I am apologizing for not posting a long time. So many things have happened. I wish I could have posted this earlier. I have had family drama that has been more than bearable and I had little time to do writing since I had to do so many things. Family drama can be so bad.
This leads to this great post right here.
I have heard over the years of who is the responsible for the end of OK Jazz. Some say that it was Madilu only while others say that it was the only fault of Simaro. Nonsense. It is both Madilu AND Simaro who are responsible for the end of OK Jazz as well as Josky and Franco.
Franco, Josky, Madilu and Simaro are responsible for the end of job.
I will start with Madilu System.
This man was a deeply arrogant man and believed that everyone else was a loser. I always wonder why would Madilu would stay in the band since he wanted to be the boss and he knew that he would have no chance in le TPOK Jazz. He was behaving badly and he was always being a asshole to everyone and he had a tendency to be a douche-bag many times according to those close to OKJ group. I don't what was Madilu's motive in staying in OKJ when it was clear that he wanted a "free life". Why go continue with a person whom Madilu admitted that he never got along with. Reference to the poet Simaro Lutumba. In fact he was doing more nzingzongs than being part of OK Jazz. Really most OKJ songs were with Ndombe, Djo Mpoyi, Aime Kiwakana and Josky Kiambukuta. Madilu should have left and started his own affair and do something great.
Madilu System was already a man that was accussed of creating certain rifts between Josky and Ntesa as well as Franco and Simaro.
By Madilu staying in OKJ was proof that Madilu had a strong shortage of character. He knew that he wanted power and he also understood how much he hated Simaro Lutumba. Yet he wanted to be approved by Simaro. He wanted so badly to be buddies with Simaro when Simaro clearly never liked him but realized what a good use that he could for his songs.
Madilu wanted so badly to be in Bana OK. Yet Simaro made it clear that he did not want him in Bana OK. Madilu was mad at Simaro for not allowing him in Bana OK. Simaro chose Elba Top A to take his place.
Simaro Lutumba
This leads to my anger towards Simaro Lutumba. Simaro knew who Madilu was and what a douchebag he was especially since they were family. Madilu's aunt or sister was married to Simaro himself. Her name is Maman Kelani. It is not as if Simaro was not going to have a "reformed Madilu". All the other members knew how Madilu was and Madilu had a fallout with Franco to some degree which was apparently a inspiration to his song Voisin. Furthermore, Madilu had a band with Aime Kiwakana, and Gerry Dialunguna in La Festival du Zaire. It was Simaro who demanded them to comeback to the fold. They did. Simaro should have never done that. Instead, he should grabbed the remaining members and get some new blood from Kamikaze or Brazza bands where he could get some new sound with the phrase "Kilo ya Kinshasa"
Madilu and Simaro had a beef long before the death of Franco. As Madilu had indicated in a 1999 interview how Madilu felt hurt by Simaro back in the late 1980s. It was clear their problems started in 1988 after their collaboration on the song Tala Merci pona Mbwa. Their hatred for one another only grew after the death of Franco.
This video pretty much sums the bad blood between Simaro and Madilu. Just look how Josky said Madilu's name twice and said Simaro's name only once. It was clear to some degree that Simaro was bothered by this.
It was clear who the members were more comfortable with. They preferred the egoist man Madilu than the shy man Simaro. I am sure Simaro was deeply bothered by this. This did not help matters when Madilu was invited for a show in France in 1993 which was the reason why Simaro decided to suspend Madilu for three months before he created Bana OK which Simaro did not allow Madilu in at all. Madilu's recount on what happened was pretty much confirmed by Simaro himself in a certain phrase.
To finally to put a nail on the coffin, it was Simaro's idea to make Madilu the second vice president. More fuel to the fire. The first vice president and vice president of Bana OK would be Josky Kiambukuta.
Josky Kiambukuta
Which leads me to this man. He is a great singer and a great talent and I love how he sang his classic songs. But as far a leader, he deserve some blame too. He made no attempt to try to be the middle man.
I only say this because I saw this interview which he speaks on his career and how he separated with Lutumba.
Then I look and wonder why could have Josky be the middle man. If there was one person both Simaro and Madilu loved was Josky Kiambukuta. In a sense, Josky should have been the leader. He was the one that everyone loved. Look at his album Serrer Serrer. It had big success. It was clear that Josky was a beloved man. It was noted that Madilu often referred Josky as a "special individual".
I blame Josky for this too. He was complicit. He could have found a way to keep the tension from getting so big. Because Simaro and Madilu did not like each other and Josky could have found resolutions to keep them from getting at eachother's throats. But he was indifferent and just let his ego get the best of him with having lots of fun as "the star". As result, Josky, Madilu and Simaro trio ended in 1994. But there is one person who deserve the blame too.
Franco
Franco deserve some fault too. I know he died 5 years before OKJ ended but he is not faultless in this too. I never wanted to blame because he was gone. But then I took another look and realized that Franco deserve some harsh criticism.
This 1985 interview gives me a reason to look at Franco and wonder "WHY"
That interview, Franco attacked Lutumba Simaro and Ntesa Dialenst for their "nzingzong" work. It was clear that Franco hated nzingzong with strong passion. In fact he made it clear when he said this "They know that I like to have food while they go eating."
This made me look at Franco again. Then I remember I did a post about 2 or 3 years ago about Franco about his "major gaffs". Two of them were Arrival of Madilu and Simaro being vice president. They go hand to hand.
Franco already knew that Simaro was a big fan of nzingzong. 1985 was not the only time that he did this. He also did it in 1971 when OKJ was going through a unfortunate change when Vicky Longomba left the band for creation of his own band which ironically gave a Franco soukouss impersonator Syran Mbenza.
That same year of the nzingzong was when Franco gave Simaro the role as vice president. Bad idea. I stand by this. Because of the 1985 interview that Franco gave. It was proof that Franco made a major error giving Simaro the vice president role. It was clear that there was bad blood between Franco and Simaro during the period.
Seeing that makes me wonder "Why would you give something big to someone whom you knew would do one thing that you really hate".
Also by bringing Madilu into OKJ, you brought in drama. Madilu came from Afrisa of Tabu Ley. Madilu had a big diva personality. Franco had a huge addiction with Pepe Kalle's voice and he wanted Pepe Kalle to be even a member of OK Jazz but Pepe Kalle said no. So he decided to look someone who sounded close enough to Pepe Kalle. He quickly realized that was Madilu. But Madilu's personality would in fact create a rift between Josky Kiambukuta and Ntesa Dalienst so much that they would not sing in eachother's songs. Franco was unable to get Josky, Madilu and Ntesa to become the main frontmen of OKJ. His inability to get these men get along is part of proof of having Madilu in Le TPOK Jazz was a bad idea. Madilu spoke a little about this here.
Also getting Simaro and Madilu together was a bad idea because Simaro was a shy and Madilu was a egoist man. This is a horrible mix and you just get pain. Franco should have had a meeting to get these men to get along but he did not and it created a bad blood that never recovered.
Final nail on the coffin was that Manzenza who was Franco's manager, said that he wanted OKJ to run without him when he is longer alive.
Franco should have had a tough talk with Simaro, Josky and Madilu and tell them how he would like them to do OKJ as well with his family to deal with business dealings so OKJ could have continued well. Franco clearly did not do that and he deserve some harsh for some of the situations that occured later in the early 1990s.
Regardless, I am happy that we had Franco, Josky, Madilu and Simaro in the same band for some time. Somethings should have been handled differently.
