Jazz great Manu Dibango, best known for his 1972 hit “Soul Makoosa,” has died from complications of the coronavirus, according to his official Facebook page. Saxophonist Manu Dibango, from Cameroon, performs during Franck Sorbier's Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2018 fashion collection in Paris, Wednesday, Jan.24, 2018. The current coronavirus pandemic has claimed its first musical legend. It is with deep sadness that we announce you the loss of Manu Dibango, our Papy Groove, who passed away on 24th of March 2020, at 86 years old, further to covid 19," the Dibango was an acclaimed jazz-funk saxophonist from Cameroon, best known for the 1972 hit “Soul Makossa.” The Grammy-nominated track became popular in New York clubs thanks to disco DJ David Mancuso and was eventually sampled by Jackson and Quincy Jones on “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” from “Thriller.” (According to Rolling Stone, Dibango was not initially credited and sued Jackson, eventually settling out of court.
African jazz icon Manu Dibango died in France after contracting coronavirus. Rolling Stone reports Manu Dibango died at age … Manu Dibango’s death on Tuesday March 24, 2020 has now been confirmed: the musician best known for his hit song Soul Makossa died at 86.. More: Remembering Manu Dibango He released his final album All rights reserved ( Emmanuel 'Manu' N'Djoké Dibango (Douala, 12 december 1933 – Parijs, 24 maart 2020) was een Kameroens bandleider, componist, altsaxofonist en vibrafonist.Hij is het bekendst van het nummer Soul Makossa uit 1972.. Biografie. )The “Soul Makossa” chant -- “Ma-mako, ma-ma-sa, mako-mako ssa” -- was also sampled by artists like Kanye West (“Lost in the World”), Will Smith (“Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It”) and A Tribe Called Quest (“Rhythm (Devoted to the Art of Moving Butts)”).
Dibango released his self-titled solo debut in 1968. Dibango, who played vibraphone and saxophone, became famous for the ways in which he combined jazz — and, eventually, funk — with more traditional African forms. In 1960, he became a founding member of African Jazz, a Zairean group.
The African jazz and saxophone legend (whose full name is Emmanuel Dibango… Beginning in the ’50s, Dibango moved to France and began performing jazz around Europe. Rihanna also used the song in her 2007 hit “Don’t Stop the Music.”Throughout his decades-long career, Dibango, who moved to Paris when he was 15, also collaborated with artists around the world like Herbie Hancock, Peter Gabriel, Fela Kuti, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. “Soul Makossa,” a lively and liquid funk song, caught on among American disco DJs, and it peaked at #35 on the Later on, Dibango scored a British disco hit with the 1976 single “Big Blow,” and he collaborated with artists like Fela Kuti and Herbie Hancock. Tom Breihan @tombreihan | March 24, ... the Cameroonian jazz-funk great Manu Dibango has died in a Paris hospital after contracting Covid-19. SAVE STEREOGUM: Donate to keep us in business and An African sax legend, famously sampled by Michael Jackson and others, is dead from coronavirus. He continued to record and tour well into his later years. As Dibango was born in Cameroon, and he studied music in school.
And in 1972, he released the solo single “Soul Makossa,” the song for which he was best-known. Manu Dibango Dead Of Coronavirus At 86. Manu Dibango Dead – Jazz Star Dies From Coronavirus at 86 Manu Dibango has sadly passed away at the age of 86. Manu Dibango, the Cameroonian musician whose song "Soul Makossa" was interpolated by Michael Jackson, has died of coronavirus. Pic credit: France 24/ YouTube. Cameroonian Afro-jazz legend, Manu Dibango is dead, he died at the age of 86. Op vijftienjarige leeftijd verhuisde hij naar Frankrijk om bij familie in te trekken. Manu Dibango has died from COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus in Paris, France. Dibango werd geboren in Douala, wat toen nog in Frans-Kameroen lag. I play other instruments too, but my voice sounds best through a saxophone,” Dibango told French music program “Basique” last year," according to Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our © 2020 Advance Local Media LLC. Dibango also played piano, organ and vibraphone, but was recognized for the saxophone.“Sax is sexy. Manu Dibango, a jazz great who is best known for his 1972 hit song "Soul Makossa," has died at the age of 86 from COVID-19.