Manu Dibango

Who is Manu Dibango?

Manu Dibango, born Emmanuel N'Djoké Dibango in Douala in 1933, was a Cameroonian saxophonist, vibraphonist, and composer who became one of Africa's most internationally influential musicians. He left Cameroon as a teenager to study in France and later moved to Brussels, where he learned vibraphone and immersed himself in jazz while absorbing Congolese rumba and other West and Central African styles. Moving between Paris, Kinshasa, and Douala over his career, he developed a signature sound fusing jazz, funk, and the traditional makossa rhythm of his native Douala. His 1972 single "Soul Makossa" became an international dance-floor sensation, was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1974, and is frequently cited as one of the most sampled African recordings in popular music history, echoed in later hits by other major artists. Over five decades he recorded prolifically and collaborated with musicians including Fania All Stars, Fela Kuti, Herbie Hancock, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. In 2004 UNESCO named him an Artist for Peace in recognition of his cultural contributions. Dibango died in Paris on 24 March 2020 from complications of COVID-19, mourned across Africa and the global music world as a pioneer who carried Cameroonian rhythm onto the world stage.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Manu Dibango" · Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Manu Dibango" · AllMusic, "Manu Dibango — Biography"