Kinshasa Mboka Ya Makambo (Ndunda)

Kinshasa Mboka Ya Makambo is a song by Congolese artist Franco Luambo. Franco improvised the live song during his return concert, in Kinshasa, in 1982. The song addresses some rumors that circulated concerning him at that time.

TP OK Jazz issues and return to Kinshasa

Franco and his T.P. O.K. Jazz band were at the peak of their success. However, they started to experience various issues in their hometown of Kinshasa. The “Grand Maitre” got imprisoned for a couple of months at some point. The Zairian government also decided to temporarily take back his National Merit Medal. The circumstances led Franco and his band to distance themselves from Kinshasa for a while. The team settled in Europe where they made their living performing at various bars and venues. Unfortunately, Belgian authorities caught the band with unresolved administrative issues and shipped it back to Kinshasa by force. T.P. O.K. Jazz, therefore, had no choice but to reconnect with its hometown.

Kinshasa being rich in speculations, rumors sprouted everywhere. Some speculated that the band was kicked out for selling drugs. Others talked about cases of murders. The rumors aimed at tarnishing T.P. O.K. Jazz image and Franco had to respond as they returned.

The brilliant improvisation’s meaning

On his return, Franco improvised the song Kinshasa Mboka Ya Makambo, meaning Kinshasa, a troublesome town. The Orchestra based its skeleton on another song of Franco titled Mobali Na Ngai Azali Etudiant Na M’Poto. Here is a link to YouTube, in case you want to listen to it.

Franco used Kinshasa Mboka Ya Makambo to settled accounts with Kinshasa gossipers, including his fellow musicians. It was also a show of courage by Franco, who rarely kept his tongue in his pocket. Franco addressed his issues with the political regime’s officials.

Alright, now that we have some context about it, let’s dive into the lyrics and their meaning on the following page.