He showed up at an audition at Wenge Musica wearing a t-shirt bearing the image of the American president, Bill Clinton. When it came his turn to audition, the talent scout, not knowing his name, simply called him by that of the character on his t-shirt. His audition was a brilliant success, and he became part of the famous Wenge Musica group under the name, Bill Clinton.

Bill Clinton will remain in annals of Congolese music as the man who revolutionized the art of the atalaku. The term atalaku is an onomatopoeia of sorts, and refers to the artist who creates and assembles a random string of short verbal sequences known as “shouts”; these sequences are percussive in nature, and serve as the foundational “beat” for the fast-paced dance sequences found in today’s Congolese popular music.

The atalaku role was incorporated into the structure of several traditional groups, such as Zaïko Langa Langa; their success was such that all orchestras were compelled to incorporate the role of these “criers.” The public gave these “criers” the common noun of atalaku.

Nobody asked the atalaku to sing, furthermore to sing well, but with time, they evolved out of the role of simple crier to that of singer and sometimes even of star. Bill Clinton was the first to elevate the role to that of true star. After bursting onto the scene with Wenge Musica, he followed his early success by joining with Werrason. He was one of the principal attractions of the group, where it gradually became apparent that he was in fact a true singer, albeit with an unconventional voice, similar in manner to Devarieux Jacob of Kassav.

After a few years with Werrason, Bill Clinton, together with a few other musicians, left to form the group The Marquis where his true genius became apparent as he became the principal songwriter as well as lead singer. The group disbanded very quickly, and since then Bill Clinton has become the star of his own group, and is recognized as one of the biggest names in Congolese music.