JAZZ MUSICIAN MANU DIBANGO DIES OF CORONAVIRUS

Joel Savage and Manu Dibango

Jazz great Manu Dibango, best known for his 1972 hit “Soul Makossa,” has died from complications of the coronavirus, according to a statement on his official Facebook page.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the loss of Manu Dibango, our Papy Groove, who passed away on the 24th of March 2020, at 86 years old, further to Covid-19,” it said.

“His funeral service will be held in strict privacy, and a tribute to his memory will be organized when possible,” the message added.

The Cameroon-born singer and saxophonist died in a hospital near Paris, according to his music publisher Thierry Durepaire, Agence France-Presse reported.

Jazz musician Manu Dibango

The artist, who inspired “world music” in the 1970s, was one of the pioneers of Afro-jazz and also fused funk with traditional music from Cameroon.

His biggest hit was the B-side of a song to support the Cameroon soccer team in the African Cup of Nations, but was picked up by New York DJs.

Manu Dibango was one of the numerous great musicians I interviewed in Antwerp, Belgium. 

He was in Belgium many times to play at summer festivals, including the Sfinks festival and Mano Mundo festival. 

Dibango has lived in France for his entire life, playing around the globe with numerous musicians.

Reggae and High-Life Brewed From African Pot - Ekow Alabi Savage

Ghanaian musician, Ekow Alabi Savage

Music is inspirational, even if the lyrics are in a foreign language; it still draws people to the dance floor. One of Africa’s musicians who has gained international recognition with his sweet blended Reggae and Highlife is German-based Ghanaian musician, Ekow Alabi Savage.

At the time when Africa’s dream of autonomy was slowly becoming reality and the first President of Ghana joined the youth to build a modern nation, Ekow Alabi was born in Ghana in the city of Cape Coast, once the capital of the "Gold Coast.”

He began playing drums at the tender age of five years. After studying all types of African drums and percussion in Accra, he easily started playing the local Highlife, Calypso, Jazz, Soul, Gospel, and  R and B.

At the age of 14, he founded a school band called "ANABO," working with their favorite rhythms like reggae, highlife, and calypso. He soon became "the small boy drummer," playing with famous bands like "SWEET BEANS BAND" in Ghana. Later, he played with internationally known African bands and musicians like Manu Dibango and Fela Kuti.

In the late 70´s he moved to Germany, playing with internationally known artists like George Darko and Pat Thomas. There, he rejoined his old schoolboys (friends) to form the first Afro-Reggae band in Berlin and Germany, "Roots Anabo.” The band created its own rhythmical style called SUNLIFE MUSIC and toured most of the famous music festivals during the European summers.

In 1984, his band performed at the Reggae Sunsplash Festival in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where they met Glen Browne, a Jazz bass player, and Ibo Cooper from “THIRD WORLD” who joined the band to record songs for their album "Civilization” in the Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston.

In the late '80s, when the group was taking a break, Ekow Alabi joined Berlin´s first multicultural and multilingual hip-hop band, "REALITY BROTHERS". There, he met producer Tom "Serious" Lee. Together they recorded Ekow’s first solo album, "Return to Zion,” as well as two videos.

During his musical career, he performed with international musicians like Ziggy Marley, Kojo Antwi, Manu Dibango, Fela Kuti, Cedric Him Brooks, Eeka Mouse Black Heritage, Africa MMA, and Vitamin X, and, in the past five years, with Jimi Tenor.

With Vitamin X, he recorded five albums from 1990 to 2000. Together with the international Finnish Jazz musician Jimi Tenor and the band “Kabu Kabu,” they fused Afrobeat with Jimi´s Jazz vision and performed this fusion at many concerts. 

Alabi also tours in Europe as well as in Africa with Brothers Keepers and Bantu. He is continuously expanding his extraordinary talents in other areas, like teaching and giving percussion workshops.

Ekow is currently working on his new album "Going for Gold” featuring Mariamu Morris, Djatou Toure, Beezy, Aly Keita, Crimeldo, and many more under the production of  Tom Lee Pettersen. 

On tour, Ekow would take the opportunity to present songs from his last album and put up a great performance to entertain his fans in Germany and Europe.

For live performance, concerts, and festivals, contact Ekow’s management at info@ekowmania.com order booking@ekowmania.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWVQOe3NEKI

http://www.ekowmania.com/

https://www.facebook.com/EKOWMANIA?fref=ts

MORY KANTE COMES TO MANO MUNDO FESTIVAL

Mory Kanté


Mano Mundo, a nice and interesting festival taking place yearly under the umbrella of the Antwerp Province, kicks off on the 12 and 13 May 2012, respectively. 


In the past, the festival had hosted famous musicians from different countries globally, including Tutu Puoane, Manu Dibango, and a host of others to entertain the people at Schorre in Boom.

This year, among other musicians to perform at the festival is the great Guinean musician known as Mory Kanté. Mory was born in Guinea on May 29, 1950. As a vocalist and player of the kora, a traditional harp, his golden voice and skills on the kora made him a genius among other traditional musicians from Africa.

In 1987, Kanté became internationally known for his hit "Yeke Yeke," which was one of Africa's best-ever-selling hits as well as being a European number one in 1988, making it the first-ever African single to sell over one million copies. It was in Munich, 1988, that I heard this great song pulling everyone to the dance floor.

In 1994, his international stardom excelled when the German techno duo Hardfloor created a dance remix of "Yéké Yéké." He also appeared in 2006 as a vocalist on British DJ Darren Tate's release, "Narama." On 16 October 2001, Mory Kanté was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.