Celebrating a worldwide music icon: Cameroon’s Manu Dibango ‘goes residence’

From Cameroon to Africa and the world.

The demise of veteran Afro-jazz star Manu Dibango was confirmed on Tuesday by his household and representatives. He succumbed to the coronavirus pandemic at a hospital within the French capital, Paris.

A message on his official Fb web page confirmed the demise studying partially: “It’s with deep unhappiness that we announce the demise of Manu Dibango, our Grandpa Groove, on 24 March, 2020 on the age of 86, after contracting covid 19.”

The 86-year-old Cameroonian, greatest recognized for the 1972 hit “Soul Makossa,” is among the first worldwide stars to die on account of COVID-19.

The Cameroonian’s title is trending worldwide on Twitter. Whiles a number of high-profile personalities from presidents to fellow artistes and followers from the world over proceed to rejoice his life and craft – testomony to how the saxophonist, singer and songwriter was an enormous international star.

Presidents of Senegal, Burkina Faso and Gabon have all tweeted their condolences whiles Benin’s Angelique Kidjo and Senegal’s Youssou Ndourr have all praised the expertise of Dibango. Kidjo described him as a the “authentic big of African music.”

Listed below are some fast information about Dibango

• Born in 1933 within the metropolis of Douala, he attended church from the place he honed his music abilities.
• Celebrated for a singular mix of jazz, funk and conventional Cameroonian music.
• Influenced bands from Kool and the Gang within the Nineteen Seventies to hip-hop within the Nineteen Nineties.
• Finest recognized for his hit Soul Makossa. Video beneath
• He served because the pioneer chairman of the Cameroon Music Company.
• UNESCO appointed him Artist for Peace in 2004
• Collaborated with artists a number of artists together with Nigeria’s Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and US pianist Herbie Hancock.
• On document to have sued Michael Jackson and Rihanna in 2009, accusing the duo of unlawfully adopting a few of his lyrics. He finally settled out of court docket.

.embed-container { place: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; peak: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { place: absolute; prime: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; peak: 100%; }

Manu’s international legend was tied to his hit track Soul Makossa, which was initially composed for the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon that 12 months. The ambassador of Afro-jazz, though he’s African and deeply rooted in his homeland, has at all times thought-about his music as a hyperlink between cultures and generations.

Regardless of his superior age, he has at all times continued within the discipline and teamed with the youthful era. He has explored rhythms as numerous as reggae, rap and digital music; celebrating conventional Africa and modern jazz along with his stentorian voice.