Franco et le T.P.O.K. Jazz -Chez Rythmes et Musiques à Paris,Edipop 1984

Superb, Moos. Thank you for such a wonderful, for so many wonderful recordings. Amazing.

Thank you Moos. I appreciate your sustained generosity. Apurva from Pune, India

Moos!Many thanks..tracks 3and 4 have same message..its about married women complaining about their sisters in law…their husbands’ sisters. Franco received 12,600 letters from married women all over Africa (a few countries are mentioned) talking about the same message.Now he engages his musicians to debate the subject.Franco appeals to our sisters to respect our wives and also to mind their own marriages because though blood is thicker than water, brother cant marry sister!! Other bloggers may wish to add.. JS Lusaka follower of Franco and his indefatigable TPOK Jazz

Through his works of love, satirical, humorous, pamphleteers, and so on., Luambo freed all his emotions. And virtually all the Congolese people will recognize this great artist. The musician knew touching a chord with music lovers Congo and elsewhere. In his popular style at the edge of vulgarity, he managed to paint his contemporaries easily through their faults, their qualities, quirks … Handling criticism on the edge of the insult, he also knew coax simultaneously.

Franco and 18, 1956
It is Sonabata at just under 100 km from Kinshasa, was born François Luambo Makiadi, July 6, 1938. The father, originally from Tetela, came straight from the Kasai, while the mother, Helen Mbonga Makiese, is native to the Cataracts. At the age of 10 years, François Luambo has no father. In Leopoldville, he discovers the world of the city with all its contradictions.

With the help of a comrade, Luambo discovers the virtues of the harmonica, which never left his lips. He meets Ebengo Dewayon. At his side, he began the first notes of the guitar, then intervene Luampasi Albert, another renowned guitarist.

Teenager, he’s caught in the whirlwind of music. He decided to plump for the stringed instrument that is the guitar and his harmonica is thrown by the wayside. At fifteen he already recorded his voice and innocent songs with poorly controlled group of Dewayon Waton. He begins to sing the songs of other themes that allude poorly tied to the realities of the street.

Birth of the OK Jazz

In 1956, June 6 in Leopoldville, the announcement is made from one point to another of the city, a new band has just come into being. Initially, the studio Loningisa he recorded “Bolingo na ngai Beatrice.” With the help of Bowan who took it under his tutelage, Franco made his name. But Bowan wins Angola and decided to move to Luanda, that Franco alone with a success that awaits ahead. Instead of biting the fingers, with his friends they decided to create a band through the provision of some Congolese musicians as Pandy Saturnin (Tumba), Loubelo Daniel, the moon (guitar) J. Serge Essous (sax) came to the rescue, they agree on the establishment of a new style. Tshuapa on the street in the area of ​​Kinshasa, they know Oscar Kashama, it encourages them and decides to take over his bar, “At Cassian.”

The first decade mentioned above will mark a watershed in the life of the orchestra. Renowned musicians like Sam Magwana, Dizzy Mandjeku, Josky Kiambukuta, NTES Dalienst, Jo Mpoy, Ndombe Opetum Pepe and others are bought at exorbitant prices to join the ranks of the orchestra. They come and add to Youlou, Boyibanda, Isaac Muzikiwa, Dessoin, Decca, Simaro and others to form the large OK Jazz will crush everything in its path.

Now the orchestra is modeled in his image. This is the inspiration it into the ranks of the leading orchestras of popular dance of black Africa. The successful works are occurring at a breakneck pace. It is no longer conditioned by pseudo-producers. He himself created several brands to produce the songs of his group.

Musicologists already hold and observe two opposing styles of music. The one supported by the African Jazz, Kalle is the school whose faithful disciple will become Tabu paschal later Tabu Ley Rochereau the Lord. The other style is imposed by Franco. There is talk now of two schools: one created by Kalle, and that created by Franco. And it is these two styles of music that will prevail throughout the year until the current period.

Contracts rain, invitations multiply, Luambo is overwhelmed. Seasoned businessman, he increased investment, production houses, a house record pressure and a real estate investment that gives it an incomparable charisma. Thus it will create a complex “One-two-three” in the area Kasavubu, adding a wing he called “Mama Kouloutou.”

In 1982, he decided to settle in Europe with all the musicians for an indefinite period, but by creating new structures for editing, promotion and record production. Sometimes to Paris, now in Brussels, it collapses under its success. Songs like “No”, “very angry”, “Mamou”, “Nazal Makambo Executioner,” “very rude”, “Letter to the CEO,” “Mario,” are real philippics it distributes to the round as flowers turn to women, intellectuals and some youth. In 1983, the Grand Master went to the United States for an extensive tour, where he confirmed his fame among African Americans. Negro-American diaspora warm welcome.

His death …

Memory loss, pain, sore back, he could no longer endure the evil that consumed him from within. Many doctors will run at the bedside without proper diagnosis. In early 1988, he repeated the journey from Brussels to undergo analysis and find the cause of his illness. More and more exhausted, he loses weight. The human mass shrinks and its supporters are earned by doubt. His family and loved ones are taken by anguish. And if it were to disappear? Any noise Kinshasa news of the death of Luambo. Many will kill him in the collective imagination until it is in the reality. From clinic to clinic, specialist specialist Luambo behind his illness, without finding any respite. Some speak of a bone cancer, other kidney failure, the most radical do not go around the bush: Franco is suffering from AIDS.

But despite the evil that eats away, he finds the strength to record his last songs backed by the voice of Sam Mangwana and other musicians who are in Brussels. But its days are numbered. The sky darkens and yet, he still believes. It even announces his return to shortly. Finally, seeing her condition worsen, doctors hospitalize Hospital Mont-Godinne near the town of Namur (Belgium). Here his wife and his brother Jules regularly visit him. His children are also there, worried about the turn of events. They see their father break down. Every movement increases the pain. The baobab is reached.

The clouds darken. It is down the road. On the night of October 12, 1989, Luambo can no longer fight. He throws in the towel. A large baobab of modern Congolese music has been dropped.

Jeannot Do Nzau © The Potential 21/10/2006

thx for that morvelus lp

Thank you anonymous for you enthousiastic reaction. It’s slightly overdone if I may be frank, I think maybe you should write a book or so…

oh and joji, sorry, I don’t do flac-files..

Moos;

Can’t thank you enough!

Moos;

Thanks so much!!