“Soul Makossa” began life as the B-side of a football song. Ten years later, its chant was on the biggest-selling album of all time.
Manu Dibango, the Cameroonian saxophonist, recorded “Soul Makossa” in 1972, on the flip side of a song written for the African Cup of Nations, which Cameroon was hosting. The B-side, with its heavy groove, saxophone lines and the chant “mama-ko, mama-sa, mako-makossa”, found its way to New York, where DJs played it in clubs. It became a hit in the United States and one of the first African records to reach the American charts.
Makossa
Makossa is a dance music from the Douala region of Cameroon, built on bass-heavy rhythms. Dibango, who had studied in France and played jazz, fused makossa with funk, jazz and soul. “Soul Makossa” captured that fusion, and in the early 1970s it helped shape the sound of the disco era that followed.
Thriller
In 1982, Michael Jackson released Thriller. Its opening track, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'”, ended with the chant “mama-say mama-sa mama-ko-ssa”, clearly drawn from Dibango’s song. Jackson had not obtained permission. Dibango took legal action, and in 1986 Jackson settled out of court, reportedly paying one million French francs.
Rihanna
In 2007, Rihanna’s hit “Don’t Stop the Music” sampled the chant from Jackson’s song, with permission from Jackson’s side. Dibango filed a lawsuit in 2009 against both singers, arguing he had not been consulted. A French court rejected the case, ruling that his earlier settlement with Jackson covered the matter.
A long career
Dibango was born in Douala in 1933 and sent to France as a teenager. He played in Belgium and in Kinshasa, where he worked with the Congolese rumba band African Jazz, before building his solo career. He recorded dozens of albums, collaborated with musicians including Herbie Hancock, and became a respected elder of African music. He was a UNESCO Artist for Peace.
Death
On 24 March 2020, Dibango died in Paris after contracting COVID-19. He was 86, and one of the first internationally famous figures to die in the pandemic. Tributes came from across Africa, Europe and the United States.
Why it matters
“Soul Makossa” is a reminder of how much African music has influenced global pop, often without credit. Its chant is among the most recognisable hooks in music, and many people who sing it have no idea where it came from.
It began as the B-side to a football anthem. Its chant ended up in the mouths of millions of people at discos, weddings and parties who have never heard the name Manu Dibango.
