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Sam
Mangwana(left) is pictured here with Lola
Checain
Mangwana joined TPOK Jazz in 1972 from Africa
Fiesta. A year later he returned to Afrisa
before leaving for Abidjan, Ivory Coast where he
was based for many years. He would return to the
band on several occassions to record songs like
Zala Sportiff which he composed and
others composed by Simaro for which he provided
the lead vocal like Mabele and Faute ya
commercante
Lola Checain for his part joined TPOK Jazz
in 1963 and stayed there for the rest of his
career until he passed on in 1992.
Simaro became the band's Chef'D'Orchestre in the
early 1970s
Bassist Decca Mpudi with rhythm guitarist Gege
Yoka Mangaya performing on Zairan television in
the mid 1970s. Decca joined the band in 1970
from orchestre Vedette and remained for two
decades.
Wuta Mayi (Left) joined TPOK Jazz in 1974 along
with Josky Kiambukuta. Both were with Orchestre
Continental prior to joining TPOK Jazz.
Also in this picture is Lola Checain. This
picture is from a performance of Telezaire,
which was Zaire's main TV station
Franco became a muslim in the mid 1970s,
changing his name to Abubakar Siddiki
By the mid 1970s Franco had established
himself as the pre-eminent musician of Zaire
In 1974, Josky Kiambukuta (right) joined the
TPOK Jazz frontline where he teamed up with
Michaux Boyibanda (left) who had been in the
band since 1963. Josky joined from Crchestre
Continental
Also joining from Orchestre Continental was Wuta
Mayi a singer composer, whose hit song Ayant
Droit was one of the biggest hits in Zaire in
the early 1980s
By the mid 1970s, TPOK Jazz had established
itself to the point that they could recruit
the best musicians. Pictured here are Ndombe
Opetum who joined from Afrisa singing with
Youlou Mabiala. Behind them is Mi-solo guitarist
Mavatiku Visi Michelino who joined from Afrisa
IMose se Fan Fan played solo guitar alongside
Franco in the early 1970s. He and Franco played
in tandem. Fan Fan's popularity surged when he
composed hits like Djemelasi and
Mongando
He introduced a faster guitar style he called
Sebene de ba yankees, which became immensely
popular with the public
Franco's younger brother Bavon Marie Marie who
led a band called Orchestre Negro Success where
he played with saxophonist and best friend
Rondot Kassongo. Franco initially tried to
discourage Bavon from pursuing music as a
career. But the stubborn Bavon persisted. Bavon
died in a car crash in 1970 at age 26
When Bavon died, Rondot Kassongo joined TPOK
Jazz he would later become very close to Franco
and the equivalent of his personal assistant.
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