Anne-Marie Nzié

Anne-Marie Nzié was born in 1932 in Bibome. As a child, while hospitalized for a severe leg fracture that threatened amputation, she learned Hawaiian guitar from her brother, guitarist Moïse Nzié. In the 1950s, she scored massive regional hits with Pathé-Marconi, including 'Ma Ba Nze' and 'Sarah'.

Blessed with an astonishingly deep, resonant contralto voice, Nzié popularized the traditional Beti Bikutsi rhythm on modern instruments. In 1984, she released her definitive patriotic masterpiece Liberté, a soaring hymn for African human rights and freedom that became a rallying cry throughout the continent. She performed until her final years, decorated as a Commander of the National Order of Valour.