WINDHOEK– The Warehouse Theatre became on Tuesday night a hustle and bustle but of a different kind this time around as close to 700 revellers, jazz lovers and Rumba fans were taken on jazz and Rhumba treat rarely little known to the Warehouse and the capital, Windhoek.
This was courtesy of jazz musicians united in the Franco na Biso pays project to pay tribute to the late Congolese king of Rumba, Franco Luambo, who died in October 1989. Franco na Biso is a musical project created between Paris and Kinshasa, uniting French and Congolese rhythms. Two Jazz and Rumba musicians, Jean-Remy Guedon (saxophone) and Kojack Kossakamvwe (guitar) wowed the audiences with their great melodies, when they performed up to 10 songs.
Jean-Remy announced at the event that they have up to 30 concerts to their name and this is their second time in Namibia. Paying attention to the King of Rumba, Franco Luambo, who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in July 1938 and is known for his mastery of Rumba and as one of the originators of the modern Congolese sound. He reinvented the Soukous, giving birth to the Ndombolo genre. He was also nicknamed the “Sorcerer of the Guitar” for his seemingly effortless fluid playing.
According to the FNCC Public Relation Officer, Irmi Röder, Jazz and Rumba was their main focus on the night, reflecting the musical backgrounds of Kossakamvwe and Guédon, who belong to a generation of golden French jazzmen. She says Kossakamvwe is one of the most well-known guitar players in the DRC, keeping Franco Luambo’s heritage alive.
By Pinehas Nakaziko