Birth name Youlou Mabiala Name Youlou Mabiala Years active 1960-2008 Albums Kamikaze Loningisa | Occupation(s) Composer, vocalist Genres Congo Role Composer | |
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Born 3 March 1947 (age 77) ( 1947-03-03 ) Associated acts TPOK JazzSomo SomoTrois FreresLovy du ZaireKamikaze Loningisa, Similar People Josky Kiambukuta Londa, Michel Boyibanda, Franco Luambo, Wuta Mayi, Simaro Lutumba | ||
Also known as Gilbert Youlou Mabiala | ||
Youlou mabiala avec l orchestre kamikaze loningisa djeliba 1986
Gilbert Youlou Mabiala (born 3 March 1947), popularly known as Prince Youlou, is a soukous recording artist, composer and vocalist, in the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville). He was once a member of the seminal soukous band TPOK Jazz which dominated the Congolese music scene from the 1960s through the 1980s.
Contents
- Youlou mabiala avec l orchestre kamikaze loningisa djeliba 1986
- 1x2Mab Rponse ya mamou
- Music career with OKJazz
- Music career post OKJazz
- Personal details
- References
1x2=Mabé (Réponse ya mamou)
Music career with OKJazz
Youlou Mabiala was born in Linzolo, a suburb of Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo. He began his music career in Brazzaville with local groups. In 1963, he joined the musical band TPOK Jazz, in Kinshasa (Leopoldville), as a vocalist and composer. After initial stage jitters, he settled in under the tutelage of Vicky Longomba.
Youlou Mabiala is credited with composing the following songs for the band, among others:
In 1972, Youlou was one of the musicians who defected from OKJazz to form the band known as Lovy du Zaïre, led by Vicky Longomba. Youlou then went on to form Somo-somo, with Jean Kwamy Munsi, Diatho Lukoki, Master Mwana Congo and Nona Simon.
He returned to OKJazz in 1975 and released the hit Kamikaze which was popular in Africa and among the African diaspora in Europe and North America. In 1977, Youlou left OKJazz for good.
Music career post OKJazz
After he left TPOK Jazz in May 1977, Youlou formed Trois Frères with Loko Massengo, Mose Fan Fan, Michel Boyibanda and others. They performed mainly in Brazzaville. In the 1980s, he sang with the band Kamikaze Loningisa, releasing the song Djeliba, among others.
On 15 August 2004, while taking part in the National Independence celebrations at the Présidence de la République hotel in Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo, Youlou Mabiala suffered a cerebral vascular accident (stroke). After initial stabilization in a hospital in Brazzaville, he was airlifted to a facility in Paris, France. Following discharge from hospital, he remained in France for rehabilitation.
Personal details
Prince Youlou Mabiala is married to one of the daughters of the late François Luambo Makiadi.