Flashmag April 2020 www.flashmag.net
Ophélia Grelet
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It’s hard to imagine what the African musical universe would have been without Manu Dibango. The Cameroonian musician, nth victim of the coronavirus was a giant not only by his height, because he was 1 m 90, tall (6 ft 2), but also and above all, by his talent, and the undeniable imprint that he bequeathed to global African music. Manu Dibango readily claimed “We are builders of bridges between the West and the Africas, it is a chance”. He was a melting point for the musical genres of the black diasporas, all with that zest of modernity in more contemporary jazzy notes, which each time put his music in tune with the era. Disco, pop, funk, afro beat, and of course his native Makossa had no secrets for this esthete of sound. Throughout his career Manu built a timeless repertoire, spanning generations. No wonder his young colleagues found it opportune to call him affectionately Papy Groove.
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Manu Dibango
A Giant Imprint in global Music
Music