We are living through extremely hard times ...
 Rest in peace to the person who invented the rhythmic sebene against time, the ancestor of the ndombolo
 ? Jean-Marie Belobi Ngekerme alias “Méridjo” Drummer ya zaiko

mannnn this year... RIP meridjo machine ya kauka

Really !!!! Aah mawa trop

Rest in Peace legend.

Meridjo beside of being the creator of the Cavacha-rhythm that every drummer plays until this day, he was also an excellent songwriter (his were about different subjects, life, love, difficulties).



This song is about fake friends (traitors)



About his wife who wanted to divorce, because of her friends talking about him and the stories in Congolese music about witchcraft, in order to let her hate Meridjo.



Him wanting to say that he want to die without having debts to people.



Meridjo's biggest hit (they remixed in the Nippon Banzai-album). It is about when he spent 2 years in jail in Ekafela (Equateur-province), thinking about his girlfriend and when he was released from jail, he discovered that they took his girlfriend.





The song that Nyoka Longo likes to sing until this day. We can say that the rhythm is the basic of the song Mon Ami Coboss of Wenge 4x4 (from 1:49 min). Its one of Zaiko's biggests hit.



Another big Zaiko hit with the famous funky-funky dance. Many bands would copy Likinga's vocal and make it the main subject of the song (mutu oyo oko linga, ako linga yo. Mutu oko boya, ye nde ako linga yo)



The song that brought Zaiko back on the top, after a little dip. Till this dance people dance it on weddings and birthday parties.

Oh my God noooo, I literally saw him at my uncles party at liege a few years ago with Adamo Ekula and Alain Mpela, he was so kind, May he RIP.

RIP

This is very Sad.

One of the ever-green musicians that was able to adapt to all the changing styles and still was on top.

77X7 is one of my favourite Zaiko songs.

Rest In Peace Drummer Man.

2020 is indeed the year of Tears.

Ah, le grand Machine Ya Kauka. Ya Meridjo!

He played a innovative in changing the structure of rhythm. Mbeya Mbeya.

Rest in peace brotha, we'll miss you

Oh man what Zaiko albums did he play on? Entire discography?

He was the one who played the congas not the drumkit, right?

Oh man what Zaiko albums did he play on? Entire discography?

Loads of albums until 1998 including Koffi Olomide albums: Ngounda and Diva.

He was the one who played the congas not the drumkit, right?

In 1971 he came as percussionist. He became a drummer in 1972 when Bimi Ombale left for Tabou National (back in the days Bimi used to drum for Zaïko and left for a moment, because he wanted to sing). Then in 1973 he created the Cavacha-rhythm that everybody plays until this day. After the creation of Langa Langa Stars in 1981, he became one of the administrators of Zaïko. In 1998, he left along with Bapius Muaka to form Zaïko Universal after being fired by Nyoka Longo because of leadership-war (Bapius Muaka & Meridjo said that it was time not give his role as president up to somebody else, because every Europe-tour was a mess with the money “suddenly” disappearing and them not being able to pay the musicians well. Nyoka Longo wasn’t happy with that a fired them, having also the right on the name of Zaïko and the instruments).

Thanks for the clarification. For some reason I thought from the foundation of the band until 1988 it was Ilo Pablo who was the defining drummer.

Ilo Pablo was Meridjo’s back up. Ilo Pablo joined Zaïko in 1974, when they arrested Meridjo. Meridjo spent 2 years in Ekafela. Then when he came in 1976 they used to share the drums together until 1988 when Ilo Pablo left to form Zaïko Familia Dei with Bimi Ombale & Lengi Lengi, contacting other musicians of Zaïko to follow them. The percussionist of Zaïko was their founder D.V. Muanda, who became it in 1973, after a reunion with the whole admin and musicians. The musicians were feeling that they weren’t going forward in their lives, despite having big fame. From then they decided that onlu musicians could be a part of their band, not wanting non-musicians to profit from their money of concerts and royalties of Prozal. That why D.V. Muanda became a percussionist for a moment. In 1981 Mandjeku Djerba of Bana Odeon joined, he became famous because of his conga-partition in the Nippon Banzai-album. He would leave in 1988 to join Zaïko Familia Dei. Cele Mbonda of Langa Langa Stats would replace him and stay until 2009 in Zaïko.

Thank you for the brief history.