ENDEIT
Manu Dibango
Photo: Selbymay, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pianists · 1933–2020

Manu Dibango

Cameroonian musician and songwriter, recording artist (1933–2020)

Born
12 December 1933
Douala
Died
24 March 2020
Melun
Country
Cameroon
Active
1961–2020
Record labels
Decca, Philips Records, Island Records, Fania Records
Discography
62 albums

Biography

Manu Dibango was a jazz musician who played piano, guitar, tenor saxophone and alto saxophone. Manu Dibango was born on 12 December 1933 in Douala and died on 24 March 2020 in Melun. The music is usually filed under jazz, world music and Afrobeat. Record labels: Decca, Philips Records, Island Records and Fania Records. The discography here lists 62 albums, from “Saxy‐Party” (1969) to “Dibango 82” (2025). Honours include Knight of the Legion of Honour (2010), All African Music Legend Award (2016) and honorary doctorate of Polytechnic University of Hauts-de-France (2024).

Emmanuel N'Djoké "Manu" Dibango (12 December 1933 – 24 March 2020) 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 addition Dibango, himself, as the most sampled African musician in history. He died from COVID-19 on 24 March 2020.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Discography

Studio and live albums

Saxy‐Party 1969 · Mercury Records Manu Dibango 1971 · Fiesta Africadelic 1972 · Crea Sound Ltd. African Voodoo 1972 · PSI O Boso 1972 · London Records Soul Makossa 1973 · Atlantic Makossa Man 1974 · Atlantic Super Kumba 1974 · Fiesta
Countdown at Kusini 1975
Afrovision 1976 · Fiesta Records Manu 76 1976 · Fiesta Ceddo (Bande originale du film) 1977 · Fiesta L’Herbe sauvage 1977 · Fiesta À l’Olympia 1977 · Live · Fiesta Le Prix de la liberté (Bande originale du film) 1978 · Fiesta Manu Dibango 1978 · Fiesta Home Made 1979 · Fiesta Gone Clear 1980 · Island Ambassador 1981 · CRC Records Mboa 1982 · AfroVision Records Waka Juju 1982 Deliverance 1983 · Live · AfroVision Records Deliverance (Live in Douala) 1983 · Soul Makossa Piano Solo, Mélodies Africaines, Volume 1 1983 · AfroVision Records Soft and Sweet 1983 · Garima Records L’Aventure ambiguë (Bande originale du film) 1984 · Carrère Mélodies africaines, Volume 2 1984 · AfroVision Records Surtension 1984 · Garima Records Electric Africa 1985 · Polydor Afrijazzy 1986 · Polydor Deliverance 1987 · Disques Espérance La Fête à Manu 1988 · Live · Buda Records Lion of Africa 1989 · Global Mix Polysonik 1990 · Fnac Music Live ’91 1991 · Live · Fnac Music Négropolitaines, volume 2 1992 · Mélodie Négropolitaines, volume 1 1994 · Mélodie Wakafrika 1994 · Wagram Music Dance With Manu Dibango 1995 · [no label] Lamastabastani 1995 · Soul Paris Records Bao Bao 1996 · Movieplay Live 96, Papa Groove 1996 · Live · EMI International Comment faire l’amour avec un nègre sans se fatiguer (Musique originale du film) 1997 · Milan
Disque d’or 1997
CubAfrica 1998 · Corason Mboa’ Su 2000 · JPS Production Spirituals 2000 · Bayard Musique Kamer Feeling 2001 · JPS Production Sax & Spirituals Lamastabastani 2006 · Soul Makossa
Hommage à la Nouvelle‐Orléans 2007
African Woodoo 2008 · Frémeaux & Associés Sax Lounge Emotion 2010 · E.G.T. Past Present Future 2011 · BorderBlaster Balade en saxo 2013 · E.G.T.
Africa Boogie 2016
Aloko Party 2016
Lagos Go Slow 2016
Manga Bolo 2016 · World Wide Records M & M 2017 · MoreStar Entertainment From Africa 2018 · Soul Makossa Anbessa 2022 Dibango 82 2025 · Live · Wewantsounds

Also plays on

Albums where Manu Dibango is credited as a sideman

1991 Logozo — Angélique Kidjo saxophone

Awards

Listen on Spotify

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Manu Dibango play?

Manu Dibango is known for playing piano, guitar, tenor saxophone and alto saxophone.

When and where was Manu Dibango born?

Manu Dibango was born 12 December 1933 in Douala.

What are Manu Dibango's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Saxy‐Party (1969), Manu Dibango (1971), Africadelic (1972), African Voodoo (1972) and O Boso (1972).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.