Franco Luambo
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François Luambo Luanzo Makiadi was a Congolese guitarist, singer-songwriter, bandleader, and cultural revolutionary. He was a central figure in 20th-century Congolese and African music, principally as
A young Franco Luambo playing guitar in Léopoldville in 1956
A young Franco in Léopoldville, 1956
Drummer of OK Jazz in Léopoldville
Franco (right), Isaac Musekiwa (left), and Joseph "Mujos" Mulama in Léopoldville, c. 1963
TPOK Jazz
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OK Jazz, later renamed TPOK Jazz, was a Congolese rumba band from the Democratic Republic of the Congo established in 1956 and fronted by Franco.
Franco Luambo
…and cultural revolutionary. He was a central figure in 20th-century Congolese and African music, principally as the bandleader for over 20 years of TPOK Jazz, the most popular and influential African band of its time. He is referred to as Franco Luambo or simply Franco. Known for his mastery of Congolese…
Members of OK Jazz in Brussels, 1961