An Introduction to Franco Luambo Makiadi
  
Browse History
Genesis of TPOK Jazz
The 1960s
The Early 1970s
The Late 1970s
The Early 1980s
The Mid 1980s
The Late 1980s
After Franco
Discography
Lyrics
Profiles of Ok Jazz alumni

What Made Franco great was not his guitar wizardry nor his ability as a composer and it was certainly not his vocal skills. What made him great was his ability as a bandleader , organizer and recruiter of great talent.

In the 35 plus years of its existence , TPOK Jazz which stands for Tout Pouissant Orchestre Kinshasa ,produced an array of glittering stars many of whom later launched successful solo careers. Indeed a list of TPOK Jazz alumni reads like a musical dream team. More than anything else , TPOK Jazz was a members band not just for Franco himself but also for the rest of the band members. Members were given due credit and recognition for their contributions. They were allowed to cut their own albums within the Ok Jazz set-up and the more significant band members often had their names and pictures appear on album sleeves. This is unlike most other bands where the band leader often appears to hog the credit while keeping other band members in the background.

Franco respected people with talent and whenever he discovered a talented musician who would fit in the Ok Jazz mould , he never rested until the musician was a member of the band.

Franco's exceptional organizational skills enabled him to produce sophisticated musical arrangements the calibre of which have yet to be reproduced by any other African band. Organizing a group consisting of up to 50 musicians is no easy task. Often the band was split into two : A touring band which travelled across the globe on tour with Franco and a home based band led by Simmarro Massiya.

While on a recording session or on tour, the band was manned by a vocal frontline of 4 or 5 singers supported by a chorus section providing rich harmonies. The string section usually had 2 solo guitarists , a mi-solo guitarist , a bassist and up to 4 rhythm guitarists.

The fascinating interweaving and intertwining of the various guitar sounds is just one of the aspects of this great bands that has not been matched by any other. The Mi-Solo guitar is a phenomenon unique to Congolese and African Music. It provides the interface between the solo guitars and the rythm guitars. TPOK jazz were the leaders in this phenomenon and made extensive use of it. The horn section was manned by various trumpets, saxophones and clarinets. Each time a saxophone provided a solo tune , the trumpets provided a thunderous refrain. the song Nganga Lopango Batekisa by Simmaro is a perfect example of this arrangement. Not to be left behind were the percussions such as drums which often introduced and punctuated the sebene section.

There were frequent defections but there was always talent available to fill the gaps. Musicians who had left the band were almost always welcome to return to the band.

Membership in TPOK Jazz was very fluid as is the case in virtually all Congolese bands. Many musicians joined the band and left. Many came back again to become full time members after having left previously, Others came back as guests in concerts or as guest singers in certain albums.

This section introduces a few of the more significant TPOK Jazz members.






 
What Made Franco great was not his guitar wizardry nor his ability as a composer and it was certainly not his vocal skills. What made him great was his ability as a bandleader , organizer and recruiter of great talent. In the 35 plus years of its existence , TPOK Jazz which stands for Tout Pouissant Orchestre Kinshasa ,produced an array of glittering stars many of whom later launched successful solo careers. Indeed a list of TPOK Jazz alumni reads like a musical dream team. More than anything else , TPOK Jazz was a members band not just for Franco himself but also for the rest of the band members. Members were given due credit and recognition for their contributions. They were allowed to cut their own albums within the Ok Jazz set-up and the more significant band members often had their names and pictures appear on album sleeves. This is unlike most other bands where the band leader often appears to hog the credit while keeping other band members in the background. Franco respected people with talent and whenever he discovered a talented musician who would fit in the Ok Jazz mould , he never rested until the musician was a member of the band. Franco's exceptional organizational skills enabled him to produce sophisticated musical arrangements the calibre of which have yet to be reproduced by any other African band. Organizing a group consisting of up to 50 musicians is no easy task. Often the band was split into two : A touring band which travelled across the globe on tour with Franco and a home based band led by Simmarro Massiya. While on a recording session or on tour, the band was manned by a vocal frontline of 4 or 5 singers supported by a chorus section providing rich harmonies. The string section usually had 2 solo guitarists , a mi-solo guitarist , a bassist and up to 4 rhythm guitarists. The fascinating interweaving and intertwining of the various guitar sounds is just one of the aspects of this great bands that has not been matched by any other. The Mi-Solo guitar is a phenomenon unique to Congolese and African Music. It provides the interface between the solo guitars and the rythm guitars. TPOK jazz were the leaders in this phenomenon and made extensive use of it. The horn section was manned by various trumpets, saxophones and clarinets. Each time a saxophone provided a solo tune , the trumpets provided a thunderous refrain. the song Nganga Lopango Batekisa by Simmarro is a perfect example of this arrangement. Not to be left behind were the percussions such as drums which often introduced and punctuated the sebene section. There were frequent defections but there was always talent available to fill the gaps. Musicians who had left the band were almost always welcome to return to the band. Membership in TPOK Jazz was very fluid as is the case in virtually all Congolese bands. Many musicians joined the band and left. Many came back again to become full time members after having left previously, Others came back as guests in concerts or as guest singers in certain albums. This section introduces a few of the more significant TPOK Jazz members. Lutumba Massiya Simaro was Franco's chef de Ochestre. He was an excellent guitarist and composer earning himself the nickname Le Grande Poette because of the soulful and spiritual nature of his songs. In fact His songs are so soulful that they can move listeners to tears. Just listen to Testament Ya Bowule or Couerr artificiel to understand what I am talking about. Simmaro was shy and rarely appeared in concerts or on album sleeves. Simmarro joined the band in 1963 from Orchestre Micra and later became the bands chef d' Orchestre. Josky Kiambukuta Londa : Josky was a talented vocalist and composer. His voice is the most recognizable among TPOK Jazz members. He has an uncanny ability to vary his voice from the high soprano as he does in the hit song missile all the way to a deep bass as he does in Alerte.. His songs usually feature a slower introductory section followed by the faster , hip swinging sebene section. Josky joined the band from Orchestre Continentale via Africa Fiesta where He played alonside Tabu Ley and Dr Nico. At continental he played longside Wuta Mayi and Bopal Mansiamina. Upon joining Ok Jazz , He immediately made an impact with hits like Monzo and Zenaba Zitani Dalienst Ya Ntesa : Yet another talented vocalist and composer in the Ok jazz arsenal. He composed and sang several great hits such Bina na Ngai na respect and Mamie Zou. Before joining Ok Jazz in 76 , Dalienst played in Vox Africa before joining Festival de Macquisards. At its height , Festival featured an array of talented among them , Michelino , Sam Mangwana ,Jerry , Dizzy and Matalanza. It is rumoured that Franco was instrumental in breaking up the band which posed a serious threat to his dominance. Dalienst was the perfect compliment for vocalists such as Josky and Mangwana. His voice was excellent for singing backup ,chorus sections as is evidenced in songs like Zala Sportiff and Burreau de Couerr. Dalienst died of a brain tumour in 1996. Mavatiku Visi , known to most as Michelino was arguably the best mi-solo guitarist ever. He was also an excellent arranger. Songs featuring Michelino as the rhythm or Mi-solo guitarist have an irresistible, unique beat. Michelino played briefly with Ok Jazz and with Afrisa International, but mainly plied his trade as a session guitarist in Paris. Biallu Madilu "System" known also as the man with the golden voice. Madilu entertained fans throughout the late 80s and early 90s with a combination of his husky tenor voice and stylish compositions such as Pesa Position and Boma Ngai. Madilu burst into fame after performing several duets with Franco all of which were major hits. Before joining Ok Jazz Madilu pursued a solo career whence He rleased song like Zunguluke and Nzele. He then joined Tabu Ley's Afrisa before joining TPOK Jazz. Sam Mangwana was nicknamed La pigeon Voyageur because of his nomadic tendencies.He was also a member of the great Festival Macquisards group of the ealy 70s. Mangwana had two stints at both Afrisa and Ok Jazz before launching a solo career in West Africa. Mangwana's biggest strength is his versatility : he successfully experimented with West African styles such as Afro-beat and highlife. He also sang in various African languages. His voice is suitable for singing love songs or sentimental songs. Zala Sportif is a classic example of a song where Mangwana's voice pierces deep into the hearts of listeners. Below is an alphabetic list of other former TP OK Jazz members Adamo Seye Kadimoke Aime Kiwakana : Talented singer and composer of Eperduement and Loboko Zoba Albino Kalombo Alphone Epayo Antoine Armando Brazzos: Rhythm guitarist and founder member of OK Jazz Baniel Bambo: One of the few women to hold prominent roles in Ok Jazz Barami Milanda Bosuma Bakili Dessoin: Conga player and founder member of OK Jazz Camille Feruzi Celestin Kouka Celi Bitchoumanou:Celi Bitshou : Composer of the classic hit "Mado" Christophe Djali De La Lune (Daniel Loubelo) : A founder member of the original OK Jazz Diatho Lukoki Dizzy Madjeku Djo Mpoyi: Whose silken tenor voice is found on songs like Nabali Misere and Mbongo-Money-Largent Edo Nganga : Singer from Congo-Brazaville who became famous with le Bantous de la Capitale Edouard Lutula Empompo Loway : Saxophonist who joined from Afrisa Flavien Makabi Mingini Franco Luambo Makiadi Gege Mangaya Georges Kiamuangana Gerry Dialungana Guillaume Mbembe Henri Bowane Hubert Dihunga Djeskin Isaac Musekiwa: Zimbabwean saxophonist who featured in the 1960s Jean "Nino" Malapet: A founder member of the original OK Jazz Jean Serge Essous: A clarinetist who was the band leader of the original OK Jazz Jean Tashamala Piccolo Jean-Felix Pouela Jeff Mingiedi Jolie Detta: Soloist in the popular songs Massou and Layile Josky Kiambukuta Londa: Known for his unique vocal range and profilic composition of hits like Chandra and Propetaire. Kapitena Kasongo Kiamuangana Mateta: Better known as Verkys, one of the best saxophonists and producers in Congolese music. Kiesse Diambu Ya Ntessa: Earned fame while in rival band Afrisa and was nicknamed "Wanted" when he defected to TP OK Jazz Kongi Aska Kwamy Munsi La Monta LiBerlin : Drummer and a founder member of the original OK Jazz Lassa Carlito: Honey toned vocalist Leon Bolhen Bombolo Lola Djangi Checain: Composer of songs like Meka Okangama and Lolaka Lunama Mbemba Madilu System: Lead Vocalist in hits like Mario, Mamou, Non and composer of Boma Ngai, pesa Position and other hits Makonko Kindudi Makos Malage de Lugendo: Lead vocalist in hits like "testament ya Bowule", and Ekaba Kaba Matalanza Sax: Perhaps the greatest saxophonist of the 1980s Mayaula Mayoni: Composer of classic hits like Nabali Misere and Cherie Bondowe Michel Boyibanda Michelino Mavatiku Visi: Mi-Solo guitarist Milanda Barami Moniania Roitelet: Bassist and founder member of Ok jazz Monogi Mopia Mose Fan Fan: Flambuoyant solo guitarist from the 1970s whose guitar skills almost usurped Franco Mpongo Love: Being crippled hy childhood polio did not stifle her career Mpundi Decca : Bassist and composer of the hit song "Ndaya". Also sung the female voice in the hit song Mamou Mulamba Joseph Mujos: Vocalist from the 1970s Nana Akumu: One of the few women to hold prominent roles in Ok Jazz Ndombe Opetum: Composer if hits like Anjela, Tawaba and Mawe Nestor Diangani Ngiandu Kanza Nyoya Fwala Papa Noel Nedule: Virtuso guitarist and composer of the hit song "Tangawizi". Paul Ebengo Dewayon: Franco's earliest mentor Pedro Dele: One of the earliest members of OK Jazz Philippe Lando Rossignol : A founder member of the original OK Jazz Rondot Kassongo: Guitarist who was best friends with Franco's brother Bavon Marie Sam Mangwana: Vocalist in hits like Mabele, Faute Ya commercant and composer of Zala Sportif Saturnin Pandi: Drummer and founder member of OK Jazz Simaro Lutumba: Chef d'Orchestre and Franco's trusted lieutenenant Simon Moke Tchandala Kosuana Thierry Mantuika Kobi: Solo Guitarist Vicky Longomba : Was the deputy band leader in the early 1970s Vieux Kalloux Wuta Mayi : Composer and singer of the classic hit "Ayant Droit" Youlou Mabiala: Talented singer and composer of hist like Vyckina and UCB Zitani Dalienst Ya Ntesa: High pitch vocalist and composer of the hit song "Bina na ngai na respect"