“never been able to identify completely with either of [his] parents”
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Manu Dibango
Emmanuel N'Djoké "Manu" Dibango was a Cameroonian musician and songwriter who played saxophone and vibraphone. He developed a musical style fusing jazz, funk, and traditional Cameroonian music. His father was a member of the Yabassi ethnic group, while his mother was a Duala. He was best known for his 1972 single "Soul Makossa". The song has been referred to as the most sampled African song in add…
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entertainment · Cameroonian musician and songwriter (1933–2020) · composer · saxophonist · singer · recording artist · musician · jazz musician · vibraphonist · pianist · also Manu Dibango, Jr. Dibbs, Emmanuel N'Djoké Dibango, Dibango
Born 12 December 1933 · Died 24 March 2020 · Q445829
119 published statements · 0 followers
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2026· 1 entry
2025· 2 entries
Released album “African Jazz invites O.K. Jazz (1961-1970)”.
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Released album “Dibango 82”.
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2024· 1 entry
Awarded honorary doctorate of Polytechnic University of Hauts-de-France (2024).
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2023· 2 entries
Released album “Africa d’ambiance”.
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Released album “That African Beat, Volume 2”.
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2022· 1 entry
Released album “Anbessa”.
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2020· 12 entries
Published video “Manu Dibango - Soul Makossa (Official Lyric Video)”.
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Published video “Manu Dibango - Paris je t'aime d'amour”.
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Published video “Manu Dibango - Soul Makossa (Audio Officiel)”.
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KCRW: Manu Dibango, the Lion of Cameroon, RIP
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Washington Post: Manu Dibango, Afro-Jazz star behind ‘Soul Makossa,’ dies at 86 of the coronavirus
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The Daily Beast: African Jazz Legend Manu Dibango Dies of Coronavirus
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NPR: Manu Dibango And Aurlus Mabele, Two West African Musical Giants, Die Of COVID-19
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Yahoo: Manu Dibango, African Musician and Michael Jackson Influence, Dies of Coronavirus at 86
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Pitchfork: Afro-Jazz Star Manu Dibango Dead at 86
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Yahoo: African jazz great Manu Dibango dies in France of virus
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Died 2020-03-24.
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Released album “Best Of”.
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2018· 1 entry
Released album “From Africa”.
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2017· 1 entry
Released album “M & M”.
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2016· 7 entries
Published video “Extraits du concert de la Diversité organisé par l’OIF à Rio”.
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Awarded All African Music Legend Award (2016).
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Released album “Manga Bolo”.
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Pitchfork: Disco Legend Cerrone Teams With Manu Dibango on "Funk Makossa"
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Released album “Africa Boogie”.
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Released album “Lagos Go Slow”.
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Released album “Aloko Party”.
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2015· 6 entries
Published video “Manu Dibango”.
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Published video “Ambiance balance”.
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Published video “A kidjo et Doudou Ndiaye Rose”.
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Published video “MANU DIBANGO Soul Makossa 2 0 Making Of”.
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Published video “MANU DIBANGO SOUL MAKOSSA 2 0 Official”.
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Published video “Trailer la trace de l'Éléphant”.
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2014· 1 entry
Released album “Dany Doriz Big Band”.
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2013· 1 entry
Released album “Balade en saxo”.
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2011· 3 entries
Released album “Past Present Future”.
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Released album “Afro‐Soul Machine”.
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Released album “Ballad Emotion”.
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2010· 3 entries
Released album “Choc ’n Soul: 1978–1989 Sessions”.
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Awarded Knight of the Legion of Honour (2010).
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Released album “Sax Lounge Emotion”.
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2009· 2 entries
Dibango sued both singers
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Released album “Makossa Man: The Very Best Of”.
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2008· 1 entry
Released album “African Woodoo”.
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2007· 2 entries
Released album “Hommage à la Nouvelle‐Orléans”.
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Rihanna sampled the same hook from Jackson's song for her track "Don't Stop the Music" and did not credit Dibango
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2006· 2 entries
Released album “Sax & Spirituals Lamastabastani”.
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Released album “Essential Recordings”.
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2004· 3 entries
Billboard: The Rough Guide to Manu Dibango
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Released album “Voyage anthologique”.
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Released album “The Rough Guide to Manu Dibango”.
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2003· 1 entry
Released album “Africadelic”.
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2002· 1 entry
Released album “B Sides”.
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2001· 1 entry
Released album “Kamer Feeling”.
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2000· 4 entries
Released album “Mboa’ Su”.
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Released album “Anthology”.
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Released album “The Very Best of Manu Dibango”.
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Released album “Spirituals”.
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1999· 1 entry
Released album “Collection Légende”.
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1998· 3 entries
Released album “Manu Safari”.
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Recorded the album CubAfrica with Cuban artist Eliades Ochoa
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Released album “CubAfrica”.
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1997· 3 entries
Released album “Comment faire l’amour avec un nègre sans se fatiguer (Musique originale du film)”.
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Released album “African Soul: The Very Best Of”.
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Released album “Disque d’or”.
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1996· 2 entries
Released album “Live 96, Papa Groove”.
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Released album “Bao Bao”.
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1995· 3 entries
Released album “Dance With Manu Dibango”.
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Released album “Lamastabastani”.
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Released album “Autoportrait”.
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1994· 2 entries
Released album “Wakafrika”.
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Released album “Négropolitaines, volume 1”.
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1992· 1 entry
Released album “Négropolitaines, volume 2”.
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1991· 1 entry
Released album “Live ’91”.
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1990· 1 entry
Released album “Polysonik”.
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1989· 1 entry
Released album “Lion of Africa”.
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1988· 1 entry
Released album “La Fête à Manu”.
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1987· 3 entries
Released album “Seventie’s”.
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Released album “À la Jamaïque”.
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Released album “Deliverance”.
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1986· 1 entry
Released album “Afrijazzy”.
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1985· 1 entry
Released album “Electric Africa”.
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1984· 3 entries
Released album “L’Aventure ambiguë (Bande originale du film)”.
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Released album “Mélodies africaines, Volume 2”.
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Released album “Surtension”.
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1983· 3 entries
Released album “Deliverance (Live in Douala)”.
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Released album “Soft and Sweet”.
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Released album “Piano Solo, Mélodies Africaines, Volume 1”.
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1982· 3 entries
Released album “Waka Juju”.
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Michael Jackson used the "Ma ma-se, ma ma-sa, ma ma-kossa" hook from Dibango's 1972 single "Soul Makossa", without his permission and without credit, for his 1983 song "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" from his superhit 1982
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Released album “Mboa”.
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1981· 1 entry
Released album “Ambassador”.
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1980· 1 entry
Released album “Gone Clear”.
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1979· 1 entry
Released album “Home Made”.
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1978· 3 entries
Released album “Le Prix de la liberté (Bande originale du film)”.
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Released album “Manu Dibango”.
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Released ep “Sun Explosion”.
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1977· 3 entries
Released album “Ceddo (Bande originale du film)”.
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Released album “À l’Olympia”.
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Released album “L’Herbe sauvage”.
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1976· 4 entries
Released album “Manu 76”.
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And re-mixed as a 12-inch (300 mm) single in 1978 on Island Records
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Released album “Afrovision”.
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Released album “The World Of”.
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1975· 1 entry
Released album “Countdown at Kusini”.
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1974· 3 entries
Released album “Makossa Man”.
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Released album “Super Kumba”.
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Dibango was nominated in the categories Best R&B Instrumental Performance and Best Instrumental Composition for "Soul Makossa"
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1973· 1 entry
Released album “Soul Makossa”.
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1972· 2 entries
Released album “African Voodoo”.
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Released album “O Boso”.
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1970· 1 entry
Released album “L’African‐Team”.
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1969· 1 entry
Released album “Saxy‐Party”.
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1959· 1 entry
Kabasele recorded the pan-African anthem "Indépendance Cha Cha" and invited him to the Congolese capital of Léopoldville (present-day Kinshasa) to work together
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1949· 1 entry
At the age of 15, Dibango was sent by his parents to college in Saint-Calais, France
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1944· 1 entry
French president Charles de Gaulle chose this school to perform the welcoming ceremonies upon his arrival in Cameroon
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1941· 1 entry
After being educated at his village school, Dibango was accepted into a colonial school, near his home, where he learned French
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1933· 1 entry
Born 1933-12-12.
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