LES ON DIT / FRANCO,BANIEL,NANA & OK JAZZ (CHOC CHOC 009,1988)

There is some controversy at the moment about the blog Congo Na Biso because they do not credit other bloggers when they use their uploads.

Please be assured we always credit other blogs when we use their links to add to the OK Jazz legacy. We continue today with this link from Global Groovers, a beautiful record from 1988 featuring the gorgeous vocals of Baniel and Nana. Female singers are rare on OK Jazz releases, so this is a real gem. Enjoy!

LES ON DIT / FRANCO,BANIEL,NANA & OK JAZZ (CHOC CHOC 009,1988)
 

Side A 

LES ON DIT  (Franco)                                                            
C'EST LA VIE D'UNE FEMME CELIBETAIRE (Franco)                                   

Side B 

JE VIS AVEC LE PDG (Simaro)                                                      
FLORA UNE FEMME DIFICILE (Franco)              

http://globalgroovers.blogspot.com/2011/03/le-grand-maitre-franco-et-le-tpok-jazz.html

Still Alive (1990) Koch International CD 63

This album is like a Holy Grail for us. Even though it was released on CD in 1990 it is very hard to find and out of print. We finally sourced a copy and are so happy to share it with you. It is a great real live performance by Franco and TPOK Jazz at the African Festival in Utrecht from 1988, the year before the Grand Maitre sadly left us.

There is such great energy on this record and a huge line-up of musicians. Franco brought 28 members of OK Jazz to Utrecht for this concert at his own expense as a favour to former OK Jazz member Joseph Ngonga who was an organiser of it.

1 Likambo (Franco)
2 Bolingo ya Ngai No Tata (Josky)
3 Pesa Ngai Position Na Ya (Madilu System)
4 Tres Fache (Franco)
5 Mario (Franco)
6 Mono Munutu Nieki Amo Ta Ndila (Franco)
7 Etumba (Franco)
8 Mawe (Ndombe Opetum)
9 Tokoma ba Camarades Pamba (Franco)

http://www.4shared.com/file/DUqNvGW9/Still_Alive.html

Heritage Du Grand Maitre Franco

We post this in tribute to our father. This was recorded after Franco's death in tribute to the great master. It is perhaps the best OK Jazz recording done without him. Some of the synthesizer sounds have not dated well, but we cannot fault the great songs, musicianship, sebenes and perhaps best of all, the fact that so many of the great OK Jazz members came together on this album.
We have Josky, Simaro, Madilu System, Ntesa Dalienst, Djo Mpoyi, Lola Checain, Ndombe Opetum, Aime Kiwakana, Lukoki Diatho, Papa Noel, Decca M'Pudi, Gerry Dialunguna, Yuma Michel Sax, Flavien Makabi, Ya Mokoso, Kunista Ribens, Cyril Orcel, Makwala Bibeson, Weteto Mikorason, Zinga, Alpha, Gandy and Dizzy Mandjeku mixed it. There may be a big hole without Franco on this record, but just that front line of singers is incredible. Josky, Simaro, Aime, Madilu, Papa Noel and Ndombe contributed one great song each to make this a great record. Really the last great OK Jazz record before divisions made the band members break into different versions and pursue solo careers.

We have fond memories of the day our father brought this LP home and played it for us over and over. We were mourning Franco then, today we celebrate our father's memory with this post.

http://www.4shared.com/file/ai0u-klP/ok_jazz_heritage_du_grand_mait.html

A1		Maby (Josky)
A2		Mamisa (Simaro)
A3		Malaria (Aime)
B1		Tonton Zala Serieux (Papa Noel)
B2		Mort' Vivant...Somida (Madilu)
B3		Osala Erreur (Aime)

l'Animation Non Stop (Edipop 034) 1987)

We are sorry for being so long to post anything new. Patience my friends, there will be some great rare material posted soon from some vinyl we have been collecting.

In the mean time here is an album we found posted on global groovers recently.

The album is L'Animation Non Stop from 1987. We have to admit this is not one of our favourite OK Jazz LP's because of the bad synthesizer sounds. We're sure some of you will enjoy it though.

                              
L'Animation Non Stop (Edipop 034, 1987)
Side A

1 Mario III (Franco)

2 Sept ans de mariage (Josky/Franco)

3 Iran-Irak (Madilu)

4 Merci Bapesa na chien (Simaro)

5 In memoriam, Lukusa (Josky)

Side B

1 Mamou II (Franco)

2 Decision echange Maloba (Simaro)

3 Bolingo etondi ba souvenirs (Youlou)

4 Nganda parlelle ba vanda (Simaro)

http://globalgroovers.blogspot.com/2010/06/le-grand-maitre-franco-et-le-tp-ok-jazz.html

3 Singles from the early 1970's

Here is a link from our friends at World Service which features three single releases from the 1970's. Apparently 4 out of the 5 of these songs were never released on CD or mp3. They're all classics

The first was released in 1973 as Fiesta 51.198 B http://www.mediafire.com/?3immtto4eqz

Side A

Cedou (Simaro)

Side B

B.S.K. (Franco)

The next was released in 1974 as Pathe 2 C006 15717 http://www.mediafire.com/?a3dj1jwclyt

Side A

Mele (Checain)

Side B

Mowunbu Ya Makanisi (Franco)


Finally on the Editions Populaire's label from 1974 is EP 205

http://www.mediafire.com/?mzjutn1djou

Side A

Tata Na Bebe part 1 (Franco)

Side B

Tata Na Bebe part 2 (Franco)




World Service provide impeccable notes on all these singles at this link

http://wrldsrv.blogspot.com/2009/12/staying-ok.html

Authenticite Volume 4 (African 360.078 - 1962/1963)

This is a compilation of tracks recorded between 1962 and 1963. There's a heavy Cuban influence on a lot of these tracks. Most of the tracks are composed by Mujos. Only one is composed by Franco, two of the tracks are early compositions of the Poet Lutumba Simarro.

Seven of these tracks appeared on the CD

FRANCO ET L'OK JAZZ (MUJOS,SIMARO ET KWAMY)
1960/1961/1962 (AFRICAN/SONODISC CD 36511)

This CD is now out of print and it hasn't been made available for
digital download yet. 

The other three tracks, Guitares De L'Enfer, Tele Mujos and
La Vida Del Un Negro, appear never to have been released on CD or mp3

http://www.4shared.com/file/258602231/a2e25438/Authenticite_Vol_4.html

Side A

ELE WA BOLINGO (MUJOS)                               

MIGUEL' CANTA (MUJOS)                               
   
JALOUSIE YA MIMI NA NGAI (MUJOS)                     
   
COMO QUERE (MUJOS)                                   
     
GUITARES DE L'ENFER  (SIMARRO)                       



Side B 

MADO OBOYI SIMARRO? (SIMARRO)                      

TELE-MUJOS (MUJOS)                                   

LICENCIE (SIMEON)                                   

BULUNDUE NA ZONGWEE (FRANCO)                       

LA VIDA DEL UN NEGRO (MUJOS)    

Chez Safari Club De Bruxelles (1984) Edipop Pop 026

This is a gem of an album from 1984. Unlike most albums from this period there are no typical 1980's sound effects on it like chorused guitars or drum machines. It's pure TPOK Jazz at their best.

The standout track on the album is 'Mbanzi ya Kamundele', a beautiful song by Lutumba Simaro. All the songs are great though and none are currently available as mp3 downloads or on CD.

This album was never released on CD, three of the tracks were released on the Sonodisc CD 8490. The track Amour Perdu appears never to have been released outside of this LP release.

Side A

Mbanzi Ya Kamundele (Lutumba Simaro)

Okundji (Lunama)

Side B

Serment (Kikam)

Amour Perdu (Makabi)



So here is the album for your enjoyment

http://www.4shared.com/file/229114960/d7b3b73/Chez_Safari_Club_De_Bruxelles.html

Live recording on the Afro European Tour

Here is one of the most infamous albums ever released by Franco et TPOK Jazz. Its infamy doesn't lie in the musical content, which is excellent, but in the so called 'live' nature of the recording. These are in fact studio recordings that have badly overdubbed fake audience sounds on them. Quite why this was done we don't know, but it ruins an otherwise brilliant record. If you can get used to the applause the album reaps many rewards.

Several of these tracks were released without the overdubbed applause on the album 'Volume 3' aka 'Mbongo' released in 1977. We recently acquired a copy of this LP and will post it soon.

In the meantime here's the link to the 'live' album provided at the French language blog bolingo.

http://bwaje.com/bolingo/?p=309

Side 1

1 Oh! Miguel (Franco)
2. Sala Lokola Luntadila (Lola)
3 Malou-O Bijou (Mpudi)

Side 2

1. Bomba, Bomba, Mabe (Franco)
2. Na Vanda Bombanda (Dialungana)
3. Libala Ya Bana Na Bana (Lola)

Side 3

1. Lisolo Ya Adamu Na Nzambe (Ntessa)
2 Mama Na Bebe (Wuta-Mayi)
3 Meta Mama Na Bana (Kasongo)

Side 4

1. Mbongo (Lutumba Simaro)
2 Amour Viole (Josky Kiambukuta)
3 Lotambe (Wuta-Mayi)

Sonodisc once again butchered a TPOK Jazz album when they released this on CD.
You can download 9 of the 12 tracks as digital mp3's on iTunes from the Sonodisc CD 'Bomba, Bomba, Mabe.' The other 3 tracks comprising Side 3 of the LP were never re-issued on CD.

http://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/bomba-bomba-mabe-mbongo-1977/id211564654

Restoring the recorded legacy of Franco et TPOK Jazz

With this blog we intend to redress the terrible neglect given to the recorded legacy of Franco Luambo Makiadi and T.P.O.K. Jazz.

We intend to post links to albums, eps and singles in their original track listing and where possible, with original artwork.

We will post links to any recordings currently available which have tracks in their original album order.

We would greatly appreciate help in this ambitious project, so if you would like to assist by providing links to recordings you may have posted elsewhere or by sending us files of recordings then we would be very grateful.

If you hold the copyright to any of these recordings please note that no recordings are posted directly on this page and we cannot be held responsible for the content of external sites.

We would also ask you to get up off your asses and properly honour the legacy of Franco and TPOK Jazz by re-releasing all their recordings in the sequences they were originally intended to be heard instead of butchering them like has been done in the past!!!