Franco Luambo

Photo: Lemvo Jean Abou Bakar Depara / CC BY-SA 4.0

iconlegend

Franco Luambo

Born Luambo Makiadi

1938–1989

Congolese rumba

About Franco Luambo

The Grand Master of Congolese rumba and leader of TPOK Jazz, Franco was one of Africa's most prolific and influential musicians with a career spanning four decades.

Moments

Where Franco Luambo made history

September 1974
Stade du 20 Mai, Kinshasa · Congo DRC
1974

Three nights in Kinshasa before the Rumble in the Jungle

James Brown, Celia Cruz with the Fania All Stars, Franco and Tabu Ley shared one stadium stage in September 1974. The fight they had come to warm up was postponed by six weeks; the music happened anyway.

Celia Cruz · James Brown · Franco Luambo · Tabu Ley RochereauWatch the moment

Discover more

On the timeline

On the hitlist

In these journeys

HavanaKinshasaDakar

Havana to Kinshasa: The Rumba Round Trip

How Cuban records crossed the Atlantic and came back out as the sound of a continent

  • Son Cubano
  • Congolese Rumba
  • Soukous

1500s–2020s10 tracks6 min read

Take the journey