connection between Madilu and Soki Vangu

This post is in the 5th year anniversary death of Madilu special.

I remember back in time when I was listening to Bella Bella, I always thought the original singer was Madilu System. My dad told me that the singer that was singing was Soki Vangu. I felt that early in his career that Madilu System was the younger version of Soki Vangu.

Turns out that I was right somewhat but it is just more that Madilu and Soki Vangu sounded alike. They actually did some musical things together. What turns out that after Madily had lost his luck with his own band Bakuba Mayopi, he and Soki Vangu met up decided to form a band together. That band was called Pamba Pamba. This band was formed in 1976. This band did have some promise because after all, Soki Vangu was a big name at the time and Madilu was a on slow rise as his own too. These two men thought becoming a force together would help them both become a major force in the Congolese music scene. But it turned out that this was a failed project. Despite some success, it did not help them continue and this activity only lasted a year or so.

But after this, fates were affected. Madilu was join Tabu Ley before he joined OK Jazz where he would become one of the big singers of Franco during the mid and late 1980s. Madilu would have a great solo career for 18 years. Soki Vangu had a different ending as he eventually lost his Bella Bella band and he would only live 13 more years after this band Pamba Pamba did not exist. Soki Vangu was only 42 years old when he died. Either way, this is a interesting thing that both of them actually worked together. Also they are both gone. RIP to both of them.