Madilu System
| Madilu System | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jean de Dieu Makiese |
| Also known as | Madilu Bialu |
| Born | May 28, 1952 |
| Died | August 11, 2007 (aged 55) |
| Genres | Soukous |
| Occupation(s) | composer, arranger, producer, singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1970 - 2007 |
| Associated acts | TPOK Jazz |
Jean de Dieu Makiese (28 May 1952 - 11 August 2007), popularly known as Madilu System, was a soukous singer and songwriter, born in Léopoldville, Belgian Congo - what is today known as Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He was once a member of the seminal soukous band TPOK Jazz which dominated the Congolese scene from 1960s through 1980s.
Beginning as a teenager in 1969, Madilu sang with "Orchestre Symba", "Orchestre Bambula", headed by Papa Noel, and with "Festival des Maquisards", led by Sam Mangwana. Madilu later formed his own band known as "Orchestre Bakuba Mayopi".
However, it was not until Madilu teamed up with Franco, that he became a Congolese and International star. Franco is the one who nicknamed him Madilu System, a name that stuck. Madilu's first hit with TPOK Jazz was “Mamou (Tu Vois),” which became a hit in 1984. That was followed by Madilu's own composition for the band, “Pesa Position.” Then came “Mario” and “Reponse de Mario” in 1985 and perhaps the best of the Franco-Madilu duets, “La Vie des Hommes” in 1986.
Following the death of Franco, TPOK Jazz stopped making music for one year. Then the group came together again with Madilu as one of the leaders. In the years that followed, he was a key participant in several of the band’s reunions, both on-stage and in the studio. Madilu went on to establish a lucrative solo career. He relocated his residence to Paris, France and later, Geneva, Switzerland, while maintaining a large fan base in his hometown of Kinshasa.
At the beginning of August 2007, Madilu travelled to Kinshasa to shoot videos for his new songs. He collapsed on Friday, August the 10, 2007. He was taken to the University Hospital in Kinshasa, where he died the next morning, Saturday 11 August 2007.
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