Franco detected at 1:09. He is on Lead guitar here. Those Paris sessions when Franco and Michelino played together were outstandingly good.
This Matalanza's Ngai Te.
#FrancoMonth
Three national newspapers. The main headline. One 44-year-old, first-term Senator. Edwin Sifuna.
Who saw this coming?
Some political moments defy conventional analysis. Some things are divinely ordained.
STATUS UPDATE: TEP/LMM NAME CHANGE KESHO!!!!
Wadau Jina letu LMM iko imara kama mnara. Kesho nitawaambia vizuri saana, mtafurahia na kucheka..
Meanwhile, kuwakumbusha tu Sato, tupatene Kwale after kulauch HQ ya Chama ya Sifuna Kesho ..Hapo ni sawa si sawa?....Harambeeee....!!
#titusmakhanudagorettinorthmp2027 #wakiliwalindamwananchi #wakiliwaraia #hakizakojukumulangu #LindaMwananchi
Kinsiona (Sorrow)
The instruments helping Luambo cry over the death of his brother Bavon Marie Marie.
Sang in his native language Kikongo just like Kimpa Kisangameni
In August 1970, Franco’s younger brother, Bavon Marie Marie, passed away under tragic circumstances. As an epitaph, the Grand Master paid tribute with one of his most beautiful songs, “Kinsiona” (Sorrow).
“Kinsiona” lyrics in Kikongo (Kintandu) and loosely translated in English
Munu muntu n’leki amo ta dil
I am crying over my little brother
Bavon Marie ta ndile
I am crying over Bavon Marie-Marie
Bevwanda mu fongo mono kwani batabinge
Mono kuamu bata bonge
They are in a meeting waiting for me
While I am grieving, they are conspiring and waiting for me
Eh kinsiona
What great sadness [melancholy, hardship]
Eh kinsiona,belomba lusadisu yaye kue?Keti na batelamoe ?
Such sadness. Where would they* go for support?
Who would they* tell?
He dio kanda kala ye ngangu
You the family, be careful, be alert
Mbadi tata,kadi mama,kadi ngwa kansi,kadi nketo
Without father, mother, uncle or wife
Belomba lusadisu yaya kwe banani batelamo
Who would they go to for help?
Who would they confide in?
Kinzonzi ki bambuta,kala ye makutu,kala ye ngangu
During the assembly of the elders, open your ears and be wise
Bubagoga bawu, usiama ukola
When they speak it is so that you grow and mature
Djo gata mambu manunini
There are too many problems in this village; who could survive it?
Banani basala mo ?
Who could survive it?
HÉLÈNE: THE SONG THAT LANDED FRANCO LUAMBO IN PRISON
In 1978, at the height of his glory, Franco Luambo Makiadi faced one of the most defining trials of his career: prison. And the reason was not a political or financial scandal, but his music! At that time, the Grand Master and his Tout-Puissant OK Jazz made Zaire dance with compositions that captured the realities of everyday society. However, with Hélène and Jackie, Franco crossed a line that the authorities were unwilling to tolerate.
In Hélène, Franco described a woman's physical attributes in particularly raw terms. With Jackie, he pushed the provocation even further. These songs, performed notably at the famous 1-2-3 bar in Kinshasa, triggered a massive public scandal. Some saw it as the genius of an artist who dared to say everything, while others denounced the works as obscene, contrary to public morals, and damaging to the image that Mobutu's regime wanted Zairian society to project.
The affair quickly took a judicial turn. In his autobiography La Passion de l'État, Léon Kengo wa Dondo, then Prosecutor General of the Republic, recounts that General Tukuzu, head of military security in Kinshasa, drew his attention to the songs. Kengo dispatched inspectors to the 1-2-3 bar to record Franco's performances. The musician was subsequently arrested, put on trial, and, according to Kengo's account, sentenced to one year in prison. His imprisonment sent shockwaves through the Zairian music world.
But the story did not end in the courtroom. Still according to Kengo wa Dondo, upon returning from a trip abroad, Mobutu reproached him for having Franco condemned without informing him first. The matter thus became political. Despite the privileged relations the Grand Master maintained with the ruling power, he had experienced firsthand life behind bars. Kengo states that he ultimately proposed a presidential pardon to the Head of State for several detainees, including Franco. On December 30, 1978, Franco was granted a presidential pardon. This decision illustrated the complex relationships between justice, political power, and artists during the Second Republic.
Nearly half a century later, Hélène remains much more than a provocative song. It plunges us back into an era when Congolese music could make people laugh, shock them, cause scandal, and even lead artists before a court of law. It also serves as a reminder that, despite his immense popularity and proximity to power, Franco was not untouchable.
And you, do you remember this song that led the Grand Master behind bars?
CC-Rumba na Lingala
In this classic footage, the legendary Franco Luambo Makiadi introduces TPOK Jazz musicians in a humorous way.
Note at how the members are proud of the roles they play in the band.
Each musician played a crucial role in shaping the iconic sound of this legendary Congolese band.
From guitarists to vocalists, drummers to saxophonists, discover the brilliant artists behind the timeless rumba and soukous hits that defined an era.
Luambo liked Malage de Lugendo.
And if ever it becomes difficult for you to slide out of your bed to go conquer the world, allow the Grand Maitre to charge your existence with greatness.
Yo moko okabelaka baninga mibali ya bato.
Omokokaka fubu, na nganda te!
Oyakaka fubu? Eh?
The indefatigable Franco pairs up with the evergreen Malage de Lugendo to bring you the tales of the Ekaba Kaba.