Manu Dibango: Ambassador of Culture and the Francophonie

A statement written by his family on his Facebook page announced the death of the artist Manu Dibango on Tuesday March 24, 2020 from Covid-19 complications. He was 86 years old. Over the years, the famous saxophonist and composer of the international hit Soul Makossa(1972) became a worldwide cultural ambassador and builder of bridges between the Western World and Africa.

DOUALA, PARIS, THE WORLD

Manu Dibango was born in 1933 in Douala, Cameroon. He arrived in France in 1949 and lived with a host family in Saint-Calais in the department of Sarthe. At the beginning of the 1950s he began studying music. While at summer camp in Saint-Hilaire du Harcouët, he met the Cameroonian musician Francis Bebey, who introduced him to the saxophone and jazz music. When Dibango failed his baccalaureate  exam, he had to start supporting himself. He began a musical career that would last over 60 years, leading him from Paris to New York via Brussels, Kinshasa and Abidjan, and introducing him to world music's biggest stars. In 1972, his composition Soul Makossa became an international sensation, ensuring his own fame and helping to promote African music around the world.

AN AMBASSADOR OF AFRICAN CULTURES AND THE FRANCOPHONIE

These experiences enriched his music, and his many experiences with other musicians turned him into an encyclopedia of music from Africa and elsewhere. For 20 years, he shared his knowledge and stories with generosity and enthusiasm every Sunday over the airwaves on Africa No. 1.

"We are the builders of bridges between the Western World and the Africas"

Manu Dibango was a talented composer, and a mentor to many artists. He was also involved in many causes. As a "Commandeur" in France's Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, a UNESCO Artist for Peace, and a Grand Témoin de la Francophonie for the 2026 Olympics and Paralympics in Rio, he helped bring world cultures together.

France Alumni salutes the memory of this great artist, advocate for the French language, and connector of cultures.

 © Emmanuel Dautant / CC BY-SA