 Francois Luambo Makiadi (6 July 1938 - 12 October 1989) was a major figure in twentieth century Congolese music, and African music in general. He widely referred to as Franco Luambo or, simply, Franco. Known for his blend of Cuban rumba and Congolese rhythm, he was nicknamed the "Sorcerer of the Guitar" for his seemingly effortlessly fluid playing. As a founder of the seminal group OK Jazz, he is counted as one of the originators of the modern Congolese sound. July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ...
1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...
October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ...
1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Describing the music of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is difficult, due to vagaries surrounding the meanings of various terms. ...
Africa is a large and diverse continent, consisting of dozens of countries, hundreds of languages and thousands of races, tribes and ethnic groups. ...
Rumba is both a family of music rhythms and a dance style that originated in Africa and traveled via the slave trade to Cuba and the New World. ...
Formative years Francois Luambo Makiadi was born in the rural village of Sona Bata in the Bas Zaire region of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then the colony of Belgian Congo). When he was still a baby, his parents moved to the capital city of Leopoldville (now Kinshasa). His father, Joseph Emongo, was a railroad worker while his mother baked homemade bread to sell at a local market. At age seven he built a rudimentary guitar that he played to attract customers to his mother's stall. His talent was recognized by guitarist Paul Ebengo Dewayon who taught Francois the subtleties of guitar playing. In 1950, the twelve year old made his professional debut as a member of Dewayon's band, Watam, impressing audiences with his skills on a guitar almost as big as Francois. Three years later, Francois recorded his first single Bolingo na ngai na Beatrice (My love for Beatrice) after he had become part of the house band for Loningisa Studio. The band leader, Henri Bowane, shortened his given name to "Franco", a tag that would stay with him for the rest of his life. On November 15, 1908, King Leopold II of Belgium formally relinquished personal control of the Congo Free State and the renamed Belgian Congo came under the administration of the Belgian parliament, a system which lasted until independence was granted in 1960. ...
Kinshasa (formerly Léopoldville) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ...
 In 1955, although he was being given plenty of studio work, Franco formed a band with Jean Serge Essous that debuted in the OK Bar in Leopoldville. The following year the band was renamed OK Jazz (later TPOK Jazz) in honor of the place it had begun. Within a year of its founding, OK Jazz was challenging Dr. Nico's African Jazz as the biggest group in Congolese music, and it continues to be the standard by which modern Congolese musicians are judged. In 1958, Essous left OK Jazz, leaving Franco as undisputed leader of the constantly metamorphosizing group that ballooned from six original members to about 30 in the 1980s. OK Jazz produced over 150 albums during the 30 years of its existence and dominated the Congolese music scene.
Also in 1958, Franco was jailed for a motoring offense, though a crowds of fans enthusiastically greeted his release. In 1960 the violence and instability accompanying the transition to independence convinced Franco to move OK Jazz to Belgium to continue recording. When the situation stabilized under the rule of dictatorial President Mobutu Sese Seko, who named the new country 'Zaire', the band returned to play the Festival of African Arts in Kinshasa in 1966. OK Jazz gained government support as part of Mobutu's attempt to create an authentically Zairean culture. Nevertheless, Franco did not shy from political subjects in his songs, or from venturing from his accustomed 'praise' tradition of music to the 'preaching' tradition, leading to several arrests when he displeased the authorities. These brushes with the law only increased his popularity with his fans. (You may be looking for the First Congo War, 1996-7, or the Second Congo War, 1998- ) The Congo Crisis (1960-1965) was a period of turmoil in the First Republic of the Congo that began with national independence from Belgium and ended with the seizing of power by Joseph...
Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku wa za Banga (or Mobutu Sese Seko Koko Ngbendu Wa Za Banga; October 14, 1930 - September 7, 1997) was the President of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) from 1965 to 1997. ...
Mid-career Franco proved to be a astute businessman, forming a recording company to control his own work and nurture new talent. At one point, there were even two OK Jazzs, one based in Zaire and one in Europe. Franco owned land in France, Belgium and Zaire; including the four biggest nightclubs in Kinshasa. While the ever-changing band toured constantly, particularly in Africa and Europe, OK Jazz never broke into the American market; a 1983 U.S. tour was unsuccessful. For reasons that have never been explained, Franco declared himself a Muslim in the mid-1970s and changed his name to Abubakkar Sidikki. However, he never observed the tenets of the Islamic faith and continued to be known as Franco. Africa is the largest of the three great southward projections from the main mass of the Earths surface. ...
World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...
A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ...
The 1980s In 1980, Franco was named a Grand Master of Zairean music by the government, an honor that linked him with the ruling elite that was responsible for much of the economic problems beggaring the country. The subject of his songs shifted dramatically in this period to patriotic songs and praise songs to wealthy fans. He also began a drastic weight gain, eventually reaching about 300 pounds. However, he retained the ability to move and excite people with his music. In 1985, Franco released his biggest hit ever, Mario, an account of a gigolo who lives off of his older lover.  In 1987 rumors began to circulate that Franco was very ill. The only solo composition he released that year was "Attention Na SIDA" ("Beware of AIDS"), a warning to avoid catching the disease, leading to unconfirmed speculation that he had contracted HIV. He began to withdraw his energies from OK Jazz, causing the band to begin to disintegrate under internal tensions, and reconverted from Islam to Roman Catholicism. On 12 October 1989 Franco died while in a Belgian clinic. His body was flown back to Zaire where his coffin was transported on a flag-drapped hearse with police escort through streets packed with thousands of grieving fans. The government declared four days of national mourning during which state radio played nothing but Franco's songs. On 17 October he was buried. HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a retrovirus that infects cells of the human immune system. ...
The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...
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