A couple of musicians from Cameroon caught my interest lately. The first was “Soul Makossa” by Manu Dibango.
Emmanuel “Manu” N’Djoké Dibango is a Cameroonian musician and song-writer who plays saxophone and vibraphone. He developed a musical style fusing jazz, funk, and traditional Cameroonian music. The song “Soul Makossa” on the record of the same name contains the lyrics “makossa”, which means “(I) dance” in his native tongue, the Cameroonian language Duala. It has influenced several popular music hits, including Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'”, as well as his re-recording of that song with Akon, the Fugees’ “Cowboys”, and Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music”.
Manu has collaborated with many other musicians, including Fania All Stars, Fela Kuti, Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, King Sunny Adé, Don Cherry, and Sly and Robbie. In 1998, he recorded the album CubAfrica with Cuban artist Eliades Ochoa.
The Lafayette Afro Rock Band does a great cover of “Soul Makossa” on their excellent 1973 album “Afro Funk Explosion”. Thanks to the outstanding jukebox at the Twilite Lounge in Deep Ellum, Dallas for introducing me to this band.
The second Cameroonian musician I heard is Etienne Mbappe. I first thought he was Jaco Pastorius since he sounds so much like him on electric bass. Etienne is based in France now and plays with several jazz superstars including John McLaughlin (Mahavishnu Orchestra). He played with the late Joe Zawinul (Weather Report with Jaco) and on Ray Charles’ last album in 2001.
Etienne is one of the few string playing musicians who likes to play with gloves. Here’s an interesting interview.
Maybe I’ll have a chance to see him live in New York sometime soon. Checking tour dates I see him at Ronny Scott’s club in London with McLaughlin but nothing easy for me to get to in the near future.