World Music Network

A sax-player, composer, singer, pianist and arranger, Manu Dibango is Cameroon’s best-known musician – most famous for his 1973 saxophone-driven instrumental ‘Soul Makossa’ – and one of a handful of musical monoliths from Africa able to stand on equal footing with superstars from Europe or America. Since the early 1960s, he has been rolling out self-composed hit recordings in a wide variety of genres including Congolese, Latin, West African, Caribbean, funk, soul, cabaret, folklore, chanson, gospel, rap and, the groove he made his own, makossa. The Rough Guide To Manu Dibango has been compiled with the input, co-operation and authorisation of the artist, and displays the full spectrum of his work over more than forty years in the groove.

**** (four stars) 'A disc... of many colours.' Songlines