Franklin Boukaka, born on October 10, 1940, in Brazzaville, French Congo, was a Congolese baritone singer, guitarist, and songwriter. His musical career began at age 14 or 15 with the group Sexy Jazz. Boukaka joined Cercul Jazz in 1962, developing a distinctive style and gaining a substantial following. The band toured extensively across Africa. In 1967, he left Cercul Jazz to perform as a solo artist. He released his singles "Ba Yemba Ba Congo" in 1969 and "Unité Africaine / Kitoko Mingi" in 1971. He was widely believed to have been the victim of an extrajudicial execution during an attempted coup in February 1972.
