Customer Reviews

Very Best of the Rumba Giant of Zaire

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I am lucky to own more than 40 cd's of Franco et Tout Puissant O.K. Jazz music. This collection is an excellent initiation into the various stages of Franco's career, but several are edited to fit the constraints of the format. If you like this disc, the Sonodisc label available at Stern's of Africa website has the best collection of the original cd's. There is no one like Franco, from sweet rumba to move-your-feet soukous. The various musicians of OK Jazz are a who's who of 60,70 and 80's golden age of Congolese music.

Franco is one of those artists who should only be compiled in a five (or probably more) record set. You really ought to buy several Franco CD's but the demise of Sonodisc Records makes that a bit harder to do. So, if you gotta go with this or the Rough Guide compilation, both only one disc, go with this one. The Rough Guide disc is great with wonderful liner notes by noted author Graeme Ewens. However, Rough Guide does something that it should be imprisoned for: they edit Franco's work (shortened the song "Attention Na Sida"). This is like chopping half of the Mona Lisa off to fit above your sofa. I own 42 Franco complete CD's but this is a disc that I wish I had not thrown out the liner notes as they are great. I was nuts to toss them but I don't keep jewel cases or cover art.

An outstanding sampler of Franco's entire career, starting off with early 'Fifties hits such as "On Entre O.K., On Sort K.O.", and cruising through to his late '80s soukous material. It's all hella good. This collection also has very good liner notes, informative about the artist as well as the songs. Recommended!