Manu Dibango

Emmanuel N'Djoké "Manu" Dibango (12 December 1933 – 24 March 2020)<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> was a Cameroonian musician and songwriter who played saxophone and vibraphone. He developed a musical style fusing jazz, funk, and traditional Cameroonian music. His father was a member of the Yabassi ethnic group, while his mother was a Duala. He was best known for his 1972 single "Soul Makossa". The song has been referred to as the most sampled African song<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in addition Dibango, himself, as the most sampled African musician in history.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He died from COVID-19 on 24 March 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Early life

Emmanuel "Manu" Dibango was born in Douala, Cameroon, in 1933. His father, Michel Manfred N'Djoké Dibango,<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> was a civil servant. Son of a farmer, he met his wife travelling by pirogue to her residence, Douala.<ref name="Dibango1">Template:Harvnb</ref> Emmanuel's mother was a fashion designer, running her own small business.<ref name="Dibango4" /> Both her ethnic group, the Douala, and his, the Yabassi, viewed this union of different ethnic groups with some disdain.<ref name="Dibango1" /> Dibango had only a stepbrother from his father's previous marriage,<ref name="Dibango2">Template:Harvnb</ref> who was four years older than him.<ref name="Dibango8">Template:Harvnb</ref> In Cameroon, someone's ethnicity is dictated by their father, though Dibango wrote in his autobiography, Three Kilos of Coffee, that he had "never been able to identify completely with either of [his] parents".<ref name="Dibango2" />

Dibango's uncle was the leader of his extended family. Upon his death, Dibango's father refused to take over, as he never fully initiated his son into Yabassi customs. Throughout his childhood, Dibango slowly forgot the Yabassi language in favour of the Douala. However, his family did live in the Yabassi encampment on the Yabassi plateau, close to the Wouri River in central Douala.<ref name="Dibango2" /> While a child, Dibango attended Protestant church every night for religious education, or nkouaida. He enjoyed studying music there, and reportedly was a fast learner.<ref name="Dibango4">Template:Harvnb</ref>

In 1941, after being educated at his village school,<ref name="rfimusique">Template:Citation</ref> Dibango was accepted into a colonial school, near his home, where he learned French. He admired the teacher, whom he described as "an extraordinary draftsman and painter".<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> In 1944, French president Charles de Gaulle chose this school to perform the welcoming ceremonies upon his arrival in Cameroon.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>

In 1949, at the age of 15, Dibango was sent by his parents to college in Saint-Calais, France. After that, he attended the lycée de Chartres, where he learned to play the piano.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Adopted by the French community there, he quickly assimilated with the local culture and began to settle in the country.<ref name="Dibango life">Template:Cite news</ref>

Career

After several stints with French jazz clubs, Dibango then moved to Belgium, where his talent attracted the owner of a Bantou club.<ref name="Dibango life"/> He was then signed up by Joseph Kabasele, whose band, Le Grand Kallé et l'African Jazz (African Jazz), spearheaded a Congolese musical revolution in Africa. While in the Belgian capital of Brussels, he met his wife, a Belgian actress, model, and photographer named Marie-Josée (known as Coco), whom he married in 1957.<ref name="Dibango life"/><ref name="Coco Dibango">Template:Cite news</ref> Together with Coco, Dibango had with four children: Georgia (1969–2023), Michel, Marva, and James BKS (born 1982).<ref name="Manu Dibango family">Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1959, Kabasele recorded the pan-African anthem "Indépendance Cha Cha" and invited him to the Congolese capital of Léopoldville (present-day Kinshasa) to work together.<ref name="Dibango life"/> Dibango subsequently became a member of the African Jazz and collaborated with many other musicians, including Fania All Stars, Fela Kuti,<ref>Mojo f Manu Dibango Retrieved 18 April 2022</ref> Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, King Sunny Adé, Don Cherry, and Sly and Robbie. He achieved a considerable following in the UK with a disco hit called "Big Blow", originally released in 1976 and re-mixed as a Template:Convert single in 1978 on Island Records. In 1998, he recorded the album CubAfrica with Cuban artist Eliades Ochoa. At the 16th Annual Grammy Awards in 1974, Dibango was nominated in the categories Best R&B Instrumental Performance and Best Instrumental Composition for "Soul Makossa".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The lyrics of the song "Soul Makossa" on the album of the same name contain the word "makossa", which refers to a style of Cameroonian urban music and means "(I) dance" in Dibango's native tongue, the Cameroonian language Duala. The song has influenced popular music hits, including Kool and the Gang's "Jungle Boogie".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In Canada, two other songs ranked on the AC charts. "Pepe Soup" was number 33 in 1974 and "Ashiko Go" was number 21 in 1975.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His wife Coco died in 1995; while having a difficult time getting over the loss of what he considered his most beloved "Guardian Angel",<ref name="Manu Dibango family"/> Dibango released his religious Lamastabastani album in the same year, which he said is largely inspired by the late Coco.<ref name="Coco Dibango"/>

He served as the first chairman of the Cameroon Music Corporation, with a high profile in disputes about artists' royalties. Dibango was appointed a UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2004.<ref>Ernest Kanjo, "We Want Bread! Cameroonian musicians seem to have lost their creative acumen in their endless battles over money", Post Newsmagazine, September 2006, accessed at Template:Cite web 5 April 2007.</ref><ref>Manu Dibango designated UNESCO Artist for Peace Template:Webarchive</ref>

His song "Reggae Makossa" is featured on the soundtrack to the 2006 video game Scarface: The World Is Yours. In August 2009, he played the closing concert at the revived Brecon Jazz Festival.

His song "New Bell" is featured on the soundtrack to the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV in the radio station International Funk 99.

In 1982, Michael Jackson used the "Ma ma-se, ma ma-sa, ma ma-kossa" hook from Dibango's 1972 single "Soul Makossa", without his permission and without credit, for his 1983 song "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" from his superhit 1982 album Thriller. When Dibango found out, he considered suing the megastar, but Jackson was quick to admit that he had borrowed the line and the matter was settled out of court.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Manu Dibango - Stuttgart 17 July 2013 - 2

In 2007, Rihanna sampled the same hook from Jackson's song for her track "Don't Stop the Music" and did not credit Dibango. When Rihanna had asked Jackson for permission to sample the line, he allegedly approved the request without contacting Dibango beforehand. In 2009, Dibango sued both singers. Dibango's attorneys brought the case before a court in Paris, demanding €500,000 in damages and asking for Sony BMG, EMI and Warner Music to be "barred from receiving 'mama-se mama-sa'-related income until the matter is resolved".<ref name="lawsuit">Template:Cite news</ref> The judge ruled that Dibango's claim was inadmissible: a year earlier, a different Paris-area judge had required Universal Music to include Dibango's name in the liner notes of future French releases of "Don't Stop the Music", and, at the time of this earlier court appearance, Dibango had withdrawn legal action, thereby waiving his right to seek further damages.<ref name="rfi">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="lapresse">Template:Cite news</ref>

In July 2014, he performed an 80th birthday concert at the Olympia in Paris<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which was broadcast by TV5Monde.

On 8 September 2015, Michaëlle Jean, Secretary General of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, honoured Manu Dibango with the title of Grand Témoin de la Francophonie aux Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques de Rio 2016.<ref>Francophonie.org Template:Webarchive</ref>

Death

On 24 March 2020, Dibango died from COVID-19 in Melun near Paris, France.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Dibango life"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The news of his death was confirmed by his family via social media (Twitter). In response, many musicians and fans praised him as a musician and composer. He was 86 year old.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Discography

As leader

• Saxy-Party (Mercury, 1969)
• Manu Dibango (Fiesta, 1971)
• Africadelic (Mondiophone, 1972)
• Soul Makossa (Fiesta, 1972)
• O Boso (Fiesta, 1972)
• African Voodoo (PSI, 1972)
• Makossa Man (Fiesta, 1973)
• Super Kumba (Fiesta, 1974)
• Countdown at Kusini (D.S.T., 1975)
• Afrovision (Fiesta, 1976)
• Manu 76<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (Fiesta, 1976)
• Bande Originale du Film Ceddo<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (Fiesta, 1977)
• A L'Olympia (Fiesta, 1977)
• L'Herbe Sauvage (Fiesta 1977)
• Anniversaire Au Pays (Fiesta, 1978)
• Le Prix De La Liberte (Fiesta, 1978)
• Home Made (Fiesta, 1979)
• Gone Clear (CRC, 1980)
• Piano Solo Melodies Africaines Vol. 1 (AfroVision, 1981)
• Ambassador (CRC, 1981)
• Waka Juju (CRC, 1982)
• Mboa (AfroVision, 1982)
• Soft and Sweet (Garima, 1983)
• Deliverance Live in Douala (AfroVision, 1983)
• Surtension (Garima, 1984)
• Melodies Africaines Vol. 2 (AfroVision, 1984)
• L'Aventure Ambigue (Carrere, 1984)
• Electric Africa<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (Celluloid, 1985)
• Manu Invite... Akofa Akoussah Au Togo (Blackspot, 1983)
• Afrijazzy (Soul Paris, 1986)
• La Fete a Manu (Buda Musique, 1988)
• Negropolitaines Vol. 1 (Soul Paris, 1989)
• Comment Faire L'Amour Avec Un Negre Sans Se Fatiguer (Milan, 1989)
• Polysonik (Fnac Music, 1990)
• Live '91 (Fnac Music, 1991)
• Bao Bao (Mau Mau, 1992)
• Wakafrika (Fnac Music, 1994)
• Lamastabastani (Soul Paris, 1995)
• Negropolitaines Vol. 2 (Soul Paris, 1995)
• Papa Groove Live 96 (Wotre Music, 1996)
• CubAfrica (Melodie, 1998)
• Manu Safari (Wagram, 1998)
• Mboa' Su Kamer Feeling (JPS, 2000)
• Spirituals (Bayard Musique, 2000)
• Kamer Feeling (JPS, 2001)
• From Africa (Blue Moon, 2003)
• Homage to New Orleans (Goya, 2007)
• Lion of Africa (Global Mix, 2007)
• Past Present Future (BorderBlaster, 2011)
• Ballad Emotion (Konga Music, 2011)
• Balade en Saxo (EGT, 2014)

Compilations

• African Soul - The Very Best Of Manu Dibango (1997)
• Anthology (2000)
• Africadelic - The Best Of Manu Dibango (2003)
• The Rough Guide To Manu Dibango (2004)

General sources

• Template:Citation

Further reading

• Template:Cite magazine

External links

• Template:AllMusic Template:Bandcamp Template:Discogs artist Template:MusicBrainz artist

• "Manu Dibango" World Music Legends
• Manu Dibango's MySpace page
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