Manu Dibango

Emmanuel N'Djoké Dibango was born on December 12, 1933, in Douala to a Yabassi mother and Duala father. Sent to France to study in 1949, he discovered jazz and the saxophone in Brussels and Paris, joining Joseph Kabasele's legendary Grand Kalle et l'African Jazz in Leopoldville in 1961.

In 1972, originally recorded as a B-side anthem for the African Cup of Nations, Dibango released Soul Makossa. With its unforgettable scat refrain ('Mama-ko, mama-sa, maka-makoosa'), it became an international phenomenon, entering the US Billboard charts and inspiring the dawn of disco. Touring globally for six decades with his signature laughter and golden saxophone, he was appointed UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2004.