{"id":8529,"date":"2019-12-13T22:50:28","date_gmt":"2019-12-14T02:50:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kenyapage.net\/commentary\/?p=8529"},"modified":"2022-06-03T21:17:45","modified_gmt":"2022-06-04T01:17:45","slug":"remembering-lutumba-simaro-in-pictures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kenyapage.net\/commentary\/afromusic\/remembering-lutumba-simaro-in-pictures\/","title":{"rendered":"Remembering Lutumba Simaro in pictures"},"content":{"rendered":"
Simaro first joined TPOK Jazz in 1964<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Simaro (left) soon after rejoining TP OK Jazz in the mid 1960s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Simaro’s wedding to Nkelani. His best man was the legendary Docteur Nico Kasanda who is on the far right<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Simaro briefly joined a group called Wapi Vedette in the early 1960s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Simaro (far right) with other TPOK Jazz members in the 1960s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Posing in the late 1960s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Simaro with Gege Yoka-Mangaya in 1975<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Simaro came to prominence in the mid 1970s with hits like Okoregrettaire Ngai, Presence, Bodutaka and others<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Sharply dressed Simaro seen here in the early 1980s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Simaro seen with Franco here on the album sleeve for “Merci Bapesaka na Mbua. Composed by Simaro, it was one of the band’s greatest hits<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Starting in the Mid 1970s, Simaro was appointed by Franco as the Chef d’Orchestre and was seen as Franco’s right hand man<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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It was Simaro who introduced Franco to Josky in 1974 upon which the latter joined TPOK Jazz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Simaro and Franco on tour in Kenya in 1986<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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This TPOK Jazz album from 1988 was labeled as “Simaro et le TPOK Jazz” reflecting the fact that Simaro had already started taking the reins of TPOK Jazz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Simaro touring Paris in 1990 with TPOK Jazz. He was then the band leader<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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When TPOK Jazz folded, the trio of Ndombe Opetum, Simaro and Josky formed Bana OK. This was around 1998<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The greatest composer in the history of African music, seen here during the Bana OK days in the late 1990s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Simaro receiving an award from the then President of DR Congo Laurent Kabila<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Franco with former DR Congo president Laurent Kabila<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Simaro with Faya Tess in 2016. The latter did renditions of several Simaro songs during this period.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Simaro with one of his sons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Simaro in concert with TPOK Jazz in the mid 1970s. Behind him is rhythm guitarist Gege Yoka Mangaya<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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In his prime, Simaro would practise on his guitar 12 hours a day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Simaro seen here with TPOK Jazz founder member Armando Brazzos (left) and guitar wizard Mose Se Fan Fan who played with TPOK Jazz in the early 1970s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Simaro with one of his granddaughters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Simaro in 2018, aged 80<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Simaro ailments started around 2018<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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This is when Simaro was admitted to hospital in Paris. He would pass on a few days later<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Simaro’s wife of over 50 years: Mama Nkelani on the right<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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After his passing, all of DR Congo went into mourning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Lying in state: Simaro’s funeral<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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His final resting place<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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