Toboyana Kaka (Lola Chécain) - Franco & le T.P. O.K. Jazz 1975

Hommage à Lola Chécain.

Several members of OKJ have remarked to us that, after Franco had started integrating the style of African Jazz into the repertoire of OKJ, the only one who had always stuck to the original style of OKJ, was Lola Djangi Chécain.

With some pictures, I show that Lola has had a long history with OKJ. He was with the orchestra from 1967 untill 1992. He sang with nearly everybody who ever sang with OKJ, Vicky, Kwamy, Youlou, you name 'em.

Here, we hear him in his composition Toboyana Kaka, from 1975. In the opening chorus, we hear Lola sing with Sam Mangwana and Josky Kiambukuta, after the first break we hear him pairing with Sam, opposing Josky with Michèl Boyibanda. All through this part I had to work my way around the fact that I have not got one single decent picture of Boyibanda. (Can anybody out there help me out with this?)

The song is about a woman who had deceived him, she did not want to give back his photos, she shouldn't tell anybody anything secret about him, what she had done to him he would never forget, etc. Completely autobiographical, that much was clear.

During Franco's solo, we hear Lola (and Sam) animate and play percussion, too, although not too closely to the microphone.

The usual team playing, I suppose: Simaro, Decca, Ntoya, Dessoin.

After the song, there's a little encore, Lola interviewed July 8th, 1991, Brussels. He explains Franco played very well on his songs. He also inquires wether he could obtain a copy of this record (In Memoriam Vol. 9, Kenyan release) at Musicanova, record store in Gallerie d'Ixelles in Brussels.

When I point out it concerns a Kenyan release with two compositions of his (Lukika, too) on, but uncredited (and Toboyana Kaka even incorrectly titled), he tells me he never received a penny for his songs and blames Franco.

"Nous donnons tous à le bon Dieu."