Photo : Selbymay, CC BY-SA 4.0
Manu Dibango
The saxophonist who connected Africa to funk
Born in 1933 · Died in 2020
Who are they?
A saxophonist and singer born in Douala in 1933, who left to study in France as a teenager. Nicknamed "Papa Groove", he blended jazz, funk and makossa across a career spanning more than sixty years.
What made them famous
"Soul Makossa", released in 1972 as a B-side, conquered the United States and became one of the most influential African records ever made, often cited as an origin point of disco.
Key facts
- Michael Jackson used its vocal hook on "Thriller" (1982), and Rihanna later did the same. Dibango took legal action in 2009, settled financially.
- Named a UNESCO Artist for Peace.
- He died in Melun in March 2020, aged 86, from complications of Covid-19.