Biography
Franco Luambo Makiadi (Franco Luambo Makiadi, 1938 – 1989, known as Franco) was an important figure in Congolese music and African music in general.He was born in Sona Bata, Belgian Congo on July 6, 1938 and grew up in capital, Leopoldville (now Kinshasa). When his father, a railway worker, died in 1949, he was forced to drop out of school at the age of 11 and began helping his mother by playing a homemade guitar, harmonica and other instruments to attract customers to the market stall where she sold farm produce. . He became a well-known guitarist from the late 1950s, when the Congo was fighting for independence from Belgium, and achieved great success in the 1980s when he led one of Africa's most popular dance bands, OK Jazz, later renamed to TPOK Jazz (Tout Puissant Orchester Kinshasa, the almighty band of Kinshasa").
His music combined the Cuban rumba with local Congolese rhythms, creating an influential Afro-Cuban blend. His lyrics often dealt with social issues such as poverty, inequality and politics. He sang in Lingala, the language of a large number of Congolese and had to his credit over 1,000 songs.
Franco was married twice and had eighteen children with fourteen wives. He died on October 12, 1989, leaving behind a rich musical legacy that continues to influence musicians in Africa.