FRANCO : OKJ ALL TIME GREATEST COMPOSER

January 08, 2025 - 12:15 PM

'Babotoli ya malili', the air conditioner has been confiscated.

This is a line from Franco's hit "Mokolo Tonga," known as "Taileur."

The other line is: "Okomi komona pasi ya bangungi, okomibeta mbata na nzoto."

The second line, translated, means you will be slapping yourself like everyone else to chase marauding mosquitoes from your face.

The song was composed while Franco was incarcerated at Makala prison for composing and recording songs that were considered explicit. He was chiding Kengo Wa Dondo, who had been the country’s attorney but had since been fired from the job. The song is just a tip of the iceberg in a bid to illustrate who was the master composer at OK Jazz. Beneath, in the waters, lies a solid rock of no less than one thousand hits, illustrating how good Franco was at creating songs—a crown that not even his long-time deputy, Simaro, could match, despite his philosophical compositions.

A random census of the OK Jazz discography, in the possession of Jabulani Radio, yields some 1,500 OK Jazz songs. Of these songs, 96 are Simaro compositions, while close to 700 are Franco's. There is quite a number whose composers aren't very clear, as the information from the original vinyl discs was extracted incompetently, but these are enough to tilt the scale.

Vicky Longomba, who was in the band's first lineup, is third with around 70 songs, followed by Josky, who was also a vocalist.

Although Simaro’s songs, especially those done after 1972, are all philosophical pieces that figuratively capture the theme, Franco cannot be said to be far adrift from this concept. He, too, was creative in bringing out some topics. Songs like "Course au Pouvre" and "Chicotte," both aimed at attacking his ally-turned-foe, are masterpieces that employ artistic means, such as the animated instrumental conversation between the sax by Verckys and Franco's solo, to capture the altercation between the duo.

Performed in the Abidjan concert with Matalanza taking the Verckys part, it illustrated the depth Franco gave his compositions. Franco also knew how to make great songs from what could have easily been ignored as normal daily experiences.

This is what captivates the audience. Any random song from his discography, such as "Frein à Main," will land you in an interesting tale.

In this song, a woman is accusing her husband of abandoning her, mostly because "libumu ekomi accordion"—the stomach has sagged and drooped to adopt the shape of an accordion.

As much as Simaro was a great rhythmist and possibly Congo’s most lethal of the 1960s pachanga era, he seemed to have lost his mojo in the 1970s, and this is actually the period he stamped his authority as an astute composer. He seemingly shuffled the two roles, and someone may speculate that this answers the mystery of him not having been involved in any Franco song post-1975.

Franco, on the other hand, only gambled with his voice, beginning his career as a guitarist before finally transforming into a vocalist and becoming one of the most consistent singers in the band. But all along, he maintained his sharpness both on guitar and as a composer.

Whereas there are very few instances, such as in "Suit Letter Two," where he sings without playing guitar, there are numerous instances where he plays guitar without opening his mouth to sing.

Of course, it goes without saying that he was the engine behind the success of OK Jazz, and this position may have been made possible by the fact that he stayed longer than anyone else at OK Jazz, having been there before other members. However, lest you forget, the band existed for four years after his death, as it disbanded in 1993. (Franco died in 1989).

The other person who stayed long with the band and made an immense contribution was Lola. He joined the band in 1967 and never left until his death in 1992. He participated in more studio assignments than anyone else, apart from Franco. In most songs, apart from "Lolaka"—his own composition—he participated as a backup vocalist.

Lola has a dozen songs with the band, and all are chart-toppers—some of the most popular songs from the band, i.e., "Libala Ya Bana Na Bana," "Nganda Ma Camlagne." However, they are too few to afford him space at the high table of the band's greatest composers. Maybe Vicky and Josky would come close to Simaro.

Franco comes out as the band's most remarkable composer, with his songs addressing almost every topic on earth, the same way he takes the crown of the band's greatest guitarist.

By Jarome Ogola

Jabulani Radio Livestream


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