*Madilu Dies in Kinshasa*
*The Nation* (Nairobi)
NEWS
12 August 2007
Posted to the web 13 August 2007
By Amos Ngaira
Nairobi
Veteran Congolese musician Madilu Bialu System is dead. Madilu who was among
the kingpins of the legendary TP OK Jazz band led by the late Franco Luanzo
Makiadi in the 1980s died yesterday morning at a hospital in Kinshasa.
According to Robert Osano, a Kenyan living in Kinshasa who spoke to Sunday
Nation yesterday, initial reports indicated that the Congolese musician died
shortly after being admitted at a Kinshasa hospital complaining of fatigue
and neck pains.
However he reportedly collapsed and died as the medical personnel were
making frantic efforts to revive him at a hospital in Kinshasa.
"The Congolese President, Mr Joseph Kabila while in declaring national
mourning for Madilu has already arranged to have his body moved from the
University Clinic where he died to the Ngaliema," said Mr Osano.
*Suspended activities*
The International show of Kinshasa which is going on, has suspended all
music activities which would have been performed by most Congolese leading
artistes among them Papa Wemba, Koffi Olomide, JB Mpiana, Werra son, Bill
Clinton until further notice.
"He had been alright and was last seen on Wednesday practising with his band
but complained of fatigue. He however became worse on Friday night and was
rushed to hospital at 01.00 a.m. (DRC time) but by the time he was taken to
hospital he was partially paralysed," Osano added.
Since the news of his death, most Congolese radio stations have been playing
his music.
Also according to Osano most of the leading 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. 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.
However, most of his fans will remember his duets with the great Franco
which featured in many memorable songs.
After an almost ten-year singing career initially with Bakuba Mayopi and
other groups, Madilu joined TOP OK Jazz in the early 1980s where he set the
record as one of the first to have the honour of introducing himself on a
song.
This notable introduction by Madilu was on the song Non which was off the
1983 album Chez Fabrice.
To most fans of TP OK Jazz, Madilu also came off well on Tu Vois (Mamou) a
humorous song depicting a conversation between two women; a divorcee with
children and her friend Mamou, a married woman who she accuses of trying to
break up her marriage.
Many of Madilu's fans will remember how in the song, Madilu played the
criticising and satirical role of Mamou who had accused her friend of "being
a prostitute" yet she was infact the one using her friend to cover up her
immoral acts.
Some of his contemporaries while with the group include singers Josky
Kiambukuta, late Ntesa Dalienst, Papa Noelle, the late Djo Mpoyi, Mpudi
Decca, Ndombe Opetum, among others.
After the death of Franco he parted ways with his colleagues and went solo.
He later released solo albums such as Sans Commentaire L'eau, Bonheur" and
Pouvoir.
His former colleagues teamed up to form the Kinshasa based Bana OK band
under the leadership of Lutumba Simaro Massiya.
Madilu's Kenyans fans will recall how in 1985 he was in Mombasa for a
private wedding to a Swiss wife.
She was much older but Madilu insisted that he loved her and age had nothing
to do with it.
He had also severally toured Kenya and Tanzania both with TP OK Jazz and his
own band for a series of shows.
Back home in Kinshasa, Madilu has left his Congolese wife, Mama Biya with
four children.
Notably also in recent years Madilu had been shifting in performances
between Europe and Kinshasa.
In Paris, he has recorded with other leading artistes like Nyboma Mwandido,
Lokasa ya Mbongo, Dally Kimoko, Nguma Lokito and ace solo guitarist Rigo
Star.
In the recent past, Madilu had been keeping a back band in Kinshasa after
relocating from Paris to Kinshasa.
The Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy"
Groupe de communication Mulindwas
"avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie"
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