The Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital Kinsasha has produced some of African greatest musical talents over the years.
Koffi Olomide, Papa Wemba, Franco Luambo, Fally Ipupa and Ferre Gola, among many other talents are proof that Kinsasha might just be Africa’s musical goldmine.
Sadly however, the city, the DRC and Africa at large has lost some of these vastly celebrated artists over time.
Just last week, the ‘king of Rhumba’ Papa Wemba was laid to rest after dying in Cote d’Ivoire where he was doing what he loved most, performing.
Back in 1989, the DRC and Africa at large went into mourning; a befitting farewell for a musician who, over the course of 40 years, issued over 150 albums, containing more than 1000 songs, and who had a decisive influence on the shape of African music, Franco Luambo Makiadi.
Franco began his musical ventures with a homemade guitar, recorded his first single, “Bolingo Na Ngai Beatrice,” at just the age of 13, and by the age of 15 was a regularly contracted recording artist with the Loningisa Studio’s house band.
In 1956, Franco helped form OK Jazz (later TPOK Jazz), a band that was to define Congolese music for decades. Franco’s sound was an easy blend of Cuban rumba and Congolese rhythm. A fruit of the government’s drive to promote authentic Congolese culture, Franco’s was categorically a music performed to be danced to.
Although Franco worked within and through the praise song tradition, he was not above preaching at times, for which he occasionally found himself in jail. Such brushes with the law only served to heighten the kudos that surrounded the man and his music.
Franco’s music penetrated all borders within the continent, and even went beyond Africa.
Last year, the DRC honored the musical legend by erecting a bronze statue in the heart of Matonge district, where he will forever remind the Congolese people and any tourists of his role in shaping Africa’s musical scene.
Even though he passed away in 1989, Franco Luambo Makiadi lives on through his music and hardly a day passes by without his songs being played on the various radio stations across the continent numerous times.
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