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MANU DIBANGO
African Voodoo, Manu Dibango’s rare and unknown treasure !
1971 : Manu Dibango records the precious album African Voodoo in line with its twin Africadelic. Twelve masterful Afro Soul, Jazz, Funk or Latin nuggets without a ripple for more than fifty years, which are taking us deeply into Manu Dibango’s brilliant dicography.
The authentic material composing African Voodoo, modestly qualified by the maestro as « a bit spicy mood music », was promised to another destiny before representing one of the most emblematic albums of Manu Dibango’s discography.
Recorded in 1971 at Mondiaphone label studio, this album was not meant for sales. It followed a request of Afro-Urban sounds dedicated to French TV and radio shows seeking atmospheric background music.
Barely entered the studio, the eight musicians recorded it all in three days, without having planned anything !
« It was up to you to play what was coming through your mind, to broaden your imagination ! » entrusted Manu to Jacques Denis in 2008.
The one we call today « The Old Lion » did not take up this challenge lightly, or chose his musicians by chance ! The cream of the time formed his Afro-French-Carribean band :
Yvan Julien (Trumpet), Slim Pezin (Guitar), Jacques Bolognesi (Trombone), François Jeanneau (Saxophone), Lucien Dobat (Drums), Emile Boza (Percussions), Manfred (Bass Guitar), and Manu at Vibraphone, Marimba, Saxophone, Organ and Piano.
The same band who played by his side since 1967, in particular in the Television show « Pulsations », in which Manu conducted his very own orchestra. He was moreover the first musician to manage his regular orchestra on TV !
And the result of these recordings was mind boggling !
The freshness of the sound and groove emanating from it are undeniable, and straightaway place this album like a standard of the genre while listening to the first notes !
The very rhythmic Groovy Flute generously opens the album with its solar and constant flute melody. Our ears then savor an African Pop Session with a heavy and imposing rhythmic, or a Ba-Kuba with a slow and mesmerizing tempo. More rhythmic and percussive tunes like the wild Wilderness reminding us Isaac Hayes shaft, or the swinging Soul Saxes Meeting, one more time show the ingenuity of the composer and the extreme variety of styles he was able to play. The African and Latin tones are almost omnipresent all along the disc. Jungle Riders and its electric guitar and flute solos - as melting as jazzy - supported by Coconut and its very Caribbean rhythmic, or the transcendent Walking to Waza, bear witness.
As sublime as surprising, African Voodoo perfectly illustrated the « Afro Somethin’ » invented by the maestro during a time interview with Rolling Stone Magazine. Barely published, these words were then used by all medias. Simple description, and undoubtedly efficient, of the genres crossing Manu Dibango embodies through his music and his universal speech ; a REAL word citizen for whom music has no color.
1971 : Manu Dibango records the precious album African Voodoo in line with its twin Africadelic. Twelve masterful Afro Soul, Jazz, Funk or Latin nuggets without a ripple for more than fifty years, which are taking us deeply into Manu Dibango’s brilliant dicography.
The authentic material composing African Voodoo, modestly qualified by the maestro as « a bit spicy mood music », was promised to another destiny before representing one of the most emblematic albums of Manu Dibango’s discography.
Recorded in 1971 at Mondiaphone label studio, this album was not meant for sales. It followed a request of Afro-Urban sounds dedicated to French TV and radio shows seeking atmospheric background music.
Barely entered the studio, the eight musicians recorded it all in three days, without having planned anything !
« It was up to you to play what was coming through your mind, to broaden your imagination ! » entrusted Manu to Jacques Denis in 2008.
The one we call today « The Old Lion » did not take up this challenge lightly, or chose his musicians by chance ! The cream of the time formed his Afro-French-Carribean band :
Yvan Julien (Trumpet), Slim Pezin (Guitar), Jacques Bolognesi (Trombone), François Jeanneau (Saxophone), Lucien Dobat (Drums), Emile Boza (Percussions), Manfred (Bass Guitar), and Manu at Vibraphone, Marimba, Saxophone, Organ and Piano.
The same band who played by his side since 1967, in particular in the Television show « Pulsations », in which Manu conducted his very own orchestra. He was moreover the first musician to manage his regular orchestra on TV !
And the result of these recordings was mind boggling !
The freshness of the sound and groove emanating from it are undeniable, and straightaway place this album like a standard of the genre while listening to the first notes !
The very rhythmic Groovy Flute generously opens the album with its solar and constant flute melody. Our ears then savor an African Pop Session with a heavy and imposing rhythmic, or a Ba-Kuba with a slow and mesmerizing tempo. More rhythmic and percussive tunes like the wild Wilderness reminding us Isaac Hayes shaft, or the swinging Soul Saxes Meeting, one more time show the ingenuity of the composer and the extreme variety of styles he was able to play. The African and Latin tones are almost omnipresent all along the disc. Jungle Riders and its electric guitar and flute solos - as melting as jazzy - supported by Coconut and its very Caribbean rhythmic, or the transcendent Walking to Waza, bear witness.
As sublime as surprising, African Voodoo perfectly illustrated the « Afro Somethin’ » invented by the maestro during a time interview with Rolling Stone Magazine. Barely published, these words were then used by all medias. Simple description, and undoubtedly efficient, of the genres crossing Manu Dibango embodies through his music and his universal speech ; a REAL word citizen for whom music has no color.
TRACK LISTING
SIDE A
1. Groovy Flute
2. Soul Saxes Meeting
3. African Pop Session
4. Walking To Waza
5. Out Of Score
6. Ba-Kuba
SIDE B
1. Zoom 2000
2. Aphrodite Shake
3. Wilderness
4. Jungle Riders
5. Iron Wood
6. Coconut
After releasing his Soul Makossa in 1972, Manu Dibango recorded that same year a musical monster both strange and majestic: Africadelic. Africadelic is a pure groovy pearl echoing James Brown or Isaac Hayes, who mixes Afro-Soul, Funk and Jazz, all against a background of Latin percussions nuanced by Rock guitars and a Soul organ
TRACK LISTING
A1. Soul Fiesta
A2. Africadelic
A3. The Panther
A4. African Battle
A5. Black Beauty
A6. African Carnival
B1. Moving Waves
B2. Afro Soul
B3. Oriental Sunset
B4. Monkey Beat
B5. Wa Wa
B6. Percussion Storm
B7. Soul Fiesta Remix
THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2021 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY JULY 17TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.
IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 6PM ON THE SAME DAY (SATURDAY JULY 17TH).
"Afro-cuban : that term which set the world on fire, from rumba to bolÈro, mambo to cha-cha-cha, before salsa, that 70's spicy sauce, took over from the others. But to speak truely, since the mists of times (of slavery), both Africa and Cuba aim to vamp that umbilical cord. The most recent example, CubAfrica, a record born from the reunion of a master from Africa and this very living institution from Cuba, during a show around Albi (in the south of France) where they were both headlining in spring 1996. Manu Dibango's sax melted perfectly with the rural music of Eliads Ochoa and his Cuarteto Patria, here's the beginning of an idea. Talking about latino music, Manu Dibango has a history with it. First, during the early 60's, from Douala to Abidjan and Paris, he was surrounded by as much cuban tempos as afro, and a lot of descarga, this typical afro-cuban jam sessions with a spicy jazzy touch, which were back in the circumstances back in the days. Later on, in the 70ís, invited in Puerto Rico by the Fania All Stars, this dreamy salsa big band at its highest, Manu dressed his anthemic hit "Soul Makossa", for a show (and then a record) of anthology. There was nothing more natural for him than diving again in the cuban bath. This time, he crossed the sound barrier with this Cuarteto Patria, a standard combo in the cuban music, founded 60 years ago and handled by EliadËs Ochoa, this master of trËs the ancestral cuban guitar, in 1978. He just achieved another magic meeting, the one of Buena Vista Social Club' record, next to Compay Segundo, Ruben Gonzalez and Ry Cooder. In Paris, back from Albi, an idea started to tickle Manu, EliadËs and... Gilbert Castro, boss of CelluloÔd-MÈlodie. They high fived each other, been agree on the repertoire and then get to Davout studio the day after. They tweak the arrangements right at the studio with the help of Ernesto "Tito" Puentes and Hughes de Courson, Lambarena' producer. In two days, everything's almost ready. Jerry Malekani, Manu's guitar player will add a few things to it. CubAfrica is a seductive guided tour around the garden of latinos' classics, with that Creole' smell. Latinos but not only cuban, this record is a walk toward mexican Cielito lindo or Cerezo Rosa, this french sweet made by AndrÈ Claveau and spiced by Perez Prado. A repertoire that even newcomers are able to hum, due to such a patrimonial status, spread by Cubans and their African partner in crime, round-shaping sounds for a spontaneous result: the black continent and the Caribbean island aren't on the edge of losing the bond between them."
IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 6PM ON THE SAME DAY (SATURDAY JULY 17TH).
"Afro-cuban : that term which set the world on fire, from rumba to bolÈro, mambo to cha-cha-cha, before salsa, that 70's spicy sauce, took over from the others. But to speak truely, since the mists of times (of slavery), both Africa and Cuba aim to vamp that umbilical cord. The most recent example, CubAfrica, a record born from the reunion of a master from Africa and this very living institution from Cuba, during a show around Albi (in the south of France) where they were both headlining in spring 1996. Manu Dibango's sax melted perfectly with the rural music of Eliads Ochoa and his Cuarteto Patria, here's the beginning of an idea. Talking about latino music, Manu Dibango has a history with it. First, during the early 60's, from Douala to Abidjan and Paris, he was surrounded by as much cuban tempos as afro, and a lot of descarga, this typical afro-cuban jam sessions with a spicy jazzy touch, which were back in the circumstances back in the days. Later on, in the 70ís, invited in Puerto Rico by the Fania All Stars, this dreamy salsa big band at its highest, Manu dressed his anthemic hit "Soul Makossa", for a show (and then a record) of anthology. There was nothing more natural for him than diving again in the cuban bath. This time, he crossed the sound barrier with this Cuarteto Patria, a standard combo in the cuban music, founded 60 years ago and handled by EliadËs Ochoa, this master of trËs the ancestral cuban guitar, in 1978. He just achieved another magic meeting, the one of Buena Vista Social Club' record, next to Compay Segundo, Ruben Gonzalez and Ry Cooder. In Paris, back from Albi, an idea started to tickle Manu, EliadËs and... Gilbert Castro, boss of CelluloÔd-MÈlodie. They high fived each other, been agree on the repertoire and then get to Davout studio the day after. They tweak the arrangements right at the studio with the help of Ernesto "Tito" Puentes and Hughes de Courson, Lambarena' producer. In two days, everything's almost ready. Jerry Malekani, Manu's guitar player will add a few things to it. CubAfrica is a seductive guided tour around the garden of latinos' classics, with that Creole' smell. Latinos but not only cuban, this record is a walk toward mexican Cielito lindo or Cerezo Rosa, this french sweet made by AndrÈ Claveau and spiced by Perez Prado. A repertoire that even newcomers are able to hum, due to such a patrimonial status, spread by Cubans and their African partner in crime, round-shaping sounds for a spontaneous result: the black continent and the Caribbean island aren't on the edge of losing the bond between them."
Released in 1982, the album "Waka Juju" marks a return to Afrosound. We hear titles like "Douala Serenade" or "Ma Marie", a tribute to his wife. "Waka juju" is an ode to juju, the traditional Yoruba music that has become Nigeria's most popular style. Emmanuel N'Djoké Dibango (born 12 December 1933) is a Cameroonian musician and song-writer who plays saxophone and vibraphone. He developed a musical style fusing jazz, funk, and traditional Cameroonian music. He is best known for his 1972 single "Soul Makossa".
TRACK LISTING
A1. Waka Juju
A2. Douala Serenade
A3. Africa Boogie
B1. Mouna Pola
B2. Ma Marie
B3. Manga-bolo