Franco Luambo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Franco Luambo
Background information
Birth name	François Luambo Luanzo Makiadi
Also known as	Franco
Born	(1938-07-06)6 July 1938 Sona Bata, Belgian Congo (modern-day Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Died	12 October 1989(1989-10-12) (aged 51) Mont-Godinne, Province of Namur, Belgium
Genres	Rumba
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, guitarist
Instruments	Guitar vocals
Years active	1950s–1980s
Labels	Loningisa, Choc
Associated acts	OK Jazz

François Luambo Luanzo Makiadi (born July 6, 1938 – died October 12, 1989) was a famous musician from Congo. He was a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and bandleader. People often called him Franco Luambo or just Franco.

Franco was one of the most important musicians in Congolese music and African music during the 20th century. For over 30 years, he led the famous band TPOK Jazz. This band was one of Africa's most popular and important groups at the time. Franco was known for his amazing skill in African Rumba. Fans and critics gave him nicknames like "Sorcerer of the Guitar" and "Grand Master of Zairean Music." Female fans even called him "Franco de Mi Amor" (Franco, My Love).

Early Life and First Steps in Music

Franco was born on July 6, 1938, in Sona Bata, which was then called the Belgian Congo. He grew up in the capital city, Léopoldville (now known as Kinshasa).

When Franco was about 10 or 11, his father passed away. He stopped going to school to help his mother. He played a homemade guitar and harmonica to attract customers to her market stall. He also practiced guitar with his friend, Paul "Dewayon" Ebengo, who had a real guitar.

In 1950, when Franco was 12, he and Dewayon formed a group called Watam. They played at weddings and funerals for three years. With help from an older musician named Albert Luampasi, they even recorded a few songs for the Ngoma record label.

Starting a Music Career

In 1953, Franco and Dewayon tried out for Henri Bowane, a musician and producer at the Loningisa record label in Léopoldville. Bowane hired them both as studio musicians. Franco released at least three records with Watam on Loningisa that year. He was credited as Lwambo François.

Also in 1953, Franco released his first solo song, "Bolingo Na Ngai Na Beatrice" (My Love for Beatrice). This song made him a local star in Kinshasa. It is said that Bowane also gave the young musician his famous name, Franco.

Forming O.K. Jazz

In 1955, Franco joined a group of musicians working together at the Loningisa studio. They were known as Bana Loningisa (children of Loningisa). In 1956, six of these musicians, with Franco as the only guitarist, got a regular paid job at the O.K. Bar. The bar was named after its owner, Oskar Kashama.

A few weeks later, the band needed a name for a contract. They chose OK Jazz, named after the O.K. Bar where they started. Some people also say O.K. stood for Orchestre Kinois, meaning "the band of Kinshasa." They officially became "O.K. Jazz" at a show on June 6, 1956.

At first, clarinet player Jean Serge Essous led O.K. Jazz. But Franco wrote many songs. Essous called him "a kind of genius" because Franco had already written over a hundred songs! O.K. Jazz quickly became a rival to the top band at the time, African Jazz, led by Joseph Kabasele.

In December 1956, O.K. Jazz released a rumba song written by Franco that became the band's motto: "On Entre O.K., On Sort K.O." (You enter O.K., you leave Knocked Out).

Changes and Challenges

In 1957, O.K. Jazz lost its leader, Essous, and singer Philippe "Rossignol" Lando. They left to join Bowane's new record label, Esengo. After they left, singer Vicky Longomba became the band's new leader, and Franco also took on more responsibility.

In 1958, Franco was briefly jailed for a driving offense. After he was released, he became even more famous as the "Sorcerer of the Guitar." His guitar playing was so influential that by the end of the 1950s, Congolese guitarists were often seen as following either Franco's style or Docteur Nico's style from African Jazz.

Throughout the 1960s, Franco and O.K. Jazz traveled and recorded many songs. By 1967, Franco was a co-leader of the band with Vicky. When Vicky left in 1970, Franco became the only leader of the band. The band's name then changed to Tout Puissant O.K. Jazz (T.P.O.K. Jazz), which means "The Almighty O.K. Jazz" in French.

In 1978, Franco was briefly imprisoned by Zaire's President Mobutu because of the lyrics in his songs "Helene" and "Jackie." However, later that same year, President Mobutu honored him for his musical contributions.

Franco performed in the United States only once, in 1983, playing two shows in New York's Manhattan Center. During his 33 years with the band, Franco and TPOK Jazz released hundreds of single songs and over 100 albums.

Musical Style and Influence

Franco's guitar playing was very unique. Unlike blues or rock and roll guitarists, Franco built his band's sound around clear, open chords, often with just two notes. These notes would "bounce around the beat." His music often used large groups of musicians, sometimes with as many as six singers and several guitarists.

TPOK Jazz, with Franco as its leader for most of its 33 years, is considered "arguably the most influential African band of the second half of the 20th century."

Many experts describe Franco as the most important African musician of the 20th century. Alistair Johnston, a world-music expert, called him "the giant of 20th century African music." A reviewer for The Guardian newspaper wrote that Franco "was widely recognised as the continent's greatest musician." Ronnie Graham, in his 1988 book on African music, stated that "Franco is beyond doubt Africa's most popular and influential musician."

Later Life and Passing

Franco was married twice. He passed away on October 12, 1989, in Namur, Belgium, due to an illness. While many sources believe it was AIDS, Franco never publicly confirmed this. After his death, President Mobutu declared four days of national mourning in Zaire to honor him.

Franco's Recordings

Franco and TPOK Jazz released a huge amount of music, and it's hard to list it all! Some estimates say he released around 150 albums and 3,000 songs, with Franco writing about 1,000 of them himself.

In the 1950s and 1960s, they released many single songs on small records (78rpm and 45rpm). They also put out some albums that were collections of these singles. In the 1970s and 1980s, they started releasing longer albums. All of this music was put out by many different record labels in Africa, Europe, and the United States.

Since 2000, several collections of Franco's work have been released. Two important ones are Francophonic, a pair of two-CD sets released in 2007 and 2009. These sets highlight Franco's music from his entire career. Even today, new collections are still being released, including songs that haven't been available since they first came out as singles!

Selected Albums

Here are some of the albums Franco released with O.K. Jazz:

Compilation Albums

These albums collect songs from different releases:

Images for kids

• 

  O.K. Jazz in Brussels, 1961

See also

In Spanish: Franco Luambo para niños