Sopa

On the brink of the festive season (or the end of the world) I think it is time for some seasonal music. And what could be more seasonal than four "rumbas corvées"?

What?

I admit I had never heard of that crazy rhythm called "rumba corvée" before listening to these four songs. And I am still not convinced I have now...
"Corvée" seems to indicate a certain level of exertion, of a type which may be getting more popular in these regions going by the rigorous measures proposed by our respective governments. I.e. unpaid! Do I see the shadows of slave labour and pre-industrial revolution labour conditions looming up through the mist of time?

Luckily these gloomy visions are not reflected in the music. On the contrary, the music is better typified by the name of the orchestra: Festival des Maquisards, where "maquisards" is about rebellion and resistance against oppression by the common people. That's more like it!

And it gets better.
For the star of this orchestra is a young Sam Mangwana, here still presented under the name of Sam Moreno. Co-leader of the group is another ex-member of Rochereau's African Fiesta 66 and a contemporary of Mangwana (also born in 1945): lead guitarist Paul Vangu better known as Guvano.

The first track features Mangwana in splendid form, with vocals clearly based on or inspired by his time alongside Rochereau. As in some of the songs with African Fiesta he demonstrates that he can compete with Rochereau on equal terms (within R's own singing style), while at the same time adding his own magical 'je ne sais quoi'. Sam has always had a 'real' quality in his singing, a quality which he shares with great singers like (for example) Josky Kiambukuta and Celia Cruz. No belcanto, no pretentiousness, very much 'de la rue'.

I'm not sure who is accompanying him in "Ligenda Obosani?", composed by himself. My first guess would be Lokombe (who at the time was called Camille Lokombe, but later became Lokombe Nkalulu), a very talented singer with a career lasting right on to this very day. In fact, if you are very quick you can see him performing with a former colleague from Les Maquisards, Dizzy Mandjeku, and his Odemba OK All Stars (also starring that superb singer Malage de Lugendo!) at the Tropentheater in Amsterdam this Saturday (December 15).
But alternatively it is possible that Diana Nsimba, also ex-African Fiesta, is backing Sam.

There is no doubt whatsoever about the second singer on the B-side. Ntesa Dalienst is very much present in this version of Celia Cruz's "Sopa en Botella". And for those who don't recognise his voice, he's the singer doing the 'chorus' starting at 1'15. This song seems tailormade for Mangwana and Ntesa. Mangwana does the best impression of Celia Cruz I have ever heard, and Ntesa adds a subtle touch of sophistication. A sheer delight!

The second single, while significantly worse for wear when it comes to the physical state of the vinyl, delivers the same high musical standard. The A-side, "Catho Nakozonga", is composed and wonderfully sung by Lokombe, with Sam doing the backing vocals. The flipside is composed by a Gérard, and I am not sure who this is supposed to be. Ntesa once mentioned guitarist Gérard Biyéla, but as far as I know he was with Les Bantous, and I haven't heard his name in connection with Les Maquisards. I am not sure if this is the start of Mangwana's career as a polyglot, but if I am not mistaken this "Tabu Wangu" contains some lines in swahili.

It remains a mystery why these treasures have never been reissued.

Negro Festival NF 3503
Negro Festival NF 3507

Ndombe

Another of the big men of Congolese music has gone. Paul Ndombe, better known as Pépé Ndombe or Ndombe Opetum has died on May 24, 2012 in Kinshasa.

The first rumours of his death reached me on the very same day. As it was impossible to verify this tragic news, and as rumours have often been found to travel faster than the truth, it seemed wise to wait a little before posting it in this blog.
Unfortunately, the rumours were soon confirmed by several sources. Apparently Ndombe had been taken ill a few days earlier; it appears this illness was to be his last...

I have never had the fortune to interview Ndombe. So with regards to his biography I have to rely on other sources.
Born on February 21, 1944 in the Bandundu province, Paul Ndombe moved to the capital Leopoldville at the age of five, where his father had found work as a teacher. Having succesfully finished his schooling, Paul was sent to the town of Kikwit in the Kwilu province to start work as a civil servant. There, at the age of seventeen (and far from the watchful eyes of his parents?), he gave in to his passion for 'the arts' and joined a group called Select Jazz. A few years later, with some friends and with the help of a local sponsor, he started a band called Super Fiesta.

In 1965, as a result of the unrest in the Kwilu province, his job was 'relocated' to the capital. Although this meant leaving his band behind, it appears the urge for music did not diminish. According to some reports Paul Ndombe in 1967 attempted to join Vox Africa, after Sam Mangwana left the group. But Jeannot Bombenga turned him down.

A single by Ndombe with African Fiesta Nationale
on the Isa label (link to this single)

A year later he was encouraged to audition for an even greater star of Congolese music: Rochereau. According Gary Stewart (in his "Rumba On The River") and others he again was to replace Sam Mangwana, who had left after the orchestra had been suspended for showing up late for a gala concert set up by President Mobutu. He managed to impress Rochereau with an immaculate rendering of the song "Baboka" (a.k.a. "Michelina"), according to this interview (which unfortunately is in lingala, but which I still recommend very strongly, - if only for the bits of singing by Ndombe!).

Ndombe, nicknamed "Pepe" by Rochereau, settled in great with African Fiesta National (or African Fiesta 'Le Peuple'). His voice combined perfectly with Rochereau's. In fact, both voices were similar to a point where fans even confused Ndombe's vocal with that of Rochereau.
As a composer too Ndombe soon started to make a name for himself, with hits like "Hortense", "Nakoli Kotika Yo Te! Papa" and - my favourite - "Longo". And in 1970 he accompanied Rochereau, who by then had adopted the title of "Le Seigneur", during his prestigious concerts at the Olympia in Paris. Concerts which - by the way - Rochereau has described in several interviews as a highlight in his career.

In the following year, things turned slightly sour for African Fiesta. Some musicians and dancers left after they had not been paid for nine months. Rochereau himself was even jailed after a dispute about money.
The exodus was completed in 1972, when Pierre 'Attel' Mbumba (who had joined African Fiesta shortly before Ndombe) and Empompo Loway 'Deyesse', together with Ndombe (who had been renamed Ndombe Opetum in the Mobutu's Authenticité campaign), were lured out of the orchestra to form Orchestre Afrizam.

Sam Mangwana joined for a short while, but after he had left Ndombe was the star of the show. He composed a great number of songs and sang in most, if not all.

My impression is that things did not go as smoothly as Ndombe would have like with Afrizam. Some point out that the ghost of Tabu Ley Rochereau's Afrisa/African Fiesta kept pursuing Afrizam and that this was only strengthened by the use of Afrisa's rhythms. Ndombe decided to team up with guitarist Dino Vangu and change the name of the orchestra into Makina Loka. Here he recorded - amongst others - this single "Zongisa Bolingo 1 & 2" (which was re-released on CD as "Mpongo").

My guess is that it did not take a lot of persuading to get Ndombe to join the Tout Puissant O.K. Jazz in 1975. He fitted perfectly into Franco's strategy to merge the styles of the two schools of Congolese music into one.
Again he served as a replacement for Sam Mangwana, although I assume that Franco saw the 'added value' which Ndombe could bring, and which he very soon demonstrated in songs like "Yo Seli-Ja" (video) and - especially - "Salima" (highly recommended video).

Besides being a great addition as a vocalist Ndombe also proved his relevance as a composer. Best known in this early stage of his career with the T.P. O.K. Jazz is his song "Voyage Na Bandundu". Although others see this song as a continuation of his repertoire with Tabu Ley, I don't agree. My impression is that Ndombe tried to emulate the success of Lutumba Simaro's classic "Ebale Ya Zaïre", which had been so brilliantly interpreted by his 'predecessor' Sam Mangwana.

In later years Ndombe produced many hits with the T.P. O.K. Jazz, the biggest of which were the 1982 "Mawe" and "Na Yebi Ndenge Bokolela Ngai" (video) from 1983 (also known as "Masha Masha" or "Mashata"). And perhaps I should add this song, originally from 1979:

Ndombe and son (Delft 1991)

In 1983 Ndombe left the T.P. O.K. Jazz*, for reasons which so far I have not been able to uncover. Perhaps they had to do with Franco's lengthy stay in Europe, and with Ndombe's ownership of a bar dancing, called "Lal Abiy Santamaria", which was his pride until it was burned down (in 1994?).
He teamed up with Sam Mangwana and Empompo Loway in a group ambitiously called "Tiers Monde Cooperation" ("third world cooperation"). The Tiers Monde 'project' delivered - as far as I am aware - three lp's, and four if you count the lp featuring "Fatimata" which is credited to Sam Mangwana (who is only on one of the Tiers Monde Cooperation lp's) and orchestre Tiers-Monde.

Ndombe returned to the O.K. Jazz flock in 1986, and joined Franco on the tour of Kenya that year, and during the concerts in Brussels in April 1987. But later the same year he had another row with Franco and left the band to rejoin Tabu Ley's Afrisa International.
Fortunately Franco and Ndombe put aside their differences and reconciled before Franco's death on October 12, 1989. Ndombe rejoined the T.P. O.K. Jazz and became one of the leading forces of the band after Franco's demise. In 1993, when the band was forced to abandon the name of T.P. O.K. Jazz as a result of dispute with Franco's family, Ndombe was one of the initiators of the new orchestra Bana O.K.. He played a crucial role in the continuation of Franco's legacy until his untimely death.

Ndombe leaves a wife and 9 children.
May he rest in peace.

Ndombe with African Fiesta National and Afrizam
Ndombe with T.P. O.K. Jazz

Madilu System, Ndombe Opetum, Lola Djangi Chécain, Aimé Kiwakana (Delft 1991)

 

 

* according to some sources. Other sources claim that he never left the T.P. O.K. Jazz, but was allowed to 'moonlight' with Tiers Monde.

Photos

Lola Djangi 'Chécain', 1974

You may remember my earlier post in which I described Lola Djangi 'Chécain' as a singer from the 'old' (1960s) O.K. Jazz style. In this post I would like to focus more closely on this singer, who sadly died in 1992.

For most listeners Chécain will not be the easiest singer to recognise. For one thing, he usually acted as backing vocalist. And, perhaps more importantly, his voice matched his personality: unobtrusive - bordering on unpretentious - with a tendency towards the melancholic. Amongst the 'heavyweights' of the Tout Puissant O.K. Jazz he was not one to elbow himself into the limelight.
On the lp "In Memoriam Grand Maître Franco Vol. 9" he sings on a remarkably high percentage of the tracks: four out of the seven tracks. And of these four, his contribution to the song "Bodutaka" (composed by Lutumba Simaro) can be described as 'typical'. The song is dominated by Sam Mangwana and Josky Kiambukuta, with a 'cameo appearance' by Michel Boyibanda, who is allowed to do the third solo part. Chécain can only be heard in the background, when the three other vocalists do their solos, and 'animating' when Franco sets off into the sebene.

Chécain with Sam Mangwana

Far less typical is the fact that of the four tracks no less than two were composed by Chécain. These are in my opinion two of the best songs he has made for the T.P. O.K. Jazz. For one thing both songs feature Chécain sings with or alongside Sam Mangwana. A combination of voices which drew Mangwana, coming from the African Jazz/Fiesta side of Congolese music, into the O.K. Jazz style. And then there is of course Franco.....

But let's start at the beginning. This ninth volume of the "In Memoriam" series, which was released by Polygram Kenya shortly after Franco's death at the end of 1989, starts of with a Part Two. I can only guess why Polygram decided to select "Assitou" again, after they had already included the full version (part 1 and part 2) in Volume 1*. Maybe they were compensating for the inclusion of only the first part on "Fifteen Years Ago Vol.4" (ASLP 1024) a year earlier?
I am not complaining, however, as there can not be enough releases of this superb example of Franco's "let's run down the Kilimandjaro" chauffage (after 3'15). "Terrible", indeed. I strongly advise you to also take note of the complex patterns of rhythm guitars and Mpudi Decca's passionate bass playing.

"Zando Ya Tipo Tipo" is not only an interesting song for its lyrics (see Aboubacar Siddikh's YouTube version), but also for the extraordinary combining of the voices of composer Michel Boyibanda and Josky Kiambukuta. Both have voices with a tendency towards a 'coppery' sound, but the effect is strenghtened because Boyibanda sings the (higher) lead part, - and Franco takes it to another level of 'copperyness' with the sharp sound of his guitar.

The third song, titled "Bano Brekete" on this lp but "Mowunbu Ya Makanisi" on Pathe 2 C006 15717, starts off as a regular duet of Franco (composer) with his pupil Youlou Mabiala, but takes a turn into another direction after 2'22, with Franco experimenting with a new style of pizzicato.

Chécain, July 9, 1991 (photo: A. Siddikh)

And this is where we get to the first of Chécain's compositions on this album. "Lukika", like "Mele", offers another opportunity to enjoy the magical combination of the voices of Sam Mangwana and Chécain, with Chécain following Sam like a shadow. As per usual Chécain is very active as an animateur, in the classic O.K. Jazz style of people like Vicky Longomba before him, i.e. as a kind of commentator in the instrumental bits of the song. Chécain himself has stated that Josky is also singing in this song. If he is, he has managed to stay inaudible; or perhaps he is duplicating the singing of Chécain. The song contains no vocal solo, the duet stays intact until Franco breaks loose after 3'49, with Chécain continuing the animation. Franco's solo, by the way, is a fantastic example of his masterful use of only a very limited amount of chords...

While the songs on the A-side are from 1974, or even earlier, I suspect the B-side was recorded later, and in blatant stereo. The side opens with my favourite from this album: "Toboyana Kaka". The name on the sleeve, "Todutaka Kaka", is clearly an error, perhaps caused by copying part of the following title. Chécain explained the context and the lyrics to Aboubacar Siddikh and me in an interview which took place in the appartment where the T.P. O.K Jazz was staying during their European tour in the summer of 1991. The audio can be found here, and a translation into english here.
Looking back now, nearly twenty years later, I am fascinated by the obvious obsession about the photos, which I have noticed with other Africans too (and also with some Latin-Americans). Especially in the modern age of digital photos any worrying about retrieving photos from someone you once loved seems futile. Perhaps it has to do with the constant threat of witchcraft, which seems especially strong in Congo? Is he afraid that she is going to use the photos to harm him? I wish now I had had the alertness to ask him this....

I think it is safe to assume that the next song, "Bodutaka", was recorded in the same session. The singers are the same, with Sam and Josky backed by Boyibanda and Chécain. Interestingly Franco's guitar is on the left, while the rhythm guitar of Lutumba Simaro is on the right. Especially in the solo from 4'10 on Simaro appears to be trying hard to balance Franco.... Again, Decca is very hyperactive on the bass.

Remarkably Chécain's voice can be best distinguished in Youlou's "Ledi", possibly also recorded in the same session. From 1'40 he can be heard loud and clear on the right, while Youlou, Sam and Josky and again Youlou (and this twice) do their solo bits.

The photo Aboubacar took (on the left) has been hanging on the wall near my computer for some time now. The man with an impressive career from Micran Jazz, via - amongst others - Kongo Jazz, the legendary Rock-a-Mambo and Bokelo's Conga Jazz to the T.P. O.K. Jazz looking up, - with indignation in his expression, but resignation in his composure.
He died too young.

GMFLP 009

* Both parts of "Assitou" have also been released on African 360.053. That album also includes "Zando Ya Tipo-Tipo" and "Lukika".

EDIT December 21, 2010: Aboubacar Siddikh points out that Chécain in fact sings on five of the tracks. He also sings on "Assitou", although this is perhaps not so clear. It can, however, be derived from the fact that he does throw in some 'animation', - and is present on percussion (which may very well be the subject of a future post....).

EDIT January, 9, 2011: After some criticism (unfortunately of the anonymous kind...) I have re-digitised the record and have uploaded this to another server. It can be found through this link.
The A-side sounds slightly better, if you ask me.

Babla

I am sorry for the delay in posting. There seems to be some mild form of flu going 'round. I myself haven't been affected - so far (knock on wood)-, but have had to attend to & serve those who have....

Anyway, I have been planning this post for a while, but kept postponing it. The reason for this is that I have been trying to figure out the truth about the origin of the song "Mokolo Nakokufa". Rochereau claims it as his composition, and given the poetic/philosophic (or - if you like - intellectualistic) content it seems more than likely that this is true. However, it may also be true, as some Congolese sources claim, that Rochereau was 'inspired' by a song Wendo Kolosoy performed, accompanied on guitar by another legend from those early days of Congolese music Honoré Liengo, at the funeral of Paul Mwanga* (see here, here and here) in 1966.
I have come to the conclusion that it seems unlikely the real sequence of cause and effect will ever be revealed.

It does seem a bit ironic, however, that Rochereau claimed to be the heir of Wendo ("Mokitano ya Wendo"), after he invited Wendo (who was unemployed after Ngoma closed down in 1966) to join his African Fiesta National, - only to subsequently treat him with little respect, even to the point where Wendo (and others) was left stranded in Brussels without pay....

The version of "Mokolo Nakokufa" I want to post is not the one by Rochereau (which by the way can by found in this post on the Global Groovers blog), but the one by Sam Mangwana, who was a member of African Fiesta at the time when Wendo joined.
Mangwana recorded this version at a time when he had decided to leave the T.P. O.K. Jazz and (again) go his own way. He was after all, as Franco accurately described him in an interview in 1987, "cavalier seul" ('lone rider'), albeit one with a foot in both 'schools' of Congolese music.

The lyrics are slightly different from Rochereau's version. Sam leaves out the personal references Rochereau made, and Rochereau's final lines about a ndumba (unmarried woman or girl) thinking of what will become of her only worldly goods, i.e. her wig and her clothes. But he also has two additions to the lyrics, the first of these being the addition of "nkisi" (which translates as "medicin"; but usually meaning "traditional medicin" or even witchcraft) as a possible cause of death, and the second are two additional, spoken lines in which Sam also addresses Rochereau with the rather cryptic "Tabou, oh words".

Here is the translation of Mangwana's version, borrowed from Aboubacar Siddikh's YouTube post:

(chorus) Mokolo nakokufa	The day I will day
Mokolo ya liwa	The day of my death
Mokolo mosusu ngai nakanisi	The other day I was wondering
Naloti lokola ngai nakolala	I dreamt as I was sleeping
Aa mama aa Mokolo ya liwa	Ah mother, the day of my death
Mokolo nakokufa nani akolela ngai?	The day I day, who will weep for me?
Nakoyeba te	I don't know
Tika namilela	Let me weep for myself
Liwa ya nzamba soki mpe liwa ya mai	Death in the forest or in water?
Liwa ya nkisi soki mpe liwa ya mpasi mama	Death by witchcraft or of illness
Mokolo ya liwa, mama	The day of my death, Mother
Mokolo nakokufa, ngai moto ya mbongo	The day I will die, I the rich man
Nakanisa nini kaka mosolo o?	What will I think of, but my property?
Nakanisa lopango na bakaminyo	I'll think of my houses and lorries
Nakanisa bana ngai natinda kelasi koyekola	I'll think of the children I sent to school
Mokolo ya liwa, mama	The day of my death, mother
Mokolo nakokufa, ngai moto ya pauvre	The day I die, I the poor man
Nakanisa nini kaka bana na ngai?	What will I think of but my children?
Nakanisa kaka mpasi ya mokili ezali kotikala	I'll only think of the problems of the world that will be left
Mokolo Nakokufa	The day I die
Mokolo nakokufa ngai moto ya kwiti	The day I die, I the drunkard
Nakanisa kopo ya masanga na ngai	I'll only think of my glass of beer
Nakanisa nini kaka suka ya sanza	What will I think of but the end of the month
Tango namelaka ngai na baninga	When I used to drink with my friends
Aa mama, mokolo ya liwa	Ah mother, the day of my death
Mokolo nakokufa nani akolela ngai?	The day I die, who will weep for me?
Nakoyeba te	I don't know
Tika namilela	Let me weep for myself
Liwa ya nzamba soki mpe liwa ya mai	Death in the forest or death in water?
Liwa ya nkisi soki mpe liwa ya mpasi mama	Death by witchcraft or of illness?
Aa mama, mokolo ya liwa.	Ah mother, the day of my death
(spoken) Liwa, elombe ayaka nayo centre na la vie	Death, the hero who comes with you to the centre of life
(spoken) Tabu, O Maloba	Tabu, Oh, words!
Mokolo nakokufa ngai moto ya kwiti	The day I die, I the drunkard
Nakanisa kopo ya masanga na ngai	I'll think of my glass of beer
Nakanisa nini kaka suka ya sanza	What will I think of but the end of the month
Tango nakutana ngai na baninga	When I met with friends
Aa mama, mokolo ya liwa	Ah mother, the day of my death
(chorus) Mokolo ya Liwa	The day of my death
Mokolo nakokufa	The day I will die

Sonafric SAF 1819

This is not all.
I also would like to share this single with you which Sam Mangwana recorded just before or even while he was working with Franco. It is from 1973 and features Sam with a group called "orchestre Beya Maduma". This Beya Maduma was a sax player who in the sixties played with Negro Succes, and in the mid-seventies with orchestre Vévé and from there with Bana Ngenge, before moving to Abidjan and working on the famine relief project 'Operation Africa' in 1985. My favourite of these two songs, both of which are very much in the African Jazz/Fiesta style, is the B-side "Bigina", which sounds very 'live' and offers Sam the opportunity to use some of his crooning skills.

ZP 01

And talking about Mangwana's crooning skills, here is a rather mysterious, undated track which will certainly hit home with all fans of Mangwana. It is a total mystery to me why these songs have never been released in digital form, and especially the B-side, titled "Babla". It is not without a reason that this post bears the title of this song, which I consider to be a highlight in Mangwana's extensive career. The song fits Sam like a glove, and shows him in brilliant form. It is obviously aimed at the east-african audiences with a mix of lingala and swahili in the lyrics. Note also the great accompagnement.

I am sure there must be someone who can tell us more about this song, the musicians, - and perhaps even the circumstances of these recordings?

ELG 06

PS (May 1, 2010): I see I have forgotten to post a link to Flemming Harrev's website ("unofficial homepage"). Essential information about Mangwana.

EDIT October 31, 2011: I've changed the link for the first single.

EDIT November 5, 2011: *the funeral apparently was not of Paul Mwanga, but of another Paul: the musical pioneer from 1940s Brazzaville, Paul Kamba.

Les Merveilles du Passé

Another tip: Aboubacar Siddikh has posted some classic videos from Franco and his All Powerful O.K. Jazz on Youtube:

A full version of Simaro's "Oko Regretter Ngai Mama":


A unique version of Mayaula Mayoni's "Cherie Bondowe":


Another track by Simaro: "Presence Na Ngai Ebangisaka":


My favourite: Franco's superb "Nioka Abangaka Mpe Moto":


Plus Franco's "Toyeba Yo", featuring Sam Mangwana:


And if you can't get enough, there is also an out-of-this-world, full colour (but unfortunately short) song from 1974 (recorded during the festivities surrounding the Rumble in the Jungle):

Discothek 2

This is a runner-up in the Worst Sleeve competition, and not just because of the cheap colours. Of course Polydor Kenya has a reputation to uphold in this field, with a long line of cheap looking album covers.
In this case the cheapness is aggravated by the apparent incorrectness of the information. I mean, "8 originalhits"? Do they mean over the two volumes (there is also a volume 1*)? Or are they referring to the fact that these tracks were originally released as singles with part one on side A and part two on B (and I am not suggesting this was the case)?

Luckily the exterior lack of quality is generously compensated by the quality of the musical offerings. Four top tracks by top artists, from East ánd Central Africa. All tracks are in that rich, guitar-based East African 'rumba' style, - but this doesn't mean that there is no variety.
The album opens with "Mwenda Pole", a laid-back classic by Wilson Peter and Simba Wanyika. By contrast the second track, "Mabibi Za Watu" by the great Moreno Matamba and Moja One is nervous and charged with a dramatic tension.

Side two opens with Sam Mangwana, who although singing in swahili manages to remain one hundred percent himself: a master entertainer. My guess is that "Furaha Ya Bibi" was recorded in the same session as "Masai" on "Kweya" (which was released in the same year).
The album is rounded off by a song by Laban Ochuka and the Maroon Commandos. Their "Naenda Safari" has a determined pace befitting a band with military roots.

This album offers more proof that you shouldn't judge a record by its sleeve....

Polydor POLP 547

*which in my opinion is not as good as this second volume. But, if you like, I will post this later.

Staying O.K.

With the release of yet more compilations of Franco's extensive repertoire it may seem amazing to some that there are still plenty of songs that have not been published in digital form. And I am sure you will be even more amazed when you hear the quality of some of these compositions.

In this post I would like to share three singles with you, all from what many consider to be Franco's heyday. Personally I am more inclined to believe that Franco's whole career existed of one big heyday, or at least an impressive series of peaks. The particular heyday I am referring to started more or less when Sam Mangwana joined the O.K. Jazz. A lot has been written about this move, and I will post Sam's own views about this at a later date.
For now, I would like to stick to the music.

The first of these singles is from 1973. On the A-side is one of the earliest tracks of Mangwana with the O.K. Jazz, "Cedou". Remarkably he is only present as a backing vocalist in this composition by rhythm guitarist Lutumba Simaro (whose compositions* were crucial to the evolution of the O.K. Jazz in this turbulent period). The leading vocals are by Michel Boyibanda and Franco, and Lola Djangi 'Chécain' is present in the background. But Mangwana's contribution is nevertheless impressive, and certainly meant a shift towards a more melodic style for the O.K. Jazz.
Franco's own intentions in this respect are illustrated by the B-side, "B.S.K.". A brilliant bolero sung by Franco himself, accompanied by the full horn section of the Tout Puissant O.K. Jazz. I hope someone can explain to me why this masterpiece has never been digitized.
Note, by the way, that Franco did play this song in a concert in Amsterdam in January 1989.

Fiesta 51.198 B

The second single is from 1974. "Mele", the A-side, was composed by Chécain, who was seen by his colleagues as the main representative of the 'old' style of the O.K. Jazz. In my opinion it was a stroke of pure genius to combine the voices of Mangwana and Chécain, and this is probably one of the best examples of this golden combination. Chécain sings the 'seconde', i.e. the lower of the two vocal parts which adjusts to back the main melody of the song. He has a rather sad, but slightly dry and understated singing style, while Mangwana's voice soars and flows with the melody. To me, Chécain's backing turned Mangwana into an O.K. Jazz style singer.
As Mangwana prepares for the solo, Michel Boyibanda comes in to support Chécain. But some echo is put on to his vocal, adding distance to his singing, while Chécain remains in the foreground. Trumpets come blaring in and Sam launches into his solo. After just over four minutes Franco takes control and leads his orchestra into a full-force climactic finale.
It is not surprising that Chécain had a preference for working with Mangwana in his compositions, e.g. in "Lukika" (which is sometimes incorrectly attributed to Franco) and the 1975 track "Toboyana Kaka".

The B-side, "Mowunbu Ya Makanisi" (titled "Bano Brekete" on the Kenyan release "In Memoriam Vol. 9"), was a song composed by Franco, and is sung by Franco himself and Youlou Mabiala, who had already ventured outside of the O.K. Jazz, but had returned (and would soon leave again). The song starts off in a rather conventional old style O.K. Jazz manner, but after almost two and a half minutes breaks into rather unusual solo by Franco, in which he almost hammers the chords.

Pathe 2 C006 15717

The third record of this post, "Tata Na Bebe 1 & 2", is one I posted earlier, but in a different setting. And, on closer study, I have changed my mind about the dating of this song. The use of four vocalists and the guitar sound are indications it must be from 1974.
The song opens with two rounds of solo vocals by (in this order) Sam Mangwana, Josky Kiambukuta, Michel Boyibanda and Franco, followed by two more rounds in the same order, but with a chorus filling in the gaps. At the end of part one, Franco is about to steer the orchestra into a rousing, nose-down, kamikaze style sebene.

This also means that the first two and a half minutes of part two are a copy of the last two and a half minutes of part one (you can check this if you like...), and the recorded track lasted less than seven and a half minutes (the result of joining the two unique parts can be found here). This is, by the way, not unusual for tracks from this period. My impression is that this was due to the technical limitations I wrote about in an earlier post about Haruna Ishola (who was the co-owner of one of the most advanced recording studios in Africa).

Getting back to the subject of digitizing Franco's oeuvre, only one of the five** tracks in this post has been released on CD. The four other tracks seem essential to the understanding of how the O.K. Jazz became the Tout Puissant O.K. Jazz, - while staying O.K..

Editions Populaires EP 205

* "Ebale Ya Zaire", "Mabele", "Minuit Eleki Lezi" - to name just three.
** counting the two parts of "Tata Na Bebe" as one.

EDIT July 7, 2016: all three singles in one file.