The Cameroonian musician Manu Dibango began his career by performing in the local church choir in his hometown of Douala. As a child, Dibango faced significant challenges growing up in a household where his father and mother belonged to rival ethnic groups in the region. His parents, however, did own a vast record collection, which deepened his interest in Cuban, U.S., and French music at a young age. After moving to France in 1949, Dibango learned to play the piano and later the saxophone. He developed a love for jazz while in France with the help of Francis Bebey and other musicians who inspired and taught him.<\/p>\n
After moving to Brussels in 1956, Dibango joined Joseph Kabasele\u2019s Congolese orchestra Le Grand Kall\u00e9 et l\u2019African Jazz, which was famous for its hit Ind\u00e9pendance chacha<\/em> in 1960. Dibango traveled with Kabasele\u2019s orchestra to perform in the city of Kinshasa in1961, where he decided to stay and open the famous Tam-Tam nightclub. In 1963, Dibango\u2019s hit song Twist \u00e0 L\u00e9o<\/em> helped popularize the twist dance throughout the Congo, and his encounter with Congolese music inspired him to delve deeper into African music, especially makossa, the popular genre of his hometown Douala.<\/p>\nDibango recorded the song Soul makossa<\/em> in 1971 and positioned it as the b-side to the single Hymne de la Coupe d\u2019Afrique des Nations<\/em>, which was a tribute to the Cameroon football team. Local listeners were not initially impressed by Soul makossa<\/em>, and even Dibango\u2019s father scoffed at the stuttering vocal line in the song. A few copies of the single, however, found their way across the Atlantic Ocean and into the hands of radio DJs in New York City by 1972. The song became a hit on New York radio stations and in disco clubs. The few copies circulating in the city were immediately sold out, and the lack of distribution resulted in Soul makossa<\/em> being recorded and released by several local New York City bands to meet the demand. Once distribution of the original single by Dibango resumed, Soul makossa<\/em> immediately shot to the top of the charts.<\/p>\nRead the full entry on Manu Dibango in MGG Online<\/em>. Below is a video of a performance of Soul makossa<\/em> in 1983.<\/p>\n\n\n
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