The musicians who started OK Jazz included Vicky Longomba, Jean Serge Essous, François Luambo Makiadi, De La Lune, Augustin Moniania Roitelet, La Monta LiBerlin, Saturnin Pandi, Nicolas Bosuma Bakili Dessoin and vocalist Philippe Lando Rossignol.

In 1957, the lead vocalist, Philippe Lando Rossignol, quit OK Jazz and was replaced by Edo Nganga, from Congo-Brazzaville.

The quality of their music had improved to where they could challenge African Jazz for the position of Congo's premier group.

Franco's music had such popular appeal mainly because it discussed issues affecting ordinary people on a daily basis.

Franco led other Congolese musicians in using new technology to produce sounds of much higher quality than in any other part of Africa.

[3] During the late 1960s, Kwamy Munsi and Mulamba Joseph Mujos led nine other musicians in a mass defection from TPOK Jazz.

Franco brought on board the composer/vocalist Sam Mangwana, who has a Zimbabwean father and an Angolan mother, but was born and raised in Kinshasa, DRC.

The band fell upon hard times with low record sales and as sparsely attended concerts.

Franco adopted the names "L'Okanga La Ndju Pene Luambo Luanzo Makiadi".

During this time, vocalist Mayaula Mayoni came on board, along with guitarists Mpundi Decca, Gege Mangaya, Michelino Mavatiku Visi and Thierry Mantuika.

In 1976, vocalist Zitani Dalienst Ya Ntesa and guitarist Gerry Dialungana were convinced to join TPOK Jazz.

Mayaula Mayoni composed a song, Cheri Bondowe which was released in an album that also included Alimatou and Bisalela.

Despite her handicap which was the result of childhood polio, she went on to become one of the continents most popular singers on the strength of her charming, vivacious voice and her songwriting.

Later that year the band represented Zaire in what was Africa's largest ever cultural event, Festac 77 which was staged in Lagos, Nigeria.

In 1978 Franco released two songs — "Helene" and "Jacky" — that were deemed "indecent" by the Attorney General of his native country.

In 1986, Josky Kiambukuta and Zitani Dalienst Ya Ntesa, two vocalists who felt they were not getting enough prime time exposure led another mass exodus to form their own band.

Around this time, Simaro Lutumba released an album outside the OK Jazz system, featuring the song "Maya".

Also Kiesse Diambu ya Ntessa from Afrisa and female vocalist Jolie Detta came on board.

[11] At the beginning of 1987, Franco released a 15-minute song with the title "Attention Na Sida" (Beware of AIDS).

Sung mainly in French amid heavy African drums and a kaleidoscope of thundering guitars, the song is moving even if one does not understand all the words.

On one of the eight albums that the band released in 1987, called Les On Dit, Franco introduced two new female vocalists Nana Akumu and Baniel Bambo.

The band started to fall apart with the defection of Malage de Lugendo and Dizzy and Decca, who returned to Kinshasa to pursue other opportunities.

[14] During that period, the band released an album entitled Hommage A Luambo Makiadi, made up of songs recorded before Franco died.

Thus ended the life of one of Africa's most famous bands of the twentieth century, that lasted more than thirty-seven years; from June 1956 until December 1993.

[17][18] A small fraction of the hundreds of records and albums released by TPOK Jazz during the thirty-seven and a half years of the band's existence includes:[20][21]