Well, it’s my birthday today so I decided to pick something to cheer me up amidst all the chaos in the world caused by the evil that men do.
So here is a Congolese rumba record that is sure to brighten your day featuring Franco, the “guitarist who makes the hearst of women spin”, and accompanied by the renowned O.K. Jazz. Originally released on the Loningisa label, this reissue on the HMV label is a good example of the many excellent titles from the Loningisa catalog that the LON series made available.
The title roughly translates to “Has love turned into suffering?”.
At the end of 1956, O.K. Jazz member Henri Bowane had left the Loningisa label “feeling neglected”, and in January of 1957, he poached O.K. Jazz members Jean Serge Essous and Philippe “Rossignol” Lando, who represented a third of the band, to the rival Esengo label. The remaining members of O.K. Jazz regrouped around guitarist Franco, who also composed many of the group’s songs.
Recorded in Léopoldville, Belgian Congo on June 21, 1957.
Released as His Master’s Voice LON 1037.
Originally released as Loningisa No. 182.
Credits:
Franco (François Engbondu) – guitar
Vicky Longomba, Edo Ganga – vocals
Brazzos – guitar
De La Lune – bass
Célestin Kouka – maracas
Nicolas “Dessoin” Bosuma – drums
Source:
Rumba on the River: A History of the Popular Music of the Two Congos by Gary Stewart