Manu Dibango - Manu 76

Manu Dibango is probably the most famous musician from Cameroon and quite possibly one of the most internationally well-known African musicians ever. As a most versatile musician, he had played and recorded almost every style of music you care to mention - Soul, Reggae, Jazz, Spirituals, Blues, African, Electro. Etc…Originally trained in classical piano, his musical career began in Brussels and Paris in the 1950s.

The 1960s finds him in Congo as a member of African Jazz led by Joseph Kabasele (Le Grand Kalle). He formed his own band in Cameroon in 1963 and then moved to Paris in 1965. For the Manu 76 album we head off to (predictably) the year of 1976, still in Paris. Four years after is international breakthrough with the hit Soul Makossa, Manu actually recorded two studio albums that year.

Here he assembles a supremely talent bunch of musicians including Jo Tongo on bass, Slim Pezin on guitar, Lucien Dobat (from Kassav) on drums, Alex Francfort on piano and even Georgia Dibango, 7 years old, on the guest vocals among many others.

This six tracks album is made of straddling series of styles from the Soukouss Beats of Bokilo’s Boogie and Qui est fou de qui? – Chouchou, the Afro Boogie Jazz of the highly catchy Mimbo, the driving Afro Future-Jazz of Mouvement Ewondo, the pensive soundtrack moods of Besoka On Salsa or the bombastic Afro-Funk Soul Angola. Unarguably one of Manu Dibango’s finest album. You’ll be the judge.