Celebrating the Maestro

Today marks 26 years since the death of Luambo Luanzo Makiadi popularly known as Franco. Growing up, my uncle had a fanatical like for this man’s music. TPOK jazz was almost the only music that he played on his record player. Whenever I hear any Franco song nakumbuka huyu mujamaa (RIP). For rhumba fans nawacha hizi hapa.

@xuma what is this Makambo ezali song about, I like sana though sielewe elewi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ux8jYov88o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaUiXAA95jg

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Makambo Ezali Minene English Translation and Lingala version Madilu System feat Luambo Makiadi, Lyrics, Paroles

  1. (System)
    My husband went to Europe
    My husband went to Europe
    He went to study
    He went to a playful place
    He went away
    What is this
  2. (System)
    Mobali akende na poto, yo
    Mobali akende na poto, oh
    Akende ko yekola oh
    Akendeki esika ya lisano oh
    Akende motako, oh
    Oyo nine eh, eh
  3. At a playful environment, everyone plays
    At a sad environment, everyone cries
    I am crying for my husband
    He went away
    What is this
  4. Esika ya lisano moto nioso asakanaka
    Esika ya mawa moto nioso alelaka
    Ngai na leli mobali eh
    Akende motako oh
    Oyo nini eh, eh
  5. As I return home, I find people crying
    I also start to cry
    I am crying because I miss my husband
    I am crying because I miss System
    I am crying because I miss Fiston
    What month will he come back
    What year will he come back
    What is this
  6. Na kuti na lopango bato bazali kolela
    Ngai na bandi na ngai mpe kolela
    Kolela na ngai mawa ya mobali eh
    Mawa na ngai ya System eh, ye
    Mawa na ngai ya Fiston ye
    Akozonga sanza nini eh
    Akozonga mbula nini eh, en en
    Oyo nini eh, eh
  7. You are writing letters
    You are sending money
    We are talking on the phone
    You send messages to the family
    I want presence
    I want your physical presence
    What is this
  8. Mikanda na yo ozali ko tinda
    Mbongo papa ozali ko tinda
    Na telephone tozali kosolola
    Mbote na famille ozali ko pesa
    Na lingi présence eh
    Nga na lingi présence
    ya bo moto na yo papa
    Oyo nini eh, eh
    Chorus
  9. Come on, these problems are big
    Come on, these problems are big
    Franco shouts in America
    Franco shouts in Brussels
    Franco shouts in Paris
    They say that these problems are big
    These problems are big
    Chorus
  10. Boya makambo ezali minene eh, eh
    Boya makambo ezali minene eh, eh
    Franco, a beleli na América oh, oh
    Franco a beleli na Bruxelles oh, oh
    Franco a beleli na Paris eh, eh
    Balobi makambo ezali minene eh, eh
    Makambo ezali minene eh, eh
  11. I asked Dodo for permission to go out
    Dodo allowed me
    I went out at night
    I found Dodo between the hands of my rival
    Nasty to look (Eyes are stupid)
    These problems are big
  12. Na sengi Dodo nzela nga na bima
    Dodo a ndimeli ngai na motema en
    Nga na bimi, Mambo, na butu
    Na kuti Dodo na maboko
    ya mbanda na ngai
    Miso zoba eh salite
    Makambo ezali minene eh, eh
  13. How can I love
    How can my mind relax
    How can I reject him
    Where can I put my mind
    Dodo deceived me
    He removed me where I like being
    These problems are big
  14. Motema elinga ndenge nini eh
    Makanisi evanda denge nini eh
    Motema eboya ndenge nini eh
    Molimo na tiya yango wapi eh
    Dodo a décevoir ngai eh
    A longoli ngai na esika na lingaka ye
    Makambo ezali minene eh, eh
  15. I am tormented by a problem
    That’s why I began to drink a lot
    That’s why I am always drunk
    I want to stop thinking about this husband
    He is dating my friend, Lusala
    These problems are big
  16. Nazalaka souci na motema, maman
    Yango na koma komela mingi eh
    Yango na koma kwiti-kwiti eh
    Po na longola souci ya mobali oyo
    Akoma na camarade na ngai eh, Lusala eh
    Makambo ezali minene eh, eh
    Instrumental
    Chorus
  17. Come on, these problems are big
    Come on, these problems are big
    Franco shouts in America
    Franco shouts in Brussels
    Franco shouts in Paris
    They say that these problems are big
    These problems are big
    Chorus
  18. Boya makambo ezali minene eh, eh
    Boya makambo ezali minene eh, eh
    Franco, a beleli na América oh, oh
    Franco a beleli na Bruxelles oh, oh
    Franco a beleli na Paris eh, eh
    Balobi makambo ezali minene eh, eh
    Makambo ezali minene eh
    Instrumental
    Chorus
  19. Come on, these problems are big
    Come on, these problems are big
    Franco shouts in America
    Franco shouts in Brussels
    Franco shouts in Paris
    They say that these problems are big
    These problems are big
    Chorus
  20. Boya makambo ezali minene eh, eh
    Boya makambo ezali minene eh, eh
    Franco, a beleli na América oh, oh
    Franco a beleli na Bruxelles oh, oh
    Franco a beleli na Paris eh, eh
    Balobi makambo ezali minene eh, eh
    Makambo ezali minene eh
  21. (These problems are giant)
    My husband like me, he gives me beers
    The next morning I am sober
    The landlord at the front door
    My beauty can’t pull me out of this mess
    These problems are big
  22. (Makambo ezali bourreau)
    Mobali a linga ngai a pesa ngai masanga
    Lobi na tongo nga na kawuki monoko
    Mokolo lopango liboso ya ndanko
    Kitoko na ngai na mayi oh, edindi
    Makambo ezali minene eh, eh
  23. My husband bans me from leaving home
    I am now staying at home
    He can’t afford to buy me waxes
    He can’t afford to buy me jewelries
    He can’t afford to buy me shoes
    He begins to cry
    These problems are big
  24. Mobali a pekisi nga ba
    nzela ngai na kendeke
    Na vandeli ye na ndanko (abongisa)
    Kasi sombela ngai ba metrage eh
    Kasi sombela ngai ba bijoux eh
    Kasi sombela ngai ba sapato eh
    Mobali ya bandi na ye nde kolela
    Makambo ezali minene eh, eh
  25. My friend admired my cloth
    She wants me to lend it to her
    I refused to mix body odor
    I chose not to lend her
    We go out,
    she pours a drink on me on purpose
    These problems are big
  26. Moninga alula nga na elamba na lataka
    Asengi nga elamba a lata (ko pesa te)
    Naboyi to sangisa solo ya nzoto
    Na pimeli ye elamba eh, eh (c’est bien)
    To bimi asopeli ngai masanga na nko
    Makambo ezali minene eh, eh
  27. I stopped my friend from fighting
    They were fighting over a ticket
    A single ticket from Kinshasa to Brussels
    Her husband injured himself during the fight
    The ticket reveals a secret
    These problems are big
  28. Na pekisi moninga nangai abunda
    Likambo ba weli ya ticket oh
    Ticket ya Kinshasa Bruxelles oh, oh
    Likambo ezokisi mobali ya bato
    Ticket ebimisi sekele oh ye
    Makambo ezali minene eh, eh
  29. I disputed with Zenaba
    Because I collect money for our investors’ group
    We contribute every Monday
    He hasn’t contributed for 2 Mondays
    He got angry with me
    He got really angry
    I asked him to give back what he owes
    He told me he has spent it
    On children’s christening
    These problems are big
  30. Likambo to swani ngai na Zenaba, Franco
    Ngai nazali maman ya likelemba
    Ba lundi minei aboyi ko pesa likelemba
    A tomboki na ngai eh
    A tobomki makasi eh (miso makasi)
    Na lobi azongisa bonga ya bato (ekende)
    Alobi asali ba dépenses eh, ye
    Na ba baptême ya bana
    Makambo ezali minene eh, eh
  31. My husband come back from somewhere
    Full of money in the pocket
    He has sold something
    In the evening he took me to eat at Babin’s
    In the morning he poured his beard on me
    In the evening he wants the money back
    These problems are big
  32. Mobali awuti soki wapi eh
    Ebele ya mbongo na poche eh
    Awuti ko teka soki nini eh (ye moko oyebi)
    Na pokwa aleisi ngai chez Babin eh
    Na tongo asopeli ngai mandefu eh ye
    Na pokwa ayeli ngai na zongisa mosolo
    Makambo ezali minene eh, eh
    Chorus
  33. Come on, these problems are big
    Come on, these problems are big
    Franco shouts in America
    Franco shouts in Brussels
    Franco shouts in Paris
    They say that these problems are big
    These problems are big
    Chorus
  34. Boya makambo ezali minene eh, eh
    Boya makambo ezali minene eh, eh
    Franco, a beleli na América oh, oh
    Franco a beleli na Bruxelles oh, oh
    Franco a beleli na Paris eh, eh
    Balobi makambo ezali minene eh, eh
    Makambo ezali minene eh, eh
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What a coincidence. Leo niko kejani najibamba no Awilo Longomba na all sorts of Lingala music.
He is a Legend.
But i still think that his “prodige” Madilu System was the Real “Maestro”…

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@kush yule mnono Need I say more? In summary the chorus"Makambo Ezali Minene!’ literally is:-
Makambo- Mambo, Maneno, issues; and that’s why in this instance it refers to ‘Problems’
Ezali -is a reference word as in ‘this’, these’( hii ama hizi). It can also be used as in possessive form. But that one will change into:
Azali-he/she has (yeye ako na…) e.g Azali mwana-He/she has a kid or He/she is a kid.
Tozali-We, We have (tuko na…) e.g Tozali na ndako-We have a home or We are at home depending on the situation at the point.

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cont…
Minene-big, enormous( makubwa)

Thanks buda

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Most welcome.

@xuma nipee hiyo tafsiri please.thanks in advance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tftvPzpIKlQ

@kabuda mtu wako huyo …hapo umenena

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7HEeLPoWZI

Cant play media at the moment, my laptop has lost sound after upgrading to windows 10 but nitakupa tafsiri ya neno kwa neno moja kwa moja ninaposikiza anavyoimba.
But ninavyoujua Mangwana anawasifia Wacameroun.
Bana ba Cameroun- Watoto wa Cameroun.

Sawa mzito nitafurahia sana…

MOBUTU SESEKO…N LIBALA are among my favorolite chunes

I found a gem by Tabu Ley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohvrzpcexls

Cant stop listening to it

Hii always does it for me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-wJn__MXf0

Ndaya by Mpongo Love was a song that takes me somewhere.

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They unveiled a statue of Le Grand Maitre in Matonge, Kinshasa

Exploring the relationship between Franco Luambo Makiadi and Mobutu Sese Seko

In listening to Bana Ba Cameroun, I do not think it was sung in Lingala. Must be some Camerounian language. The song title itself is lingala but the actual words sio lingala.