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
Manu Dibango 1971
Africadelic 1972
African Voodoo 1972
O Boso 1972
Soul Makossa 1973
Makossa Man 1974
Super Kumba 1974
Countdown at Kusini 1975
Afrovision 1976
Manu 76 1976
Ceddo (Bande originale du film) 1977
L’Herbe sauvage 1977
À l’Olympia 1977 · Live
Le Prix de la liberté (Bande originale du film) 1978
Manu Dibango 1978
Home Made 1979
Gone Clear 1980
Ambassador 1981
Mboa 1982
Waka Juju 1982
Deliverance 1983 · Live
Deliverance (Live in Douala) 1983
Piano Solo, Mélodies Africaines, Volume 1 1983
Soft and Sweet 1983
L’Aventure ambiguë (Bande originale du film) 1984
Mélodies africaines, Volume 2 1984
Surtension 1984
Electric Africa 1985
Afrijazzy 1986
Deliverance 1987
La Fête à Manu 1988 · Live
Lion of Africa 1989
Polysonik 1990
Live ’91 1991 · Live
Négropolitaines, volume 2 1992
Négropolitaines, volume 1 1994
Wakafrika 1994
Dance With Manu Dibango 1995
Lamastabastani 1995
Bao Bao 1996
Live 96, Papa Groove 1996 · Live
Comment faire l’amour avec un nègre sans se fatiguer (Musique originale du film) 1997
Disque d’or 1997
CubAfrica 1998
Mboa’ Su 2000
Spirituals 2000
Kamer Feeling 2001
Sax & Spirituals Lamastabastani 2006
Hommage à la Nouvelle‐Orléans 2007
African Woodoo 2008
Sax Lounge Emotion 2010
Past Present Future 2011
Balade en saxo 2013
Africa Boogie 2016
Aloko Party 2016
Lagos Go Slow 2016
Manga Bolo 2016
M & M 2017
From Africa 2018
Anbessa 2022
Dibango 82 2025 · Live

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.