FRANCO — Mario (Choc Choc Choc 1985 Volume One) (review)

FRANCO — Mario (Choc Choc Choc 1985 Volume One) album cover

Album · 1985 · African Fusion

5/5 · 2011-07-06
Matt

Released in 1985 in Kinshasa and shot to the top sellers like a veritable rocket and even though it may no longer be at the top it still has become an absolute African classic in a time when Rumba was on the way out but still we had not really arrived to the new Soukous sound that would swallow up those old rumba rythmns and put them to a much faster time. Franco whose real name was Francois Luambo Makiadi, by this time had only four years left till he died but he had been playing since the early 1950's and most likely this may have been album number around 148 if you believe Franco or around 83 that have actually been documented but Franco may have been right if the albums only ever appeared on cassette which was the favourite medium used in Africa as it was transportable and recordable. Copyrirght is not something that gets paid too much attention in Africa and albums that are released are quickly re-recorded sold again or just loaned out for the purpose but in amongst all this this artists and recording companys came and went and alas music was lost and cassettes especially in tropical climates do not have that long a life span. Lucky for us though there is still plenty of Franco's material to be found as he ran his own recording companys with this one being his biggest hit and being recorded at a later date in his career we have a great sound with that slight change that was evident in Franco's sound as he was keeping up with the times and the electric guitar rules here but not in a western fashion but played in Rumba with that beautiful skip present. Not only does Franco play guitar but he speaks more than sings throughout sections of his songs but there is always a vocalist to sing with the addition of backing vocalists to the majority of songs with Franco often assisting. The band is OK Jazz and they have been his band since 1955 with the line up constantly changing with many musicians that became famous in their own right passing through such as Sam Mangwana, Madilu System, Simaro Lutumba, Ndombe Opetum and Mose "Fan Fan" Se Sengo becoming stand outs of their own in modern Zairean music and from that lot its is Madilu System ( Jean de Dieu Makiese) who is here assisting Franco here with vocals on the album. The other members of the band I have no idea myself who they were as there is zero information with the disc excepting times and the songwriter being Franco himself.

"Mario" is first with Franco commencing the story of a young man who is living off an older woman and she tires of him and kicks him out with the interchange on vocals between Franco and Madilu being superb but the catch for this monster tune is the groove that just keeps coming over Franco's beautiful guitar skip which seems only to gradually intensify over this fourteen and half minute masterpiece and the only break in the groove is every now and again when the brass kicks in with a repeated theme and some great drum slams interspersed. Not one minute of boredom is present just groove and more groove Zairean Rumba style and if you think you still have not had enough track two is "Mario" again but this time with a slight change but not to that groove and is called "Mario Suite" and I do not have an issue running this song for just on 28 minutes as the groove just keeps coming and it no wonder it was such a hit throughout most of Africa south of the Sahara. The following is still Rumba all the way and that is "La Vie Des Hommes" with one of the most famous duets beteween Madilu and Franco recorded containing a running time of 20 minutes, you will hear plenty but just about 3/4 through the song listen for some beautiful guitar from this African master called Franco. Rumba is all that is played and two more tracks are present with the fourth "Ida" being a little slower in time with that Zairean roll that the tunes all have being quite a lovely song with the last one "Celio" having a greater presence of horns in the mix harkening back to those earlier Rumba times. Both are around ten minutes in length but "Celio" is added to these two records that assembled this release as the vocalists are different with the bands sound ever so slightly but there is plenty of Franco's guitar for you to hear in amongst the sound.

Great album that was really put together for the cd's release of two records and an absolute African monster of a song that will always be at the top for many of us and that is just not among the Africans either. Essential African music that everybody should have one of.