Franco and Afro Musica | |
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Origin | Gabane, Botswana |
Genres | Kwasa kwasa |
Instruments |
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Franco and Afro Musica is a twelve piece kwasa kwasa band from Gabane, Botswana.
The band was founded by Frank "Franco" Lesokwane. As is the norm in the soukous (Congolese rumba) circles for artists to go by more than one names, Lesokwane also goes by several other names like Stango, Molamu, Lepako and Chakala. After playing and providing vocals for other leading Kwasa kwasa bands in Botswana, Franco, together with Tanzanian born lead guitarist, Shabani Mwanasande Yohana, formed the band and started touring the country. They recruited other soukous experts and recorded their first album, Ke lela le lona, which loosely translates to "I am crying with you". Other members of Afro Musica are DannyBass Dikole Gasebatho (bass guitar), Oxy Oxygen Ntoko (Drum), Samurai Ngingo (lead guitar).[ citation needed ]
After Ke lela le lona the band has produced albums annually. The band released their most popular single Tshutshumakgala (a tswana name for a train), which won them their first Botswana Music Union (BOMU) Award. [1] This is a song about how much they fear the train. The songs are usually about controversial issues in the society like witchcraft, promiscuity and death. They tend to write material that is very personal and in each album, the band has at least one song that tells a story about a certain village in Botswana, which has earned them a good following. The band has won several awards, including the BOMU "Best Kwasa Kwasa Album of the Year" two years in a row.
However, in his first ever music video for his new album Mmamane Robala, Lesokwane, does not feature his back-up band or dancers, especially in interviews and behind the scene footage and he is unapologetic about it. "I gave them publicity on my cassette and CDs, what more do people want. I have written about those guys on my album sleeves. " I do not think it was so important to feature them in the video," said Franco, when asked why the band did not receive the same exposure he gave himself in the video. "We did not see it necessary to do so. People will talk as they always do, but it is up to the management to decide these things. Maybe Afro Musica will appear in the next video. [2]
In April 2005, the band supported Koffi Olomide in his African tour. Koffi was quoted as saying "I am shocked to learn that the standards of the rhumba music in the country are this high."[ citation needed ]
The term rumba may refer to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, "rumba" was used as a synonym for "party" in northern Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba. Since the early 20th century the term has been used in different countries to refer to distinct styles of music and dance, most of which are only tangentially related to the original Cuban rumba, if at all. The vague etymological origin of the term rumba, as well as its interchangeable use with guaracha in settings such as bufo theatre, is largely responsible for such worldwide polysemy of the term. In addition, "rumba" was the primary marketing term for Cuban music in North America, as well as West and Central Africa, during much of the 20th century, before the rise of mambo, pachanga and salsa.
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Soukous is a genre of dance music from Congo-Kinshasa and Congo-Brazzaville. It derived from Congolese rumba in the 1960s, becoming known for its faster dance rhythms and bright, intricate guitar improvisation, and gained popularity in the 1980s in France. Although often used by journalists as a synonym for Congolese rumba, both the music and dance associated with soukous differ from more traditional rumba, especially in its higher tempo and longer dance sequences. Notable performers of the genre include Franco Luambo and his band TPOK Jazz, Papa Wemba, Sam Mangwana, Tabu Ley Rochereau, and Pépé Kallé.
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Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba, known professionally as Papa Wemba, was a Congolese singer and musician who played Congolese rumba, soukous, and ndombolo. Dubbed the "King of Rumba Rock", he was one of the most popular musicians of his time in Africa and played an important role in world music. He was also a fashion icon who popularized the Sape look and style through his musical group Viva la Musica, with whom he performed on stages throughout the world.
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Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba, known professionally as Koffi Olomidé, is a Congolese Soukus singer, dancer, producer, and composer. He has had several gold records in his career. He is the founder of the Quartier Latin International orchestra with many notable artists, including Fally Ipupa and Ferré Gola.
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Pascal-Emmanuel Sinamoyi Tabu, better known as Tabu Ley Rochereau, was a leading African rumba singer-songwriter from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was the leader of Orchestre Afrisa International, as well as one of Africa's most influential vocalists and prolific songwriters. Along with guitarist Dr Nico Kasanda, Tabu Ley pioneered soukous and internationalised his music by fusing elements of Congolese folk music with Cuban, Caribbean and Latin American rumba. He has been described as "the Congolese personality who, along with Mobutu, marked Africa's 20th century history." He was dubbed "the African Elvis" by the Los Angeles Times. After the fall of the Mobutu regime, Tabu Ley also pursued a political career. His musical career ran parallel to the other great Congolese rhumba bandleader and rival Franco Luambo Makiadi who ran the band TPOK Jazz throughout the 1960s, 1970s and '80s.
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Congolese rumba is a popular genre of dance music that originated in the Congo basin during the 1940s, deriving from Cuban son. The style gained popularity throughout Africa during the 1960s and 1970s.
Gabane is a village in Kweneng District of Botswana. It is located 15 km (10 mi) west of Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. The population was 10,399 in 2001 census, making it the fourth largest settlement in Kweneng. Its population was 14,842 at the 2011 census. It's now part of Gaborone agglomeration home to 421,907 inhabitants at the 2011 census.
Mbenzu Ngamboni Bokili, better known as Bozi Boziana, is a Congolese singer, songwriter and bandleader. He has been in several major soukous bands, including Orchestre Bamboula, Minzoto Sangela, Zaiko Langa Langa, Isifi Lokole, Yoka Lokole, Langa Langa Stars and Choc Stars, and founded his own band, Orchestre Anti-Choc, which is considered among the most influential of the genre and also notable for introducing up to three female vocalists at any one time into this band all of whom became celebrities in their own right, a tradition which continues up to today.
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Frank Lesokwane is a Motswana musician who is famously known as Franco. He is known for producing most Kwasa Kwasa hit songs. Frank is also known for being the leader of the Franco and Afro Musica band which is a well performing band in Botswana.