Manu Dibango

Bio

Manu Dibango (1933–2020) was a Cameroonian saxophonist, pianist, and bandleader who helped shape the sound of African popular music. Born in Douala, he moved to Paris in the 1950s and later worked in Brussels and Kinshasa, absorbing jazz, rumba, and highlife before developing his own Afro-funk style. His 1972 single “Soul Makossa” became one of the first African recordings to reach a global audience, influencing disco, hip-hop, and countless dance tracks. Over a six-decade career he released dozens of albums, collaborated with artists such as Fela Kuti, Sly & Robbie, and Herbie Hancock, and served as a cultural ambassador for Cameroon.