This is an controversial post. I apologize for not posting a long time. I have been busy like heck. So much going on.
I am going to do a duet that most people will hate but I see as a legitimate post. Before I mention these men. Let me put in proper context.
As many of you guys know, Franco or some call Francois Luambo Makiadi was a Zairian artist or Congolese Artist. He was from Zaire or called Democratic Republic of Congo. He was the number one artist in the country and he was a great legend. He is still a great legend. One reason why probably Franco is not recognized in the west was because he did give much shit about western music though he liked some of it, he never cared for most of the artists especially James Brown. It was said some years ago back in 1969, some USA producers tried to get Franco and James Brown together but it went bad because Franco believed that James Brown was a piece of shit. Ouch. Franco also said that he did not want to hear anything of James Brown because he is not special to begin with. Franco had a few chances to work with western artists but he refused. Franco had no desire to sing with western artists.
But as we know a lot of people like compare Franco to a western artist especially American. Some say James Brown. Others say Elvis Pressely. Others say Sam Cooke. But I don't believe that Franco would be good to sing with those three. There is only one American artist I think that could do some work with Franco.
That is Michael Jackson. I know some of you guys hate Michael Jackson. But Michael Jackson is an icon. He is worshiped like nuts. Plus Unlike James Brown, Michael Jackson really used some African sounds from people in a few of his songs. For example, his song "Wanna Be Starting Something", he used the line "Soul Makossa" from an artist name Manu Dibango who was a member of the group Africa Jazz which had great founder of Congolese music Grand Kalle. Grand Kalle was the founder of Congolese Music as a whole. Grand Kalle and Manu Dibango were dynamic when they were together. Unlike James Brown, Michael Jackson actually made efforts to try to make Africa better especially with food.
I know with Franco, he was not a big western fan, but Michael Jackson would be the ideal artist to sing with Franco. First of all, his voice is so different from Franco. Franco is a deep singer with a low classical baritone. Whereas Michael Jackson kind of sound womanly yet masculine in his voice. Remember Franco sings well with people of very different voice. Madilu System, Sam Mangwana, Youlou Mabiala, and Vicky Longomba as examples. Also, Franco and Michael Jackson would able to complete each-other as each has weakness. I believe Franco would enjoy Michael Jackson as he had a warm heart and he actually tries to relate to the artist himself. Final reason is that Michael Jackson does Youlou, Vicky, Sam, and Madilu do. He would be able to add the soul element but do in a way that makes it unique. Michael Jackson would ooze Franco with his soulful aggressive voice. I believe Franco would love that and he would feed on that himself.
Only downside of them together is that Franco never knew a English let alone a sentence in English for that matter. Since Michael Jackson only knew English, it would pose a problem. But I think that can be helped by a translator. Since we have translators, I believe that they would have been a way for these two men to be together.
Since people love to compare these two (though it is a horrible idea in my opinion), I believe that Franco's good western collaboration would have been with Michael Jackson. Plus Franco was the bigger star in African's eyes than Michael Jackson. That is another this would have been a great collaboration. Because Franco would have the upper hand and not Michael Jackson.
If Franco and Michael Jackson sang together, I think truly Americans would have adored Franco to death and Congolese people would appreciate Michael Jackson much more. Cross culture would have been done well if American producers found the right ways to get these two to sing together.
