THE HISTORY OF MADILU SYSTEM (The Great Ninja)

Birth
He was born on 28th May 1950 as Jean de Dieu Makiese  in Léopoldville (Currently Kinshasa), the capital City of Belgian Congo later Zaire(and now DRC).

Early Life & The start of his musical journey
Jean de Dieu Makiese grew up a very active boy. During the 1960s when Jean came of age the city had a vibrant and highly competitive music scene.
In 1969, Jean Makiese joined a Rumba band called Orchestra Simba and spent the next few years honing skills in Papa Noel's band Bamboula, Festival de Maquisard (with Mangwana Sam), and in 1971 he joined Fagus Izeidi's band Fiesta Popular.

The Name Madilu
When Fagus Izeidi formed Fiesta Popular in 1971 he recruited  Johnny alias Pindu, a young guitarist Cosmos, Mafu, Yossa Taluki & one of the musicians suggested to him (Fagus) one of his friends, Jean Bialu, a young singer who lived in Kimbanseke.

He had to go and get him by car, in this lost corner of Kinshasa. In order to have him close at hand for rehearsals, Fagus had set up a room for him at his house in Renkin.

Very quickly, this little one who came out of nowhere became the darling of all the girls in the neighborhood. His first love as a musician of Fiesta Populaire, in this so-called "lights" district that was Matonge, was Bibi, Fagus neighbor's daughter.

Fagus wanted to find a stage name for Jean Bialu. James Brown was at the top of all the charts. As his name was Jean, he had offered to transform him into James. Fagus had also added a pseudonym that he had found in the dictionary: Madhi which means great magician in India.
So he was going to be called James Madhi. But Jean was not satisfied. Wanting to create another, he added to Madhi, the last syllable “lu” of his own name. But Jean not being the champion of spelling, wrote Madhi without the letter "h", which gave Madi, to which he added the syllable "lu". He had just created one of the big names in Congolese songs: Madilu, the future “Great Ninja”

Madilu With Orchestra Mayopi (1973 – 1976)
In 1973, the newly christened "Bialu" under President Mobutu's "authenticité" program, Madilu alongside Yossa Taluki & Pires left Fiesta Popular of Fagus and formed the band Bakuba Mayopi.
"Mayopi" is a nonsense word derived from the first two letters of each of their names. Though never exactly major players, they scored a significant hit with the song "Pamba-Pamba" in 1976.

Madilu with Orchestra Pamba Pamba (This part many will not tell you)
In 1976, Bialu left Bakuba Mayopi, forming his group with Soki Vangu which they called Orchestra Pamba Pamba. However, they met with no success in two years and Bialu had to leave to join Afrisa of Tabu Ley in 1978 where he spent the last two years of the 1970s.

In Afrisa  (1978 -1980)
In 1978 Madilu joined Afrisa and he had a very low career point in Ley's team for the two years he was with Ley. And this led to his betrayal by his master at Ndjili Airport.

Betrayal by His master (Tabu Ley)
Tabu Ley's Afrisa band was invited to a concert in Europe in 1980. At this time, Madilu System was his singer but struggling in Ley's shadow. Madilu was to show up at Ndjili airport the next day so they traveled together. Madilu did not sleep a wink. It was going to be his first time ever to go to Europe. He arrived at Ndjili and waited for Ley. He waited long and hard. The flight they were to board was closing the gates and Madilu still did not see his boss. Madilu watched the aircraft ascend into the air leaving him behind. Rochereau had lied, tricked him, and left him destitute.

Madilu's Life & Legacy in TPOK Jazz (LIGHTS IN HIS PATHS EMERGE) 
After his unceremonious departure from Tabu Ley's Afrisa, Madilu System joined TPOK Jazz in April 1980. This happened after he was introduced to Franco by Ntesa Dalienst who at the time was a stalwart singer and composer in TPOK Jazz.

For the first three years in TPOK Jazz, Madilu was virtually unknown. He played an insignificant role within the band, appearing mostly as a backup singer in concerts. His voice was not heard on any TPOK Jazz songs between 1980 to 1983. In Madilu's own words, Franco never respected him and never rated him highly as a singer.

But all this would change dramatically in 1983. Franco would compose a song called "Non". It was a highly controversial song in which Franco yet again sought to blame women for a myriad of problems that occur in marriages. Franco had been critical of women in the past but this song went as far as being mean-spirited.

Five years earlier, Franco had landed in hot soup with the authorities when he sang two controversial songs named "Helene" and "Jacky". The songs criticized two women, going into graphic detail about their lack of hygiene. The then Attorney General jailed Franco and all the musicians who had sung the two songs at the notorious Makala prison.

As a result, when it was time to sing "Non", many musicians were reluctant to participate in the song for fear of running afoul of the law and ending up at Makala prison again. In particular, Franco wanted Josky Kiambukuta or Ntesa Dalienst to be the lead singer on the song. Both declined.

Madilu says that while on tour in Europe, he met Franco in the corridors of the hotel where they were staying. Franco informed Madilu that he was working on a new song called "Non" and was looking for a singer to perform the lead vocals. 
He then asked Madilu to go upstairs with him for an impromptu recording session. Madilu sang the written lyrics into a cassette tape. When Franco replayed the tape, he was thoroughly impressed with Madilu's vocal skills. He wondered how such a vocal talent had been in his band for three years and he did not know it. Franco's wife, Annie Mbule who was also in the hotel wondered how Madilu, whom Franco always claimed could not sing, had suddenly developed a marvelous singing voice.

After Franco's Death & Final Solo career
Franco's death in 1989 – most probably thought to be from an AIDS-related condition – was a body blow from which TPOK Jazz never recovered, although they continued to perform to considerable acclaim, appearing in London the same year. Under pressure from Franco's family to relinquish the name, the poet Simaro formed Bana OK ("Children of OK Jazz") in Kinshasa at the start of 1994, taking most members of TPOK Jazz with him – except Madilu System, who resolved to start a solo career.

Basing himself in Geneva, (he had married a Swiss woman in 1985 under controversial circumstances) Madilu System divided his time between there, Paris, and Kinshasa, working mostly with ex-patriot Congolese musicians to perpetuate Franco's classic "Odemba" style of rumba on a series of solo albums, backed variously by the bands Multi-Système, OK Système, and Tout Puissant Système. These began in 1994 with the zouk-flavoured Sans Commentaire. Subsequent solo releases included Album '95 (1995), L'eau (1999), Pouvoir (2000), Tenant du Titre (2003), Bonheur (2004), and most recently Le Bonne Humeur (2007).
During this solo phase, he collaborated on albums with other Congolese musicians, including former Choc Stars' singer Debaba Mbaki, Nyboma (of Kékélé), Benz-Petrole, Ndombe Opetum, Lokassa ya Mbongo, Rigo Star and Josky. He also occasionally participated in Dizzy Mandjeku's long-running homage project Odemba OK Jazz All Stars, although commitments in Kinshasa meant he was unable to make their UK début in May this year.
In 2006, he recorded a reprise of "Mario" on the album Ketukuba by the Afro-salsa supergroup Africando. 

Death
Legendary Congolese singer Madilu System passed away at age 57 on Saturday, August 11, 2007, in Kinshasa leaving behind four known children. He was among the kingpins of the legendary TP OK Jazz band of the late Franco Luambo Makiadi in the 1980s. And at the time of his death, was in the process of making another album with the producer Ibrahima Sylla.
May His soul rest in eternal peace

RIEP

Compiled By Brian Adira

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