This is one of the first Congolese bands I’ve heard since the demise of the legendary Franco Luambo of (TP)OK Jazz fame. KOKOKO! are one of Central Africa’s most exciting bands, blending elements of funk, post-punk, blues and electro in a wild mix that I can’t imagine any other group, no matter their location, could pull off as well as these guys.
Democratic Republic of The Congo
[Video] Franco & O.K. Jazz – On Entre O.K., On Sort K.O.
Welcome back, friends! It’s been a while since I’ve bothered to post anything here due to traveling and work obligations. Time to make this little labor of love a bit more active!
We start out by posting a classic rhumba-and-calypso-influenced tune from what was then the Belgian Congo, then Zaïre (now the Democratic Republic of The Congo). The bank, O.K. Jazz, were one of the finest exporters of this type of sound in South-Central Africa, and they gave the world one of the true giants of African music, the guitarist François Luambo Luanzo Makiadi, know to his legions of admirers simply as Franco.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 