2010)

Papa Wemba
Papa Wemba
Background information
Born	1949
Origin	Lubefu, Sankuru Province, DR Congo
Genres	Soukous

Papa Wemba was born Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba in 1949 in Lubefu (Sankuru District, DR Congo). He is a Congolese rumba (later known as soukous) musician, one of Africa's most popular musicians, and prominent in World music.

Musical history[link]

Zaiko Langa Langa[link]

Papa Wemba was one of the very musicians to join the influential Soukous band, Zaiko Langa Langa when it was created in December 1969^[1] in Kinshasa along with such well known Congolese musicians as Nyoka Longo Jossart, Manuaku Pepe Felly, Evoloko Lay Lay, Bimi Ombale, Teddy Sukami, Zamuangana Enock, Mavuela Simeon, and others.

In a Congolese musical world dominated at the time by Franco Luambo and his remarkable band TPOK Jazz, Tabu Ley Rochereau's Afrisa, and by then-new musical groups like Les Grands Maquisards, Le Trio Madjesi, and even younger bands like Bella-Bella, Thu Zaina and Empire Bakuba, the young and talented Papa Wemba (then known as Jules Presley Shungu Wembadio), was one of the driving forces that by 1973 made Zaiko Langa Langa one of the most-performing dominant Congolese groups, featuring such popular numbers as "Chouchouna" (Papa Wemba), "Eluzam" and " Mbeya Mbeya" (Evoloko Lay Lay), "BP ya Munu" (Efonge Gina), "Mwana Wabi" and "Mizou" (Bimi Ombale) and "Zania" (Mavuela Somo).

Isifi[link]

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), Shungu Wembadio (Papa Wemba), along with Evoloko Lay Lay, Mavuela Somo and Bozi Boziana (who'd joined Zaiko Langa Langa a year earlier), left Zaiko Langa Langa to establish their own musical ensemble Isifi Lokole, ISIFI being an acronym for "Institut du Savoir Ideologique pour la Formation des Idoles." Yet of course, not everything that Wemba claims in earnest can be taken as gospel. In July 1975, Shungu Wembadio officially adopted the soon-to-be-well-known worldwide artist name Papa Wemba, the addition of "Papa" (father) an allusion to what were in fact rather awesome family responsibilities as the first son in a family where both father and mother (Wemba's parents) had been deceased since the 1960s.

The "feux d'artifice" (fireworks) that was Isifi Lokole would only last a year, with the single "Amazone" (Papa Wemba) as its biggest commercial "hit" record. In November 1975, Papa Wemba, Mavuela Somo and Bozi Boziana abandoned Evoloko Lay Lay and Isifi Lokole to create the group Yoka Lokole (also known as The Kinshasa's Wa Fania All-Stars, or Lokole Isifi, or simply Isifi), along with Mbuta Mashakado, another Zaiko Langa Langa 'transfusion.' Yoka Lokole enjoyed slightly less popular success than the original Isifi Lokole, but for a time still managed to remain at the top the African pop music wave with hit songs like "Matembele Bangui", "Lisuma ya Zazu" (Papa Wemba), "Mavuela Sala Keba", and "Bana Kin" (Mavuela Somo).

Like Isifi Lokole, the electronic-instrument driven Yoka Lokole (or The Kinshasa All-Stars) would not last much longer than a year, given the merger of so many big-name talents in the band's lineup. After a year of modest success, controversies within Yoka Lokole over money and prestige (complicated by Wemba's arrest and brief incarceration in Kinshasa Central prison in December 1976 for the 'crime' of being suspected of having had physical intimacy with an influential army general's daughter) would lead Papa Wemba, then feeling diminished by peers and neglected by the public, to form his own group Viva la Musica in February 1977 after a very brief return to Isifi Lokole and Stukas Boys of Lita Bembo where he played for a few weeks as a guest.

Viva la Musica[link]

At his home in the Matonge neighborhood of Kinshasa, Papa Wemba structured Viva la Musica around young talented artists like singers Kisangani Esperant, Jadot le Cambodgien, Pepe Bipoli and Petit Aziza, guitarists Rigo Star, Syriana, and Bongo Wende. A young man of the name of Antoine Agbepa (currently known as Koffi Olomide), whose friend were calling "Cheri O", was the unknown writer of most of the hit songs of the group. The group had nearly instantaneous success, with hit songs like "Mere Superieure," "Mabele Mokonzi", "Bokulaka," "Princesse ya Sinza," and others.

During the height of his success in 1977, Papa Wemba's family home, in Kanda-Kanda street, which had become a popular, some even said hallowed/special place for Matonge youths to gather "à la mode" (i.e., to be cool) was named the "Village Molokai," and Wemba assumed the exalted moniker "Chef Coutumier" (Chief) of the Village of Molokai. That village in the heart of Matonge, included the following streets, which firsts letters were used to form the acronym: M-O-LO-KA-I: Masimanimba-Oshwe-LOkolama-KAnda-kanda-Inzia.

In those days people referred to Papa Wemba as the "chief from the heartland (village)" to differentiate him from Kinshasa-born musical bigshots Mavuela Somo and Mashakado. However years later Mavuela would say that their difficulties only simply amounted to trivial foolishness over money, ambition and fame between some very-young people (that at the time they all were).

Since 1977, Viva la Musica has seen both the 'defections' of musicians every two or three years and the entrée and emergence of other new talents. Fafa de Molokai, Debs Debaba, King Kester Emeneya (1977–1982), Koffi Olomide, as a singer, (1978–1979), Djuna Djanana (1978–1981), Dindo Yogo (1979–1981), Maray-Maray (1980–1984), Lidjo Kwempa (1982–2001), Reddy Amissi (1982–2001), Stino Mubi (1983–2001) are among the currently well-known Congolese musicians who have served at one time or another with Viva la Musica. An old Kinshasa anecdote says that a college student then-named Antoine Agbepa Koffi was such an impressive songwriter that one day in 1977 Papa Wemba exhorted, "Ooh! l'homme idee" (Oh! the idea-man!) thereby on-the-spot renaming the impressive young singer-songwriter Koffi Olomide - and the name stuck...

After the wave of African emigration to Europe in the 1990s, Wemba maintained one group in Kinshasa (called at times "Nouvelle Ecriture," "Nouvel Ecrita," and now again "Viva la Musica") and another one in Paris ("Nouvelle Generation," "La Cour des Grands," and now "Viva Tendance"). He has also consistently maintained a very high profile in World Music with such great hits as "L'Esclave" (1986), "Le Voyageur, Maria Valencia" (1992), "Foridoles, Dixieme Commandement" (1994), "Emotion" (1995), "Pole Position" (1996), "M’Zée Fula-Ngenge" (1999), "Bakala dia Kuba" (2001), and "Somo Trop" (2003).

Papa Wemba is also known as an actor. In 1987, he played the male lead role in the successful Zairean (Congolese) film La Vie est Belle by Belgian director Benoît Lamy and Congolese producer-director Ngangura Mweze.

High and low times[link]

On 18 February 2003, suspected of being involved in a network that has allegedly smuggled hundreds of illegal immigrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire) into Europe, Papa Wemba was arrested at his home in Paris.

Papa Wemba was eventually found guilty at some level in June 2003 and spent three and a half months in prison, an experience which, on his release after a €30,000 bail was posted, he declared had had a profound psychological effect on him. The singer claimed to have undergone a spiritual conversion in jail and even recounted this episode on his new album, "Somo trop" (released in October 2003). On the song "Numéro d'écrou", Papa Wemba recalled the day "God" paid a visit to his cell.

Cross-cultural influence[link]

In 1979, Papa Wemba became the leader of the Sapeur (Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes d'Élégance or SAPE) which he promoted as a youth cult.^[2] Wemba said:

The Sapeur cult promoted high standards of personal cleanliness, hygiene and smart dress, to a whole generation of youth across Zaire. When I say well groomed, well shaven, well perfumed, it's a propriety that I am insisting on among the young. I don't care about their education, since education always comes first of all from the family.

Recently, Priyan Weerappuli, the leader of the Sri Lankan group Pahan Silu; referred to Wemba as being among his greatest musical influences.

Discography[link]

• Pauline (1970, Zaiko Langa Langa)
• L'Amoureux Decu (1972, Zaiko Langa Langa)
• Mete la Verite, Chouchouna (1973, Zaiko Langa Langa)
• Liwa ya Somo (1973–1974, Zaiko Langa Langa)
• Ainsi Va La Vie, Amazone (1975, Isifi Lokole)
• Matembele Bangi, Lisuma ya Zazu (1976, Yoka Lokole)
• Mere Superieure, Bokulaka, Mabele Mokonzi, Muana Molokai (1977)
• Princesse ya Senza, Fleur Betoko, Zonga-Zonga (1978)
• Anibo, Ata Nkale (1979)
• Levre Rose (1979, with Rochereau & Afrisa)
• Telegramme (1979, with Simaro Massiya & OK. Jazz)
• Analengo (1980), Amena (1980, duo with Pepe Kalle)
• Santa, Matebu (1980, first full album in Paris)
• Melina La Parisienne, Ufukutano (1981)
• Evenement, Rendre A Caesar (1982)
• Eliana, Bukavu Dawa (1983)
• Proclamation (1984, in Paris with Ngashie Niarchos)
• Destin ya Moto (1985)
• L'esclave, Papa Wemba – Au Japon (live) (1986)
• Papa Wemba Ekumani (1987)
• M'fono Yami (1989)
• Biloko ya Moto-Adidas Kiesse (1991)
• Le Voyageur (1992)
• Foridoles (1994)
• Emotion (1995)
• Pôle Position (1996)
• Wake-Up (1996, duo with Koffi Olomide)
• Nouvelle Ecriture (1997)
• Molokaï (1998)
• Nouvelle Ecriture dans L (1998)
• M’Zée Fula-Ngenge (1999)
• Muana Matebu(1999)
• A La Une (2000)
• Zea (2001)
• Bakala Dia Kuba (2001)
• Somo Trop (2003)
• Muana Molokaï (2004)
• Ba Zonkion (2005)
• Cheeky Summer time - Collab with Father J (2004)
• Attention L'artiste (2006)
• Notre Père Rumba (2010)

Filmography[link]

• Les Habits neufs du gouverneur (The Governor's New Clothes) (2004)
• Combat de fauves (1997) - The African
• La Vie est Belle (Life Is Beautiful) (1987) - Kourou

References[link]

External links[link]

• Biography of Papa Wemba