Madilu was 19 when he started his career in Kinshasa’s thriving music scene in 1969. Over the next fifteen years he sang with Orchestre Symba, Papa Noel’s Orchestre Bambula, Sam Mangwana’s Festival des Maquisards and his own Orchestre Bakuba Mayopi, but his career thus far neither revealed nor promised anything out of the ordinary (in an extraordinary milieu). It was Franco who made a star of Madilu System (as the big man had dubbed him). "Mamou (Tu Vois)," the record that introduced the new T.P.O.K. Jazz singer, was a hit in 1984. Madilu followed that up with his own composition for the band, "Pesa Position." Then came "Mario" and "Reponse de Mario" in ‘85 and perhaps the best of the Franco-Madilu duets, "La Vie des Hommes" in ’86.
Congo has bred singers with more impressive range, more force or sweeter tone than Madilu, but very few who sang with his expressiveness, his ability to vivify character with his voice. It was this quality that Franco appreciated so well. He and Madilu shared the lead vocals on many of Franco’s story-songs, Franco singing the narrative and Madilu assuming the role of the protagonist.
When Franco died in 1989, T.P.O.K. Jazz ceased making music for one year, then came together again with Madilu as one of the leaders. In the ensuing years he was a key participant in several of the band’s reunions on stage and in the studio, but at the same time he established himself as an independent artist. Of all the T.P.O.K. Jazz veterans, perhaps only Sam Mangwana had a stronger solo career than Madilu – and Madilu, unlike Sam, never lost his huge fan base in Kinshasa, even while he lived in Paris and Geneva. And yet he always remained an avid collaborator. Some of his best records were duets with peers such as Pépé Kallé, Nyboma Mwan-dido, M’bilia Bel and Josky Kiambukuta. In 2006 he joined the Congolese supergroup Kékélé for Tapale, one of the highlights of the album Kinavana, and in 2007 he reprised “Mario” in a stellar cameo with Africando. His voice was deeper and even huskier than it had been in the original recording, but if anything he rode that war-horse with even more panache than he had 22 years earlier.
Madilu System released a new album, La Bonne Humeur, the summer of 2006, and the first impression of many listeners was that it might be the finest of his career. He went to Kinshasa at the beginning of august 2007 to film videos of his new songs. He collapsed Friday the 10th of August and was taken to the University Hospital, where he died the next morning.
Autoroute
Madilu System Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ko linga na lingaki yo nzele
Ba temoin ba zalaki te
Na mituni solo to kabwani
Mikolo mibale nga na kamwa
Na sala nyonso po na zua yo
A meki pe a leisa yo mbuma
Nzele o landi mabe Eva a sala
Somo, somo, vertige esalinga Nzele
Motema eziki
Makila ya nzoto esopani
Molimo ekomi Caina
Caina
Sira Mbenza masta beta eloko wana di
Ko linga na lingaki yo nzele(mama)
Ba temoin ba zalaki te
Na mituni solo to kabwani
Mikolo mibale nga na kamwa
Na sala nyonso po na zwa yo
Zabulu aye ko kabola biso
A meki pe a leisa yo mbuma
Nzele o landi mabe eva a sala
Somo, somo, vertige esalinga Nzele
Motema wziki
Makila ya nzoto esopani
Molimo ekomi Caina
Caina
Na lingi nayeba soki to lingana
Na lingi ba yeba basusu ba sala zua
Nzele motema nagai w bolingo
Na lingi o decide amour motindo wana, Nzele
Batela mibeko nga na ko pesa yo
Soki o bebisi lelo bango ba seka
Nga madilu ba linga nga mingi na quartier
Tina nini ba salela nga nayo likita bozoba
Na lingi nayeba soki to lingana
Na lingi ba yeba basusu ba sala zua
Nzele motema nagai wa bolingo
Ebongi o decide l'amour motindo wana, Nzele
Batela mibeko nga na ko pesa yo
Soki o bebisi lelo bango ba seka
Nga madilu ba linga nga mingi na quartier
Tina nini ba salela nga nayo likita bozoba,
Bozoba x2
Mongali eh na mingali eh na mongali
Mongali eh na mingali eh na mongali
Mais na kovanda na baya
Moto na moto ba tutani
Bazali nde ko benda bolingo na makanisi
Yeye x2
Yeye nga na sila
Yeye
Yeye nga na sila
Na lingi nayeba soki to lingana
Na lingi ba yeba basusu ba sala zua
Nzele motema nagai wa bolingo
Ebongi o decide amour motindo wana, Nzele
Batela mibeko nga na ko pesa yo
Soki o bebisi lelo bango ba seka
Nga madilu ba linga nga mingi na quartier
Tina nini ba salela nga nayo likita bozoba
Oh bozoba x1
Oh bozoba x2
Edo coiffure
Willy Mpoko
Instrumental
Na lingi nayeba soki to lingana
Na lingi ba yeba basusu ba sala zua
Nzele motema nagai wa bolingo
Ebongi o decide l'amour motindo wana, Nzele
Madilu System's song Autoroute is a ballad about unrequited love. The singer is in love with someone who does not feel the same way. The lyrics suggest heartbreak and longing for someone far beyond reach. The song opens with the line "Ko linga na lingaki yo nzele" which translates to "I love you, but you don't want me." The singer is very emotional, and the lyrics speak to his feelings of being alone, rejected, and desperate.
The song includes powerful imagery such as "Mikolo mibale nga na kamwa" which translates to "Days and nights I cry alone," and "Somo, somo, vertige esalinga Nzele" which means "Dizziness overwhelms my heart." The recurring line "Na lingi nayeba soki to lingana" means "I wish I knew what I have done wrong." The lyrics also mention the singer's past relationships, including one with a woman named Eva, who has moved on and found someone else.
Overall, Autoroute speaks to the universal theme of unrequited love and the pain that comes with it. The lyrics capture the raw emotions of heartbreak, rejection, and longing, making it a powerful and relatable song to many.
Line by Line Meaning
Ko linga na lingaki yo nzele
I love you, my heart
Ba temoin ba zalaki te
No witnesses were present
Na mituni solo to kabwani
I wandered alone in the streets
Mikolo mibale nga na kamwa
Thinking deeply about my past
Na sala nyonso po na zua yo
I left everything behind to follow you
Zabulu aye ko kabola biso
Envious people do not want us to succeed
A meki pe a leisa yo mbuma
They want to ruin our relationship
Nzele o landi mabe Eva a sala
My heart is troubled, Eva is leaving
Somo, somo, vertige esalinga Nzele
My heart is overwhelmed, spinning around
Motema eziki
My heart is burning
Makila ya nzoto esopani
The pain of separation is unbearable
Molimo ekomi Caina
This ordeal is like hell
Caina
Hell
Na lingi nayeba soki to lingana
I want to know if we are meant to be
Na lingi ba yeba basusu ba sala zua
I want to know if those who criticize us have found happiness
Nzele motema nagai wa bolingo
My heart is torn by love
Na lingi o decide amour motindo wana, Nzele
I want to make a decision about this love, my heart
Batela mibeko nga na ko pesa yo
I will fight against anyone who tries to separate us
Soki o bebisi lelo bango ba seka
If they mock us today, they will regret it
Nga madilu ba linga nga mingi na quartier
Many people in the neighborhood love me
Tina nini ba salela nga nayo likita bozoba
What do they gain from gossiping about us? Nothing
Bozoba x2
Gossip
Mongali eh na mingali eh na mongali
Beloved, oh my beloved
Mais na kovanda na baya
But poverty is knocking at my door
Moto na moto ba tutani
People only care about themselves
Bazali nde ko benda bolingo na makanisi
No one is interested in our love story
Yeye x2
Yes
Yeye nga na sila
Yes, I am alone
Oh bozoba x1
Oh, gossip
Oh bozoba x2
Oh, gossip
Edo coiffure
Hair salon in Kinshasa
Willy Mpoko
Name of a person
Instrumental
No lyrics
Ebongi o decide l'amour motindo wana, Nzele
My heart has finally decided about the love
Contributed by Caden A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Steve
Beniko Zangilu Popolipo Zero Forte.Solo
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And (re)discover all video clips and albums by the most popular artists from West Africa, Congo or Cape Verde : Mbilia, Bel, Tabu Ley, Sékouba Bambino, Diéneba Seck, Madilu System, Africando, Ismaël Lô, Kandia Kouyaté, Cabo Verde Show, Bembeya Jazz, Etoile de Dakar, Le Rail Band, ...
@christopherchalanga5591
W~twqtw
@christopherchalanga5591
T
@ramonbacaleesono4789
Auto rute
@emmanuelboani1334
Good
@kristinakinyi584
For those new to rhumba...welcome.
Kwetu sisi wa zamani....enjoy continuously.
Rhumba is like wine..the more it ages the sweeter😊
@geoffreyonyangoochieng7950
This sounds like soukouss to me 😊
@vicetech2920
Enough said
@florencekamau7594
Very true