Re: Makossa?

From: Heikki J Wilenius (heikki.wilenius@iki.fi)
Date: Sun Apr 30 2000 - 11:43:32 MET DST

  • Next message: Elson Trinidad: "Re: Makossa?"

    On Sun, 30 Apr 2000, Jason Witherspoon wrote:

    > Nah, "makossa" was a style of Cameroonian music-- apparently, "Soul
    > Makossa" isn't really strictly much of a makossa; still, I'd be
    > interested in hearing more, so if you come up w/any good tipoffs
    > please post 'em.

    From www.allmusic.com:

    Makossa is a lively urban popular music danced to in clubs in Cameroon's
     cities. The funky bass rhythm, horn section, and vocalists create a unified
     sound, urging the dancers to move in rhythmic motion. Compared with
     Zairian soukous, makossa's sound is leaner, using fewer instruments and
     more musical space. Western instruments are dominant in makossa -- horns,
     guitar, bass guitar, drums, and piano. The "kossa" dances of young Douala
     children, with its hand-clapping accompaniment, are the origins of the
     makossa style. These were combined with Latin influences, popular music
     from other countries in Africa (especially Nigerian highlife), and Congolese
     rhumba to create this vibrant sound. Makossa has developed over the years
     in Cameroon. A precursor to makossa, ambasse bey, was a guitar music
     played in the neighborhoods of Douala in the 1950s. Although people
     experimented with creating different variations of music in both urban and
     rural areas of Africa, it was not until the early 1960s that makossa began to
     be recorded by Eboa Lotin, a guitar and harmonica player who composed
     and sang songs. Misse Ngoh, a singer and guitarist known for his
     fingerpicking style, transformed makossa even further. Manu Dibango's
     album Soul Makossa, released in the early 1970s, drew international
     attention to Cameroon and its unique musical sound. Dibango's resonant
     voice and lyrical saxophone provide a distinct flavor to this urban music.
     By the 1980s, new-look makossa emerged. Major artists, such as Dibango,
     continue to experiment with and adapt the makossa sound according to their
     own artistic creativity. ~ Keith Johnson

    -heikki



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