Manu Dibango - Africadelic (1972/1973) - R.I.P.!

Manu Dibango, the acclaimed Cameroonian saxophonist whose 1972 hit, “Soul Makossa,” would later be sampled by Michael Jackson, Kanye West, and dozens of other musicians, died today from the coronavirus. He was 86. Rest in peace!

Dibango was Cameroon's, and perhaps Africa's, best-known jazz saxophonist. Starting in the 1950s, he became a globe-trotting musician, living and performing in France, Belgium, Jamaica, Zaire, and Cote d'Ivoire, as well as in Cameroon. In 1960, Dibango was one of the founding members of the Zairean band African Jazz, with whom he spent five years. World attention came to Dibango with the release in 1972 of "Soul Makossa", a work that actually had precious little of the makossa sound in it, and scored later hits with Seventies and Ibida. Dibango's output has been prodigious and multi-faceted. He has worked with musicians as diverse as Fela Kuti, Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Don Cherry, and the Fania All-Stars. In addition to being one of the leading jazz saxophonists of his generation, Dibango has also run nightclubs, directed orchestras, and started one of the first African musical journals. A later release, "Polysonik" -- featuring English rapper MC Mello, Cameroonian singer Charlotte M'Bango leading a choral section, and sampled pygmy flutes -- shows that Dibango was continuing to flourish and expand in challenging new directions.

"AFRICADELIC" is the classic 1973 album composed and recorded in the span of one week by Manu Dibango, after the encouraging success of his monster hit "Soul Mokossa." Here he continues to fuse Afro-Caribbean flavors with the contemporary Latin and funk influences of the day, resulting in a highly soulful, highly danceable album.

Afro-jazz legend Manu Dibango died today after contracting coronavirus.

Tracklist:

A1 The Panther 2:27
A2 Soul Fiesta 2:07
A3 Africadelic 2:14
A4 African Battle 2:59
A5 Black Beauty 2:48
A6 African Carnaval 3:14
B1 Moving Waves 4:01
B2 Afro-Soul 2:42
B3 Oriental Sunset 1:45
B4 Monkey Beat 2:40
B5 Wa-Wa 3:02
B6 Percussion Storm 1:54


Manu Dibango - Africadelic (1972/1973)
(320 kbps, cover art included)