The father of modern Congolese music, the pope of rumba who was taken from us by illness at the age of fifty one, left a legacy of 150 albums behind him. "I am the only African musician to have lived out my career for thirty years without ever leaving the orchestra that I created or the style that was the trademark of the group. I am proud and I thank the Lord for having given me such a full life" he declared. After Franco's death on October 12th, 1989, an immense page was turned in modern African music from the African continent.
From music for Mommy to L'OK Jazz group.
Born in 1939 in the village of Sona-Bata, 80 kilometres from Kinshasa, François Luambo, who no one had yet for seen would practically become a myth under the name of Franco, started playing music more to be useful than to pass the time or for simple pleasure. Without a father, he wanted to help his mother, a doughnut seller. So, he sang next to her in the street, banging on cans, strumming a makeshift guitar. The passers-by stopped, listened and went away with doughnuts. One day someone noticed that the kid managed quite well. This is how he got his first group experience. Integrated into the group Birkunda, he played at family parties and wakes. Things became clearer with Ebongo Isenge who managed Watama, an orchestra made up of the young people from the "Far West" neighbourhood. Ebongo recorded for the Greek Papadimitriou who was the owner of Loningisa productions. When he presented his protégé to him things were set for the future "Maître Franco."<Franco Bio>
No comments:
Post a Comment