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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