Madilu System

Jean de Dieu Makiese (May 28,1952 – August 11,2007), popularly known as Madilu System, was a Soukous singer and songwriter born in Léopoldville, Belgian Congo. He was once was a member of TPOK Jazz which dominated African popular music in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. [ [http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article2987825.ece Obituary] , "The Independent", 22 September 2007]

Congolese superstar Madilu System dies in Kinshasa, Congo.A Congelese Legendary Singer Madilu is no more

A legendary Congolese singer Madilu Systeme has passed away at 57 on Saturday, August 11 in Kinshasa. Madilu Bialu Jean was among the kingpins of the legendary TP OK Jazz band of the late Franco Luanbo Makiadi in the 1980’s.

According to Mireille Kabala of Radio Okapi in Kinshasa, Madilu died right after being admitted at a Kinshasa hospital complaining of fatigue.

Authorities in Kinshasa have suspended most music activities except for a Madilu tribute on Sunday by most Congolese leading artistes among them Papa Wemba, Koffi Olomide, JB Mpiana, Werra son, Bill Clinton, Tutu Callugi, etc.

Since the news of his death, most Congolese radio stations have been playing his music. Leading Congolese musicians have already appeared on TV paying homage to the fallen music star.

Madilu who was arguably one of the best composers in DRC will be remembered for some of his compositions while with TP OK Jazz and also during his solo career. Some of these are Pesa Position while he did the lead vocals on some of the popular TP PK Jazz songs like Mamou, Non and Makambo Ezali Minene. His solo albums are "L’ Eau", "Pouvoir", "Bonheur", "Tenant du Titre" and the last one "La Bonne humeur", which was released a month before his death.

However, most of his fans will remember his 37 years in music business but the most memorable moments are his duets with the great Franco, which were featured in many of TP OK Jazz hit songs.

To most fans of TP OK Jazz, Madilu had a particular way of singing, his system no wonder he became Systeme. Mbwakela, a Congolese singing style became permanent mostly by Madilu consistency after Franco’s death. Songs such as Mamou, Makambu Ezali Minene, Frere Edwards, Voisin, etc. were very humorous but truthful according to Congolese society.

Some of his contemporaries while with the group include singers Josky Kiambukuta, Papa Noelle, Lutumba Simaro, Ndombe Opetum, Wuta Mayi, among others are mourning his death in Kinshasa.

After the death of Franco he parted ways with his colleagues and went solo and collaborated with arranger, guitarist Shiko Mawatu, singer Nyboma Canta, Ngouma Lokito, Dally Kimoko, Lokassa Ya Mbongo, Rigo Star, Felix Wazekwa, Papa Wemba.

Madilu Systeme had toured the world with TP OK Jazz and also with his own band to support his solo albums. He was preparing to embark on another European tour before his death to support his latest album “La Bonne Humeur”. Mr. Madilu Bialu has left behind a wife, Biya Madilu with several children.

Madilu Systeme was to many in Africa what Luther Vandross was to Americans. It is a great loss for African music as a whole. He has given us so many melodies to dance to and hits after to cheer up our lives. His stage performance was equally impressive as his recordings. “Le Grand Ninja” for his close fans will surely be missed, May Madilu rest in peace.

Lubangi MunianiaPresidentTabilulu Productions

Bialu Makiese died on August 11th in Kinshasa, Congo. The cause of death was reported variously as a heart attack or complications from diabetes. He was 57 years old.

Not many people, even in Kinshasa, recognize the name Bialu Makiese, but millions loved the singer known as Madilu System, and many more around the world delighted in “Mario,” whether or not they knew the name of the husky tenor who traded verses with Franco on one of Africa’s biggest global hits ever.

Madilu was 19 when he started his career in Kinshasa’s thriving music scene in 1969. Over the next fifteen years he sang with Orchestre Symba, Papa Noel’s Orchestre Bambula, Sam Mangwana’s Festival des Maquisards and his own Orchestre Bakuba Mayopi, but his career thus far neither revealed nor promised anything out of the ordinary (in an extraordinary milieu). It was Franco who made a star of Madilu System (as the big man had dubbed him). “Mamou (Tu Vois),” the record that introduced the new T.P.O.K. Jazz singer, was a hit in 1984. Madilu followed that up with his own composition for the band, “Pesa Position.” Then came “Mario” and “Reponse de Mario” in ‘85 and perhaps the best of the Franco-Madilu duets, “La Vie des Hommes” in ’86.

Congo has bred singers with more impressive range, more force or sweeter tone than Madilu, but very few who sang with his expressiveness, his ability to vivify character with his voice. It was this quality that Franco appreciated so well. He and Madilu shared the lead vocals on many of Franco’s story-songs, Franco singing the narrative and Madilu assuming the role of the protagonist.

When Franco died in 1989, T.P.O.K. Jazz ceased making music for one year, then came together again with Madilu as one of the leaders. In the ensuing years he was a key participant in several of the band’s reunions on stage and in the studio, but at the same time he established himself as an independent artist. Of all the O.K. Jazz veterans, perhaps only Sam Mangwana had a stronger solo career than Madilu – and Madilu, unlike Sam, never lost his huge fan base in Kinshasa, even while he lived in Paris and Geneva. And yet he always remained an avid collaborator. Some of his best records were duets with peers such as Pépé Kallé, Nyboma Mwan-dido, M’bilia Bel and Josky Kiambukuta. Last year he joined the Congolese supergroup Kékélé for “Tapale,” one of the highlights of the album Kinavana, and this year he reprised “Mario” in a stellar cameo with Africando. His voice was deeper and even huskier than it had been in the original recording, but if anything he rode that war-horse with even more panache than he had 22 years earlier.

Madilu System released a new album, La Bonne Humeur, just this summer, and the first impression of many listeners was that it might be the finest of his career. He went to Kinshasa at the beginning of this month to film videos of his new songs. He collapsed last Friday and was taken to the University Hospital, where he died the next morning.

Kenda malamu, Madilu. Lala na kimia.

Ken BraunStern’s Musicwww.sternsmusic.com and Tabilulu Productions

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