Manu Dibango arrived to Europe as a young student. With his extraordinary musical talent and burgeoning love of jazz, the young Manu soon opted for a life devoted to adventure for the musical kind. With jazz blaring in its every nook and cranny, Paris was the perfect place for Manu to mix, mingle, listen and learn. Manu was introduced to the music of Armstrong, Ellington, Young and Parker and all the multi-faceted life of the Parisian jazz-scene.

His first stay in the French capital turned out to be relatively brief. It was a time when African nations were being born, either violently or more or less peacefully and words like "independence" and "afro centricity" were common currency. The great Kabasele invited Manu to join his band -the African Jazz- and play Congolese music. The invitation was accepted and Manu returned to Africa. A love of jazz on the one hand and traditional African music on the other prompted Manu to experiment by combining various different styles of music to create his own unique blend. 

With his inherent curiosity and sensitivity Manu has always been interested in widely divergent and different styles of music. A cursory listen to his output bears this out: jazz, reggae, rap... all these and more are in full effect.

In 1972 Manu scored his first international hit with the million selling "Soul Makossa", which fared particularly well in the States where it helped to create considerable awareness of African music and break down some prevailing musical prejudices. Manu discovered a secret pleasure in going against the grain of entrenched ideas about musical purism and traditionalism. His purpose was and still is to build bridges between the continents.

Manu was the fist-mover in what became a deep-rooted relationship between the music of francophone Africa and Paris. He has recorded and released more than 20 albums. Today, as well as touring in the world, he spends considerable time supporting and encouraging young musicians and fighting humanitarian causes. Time to retire? Certainly not. Past the age of 60 Manu is far too young to live on memories alone.

Adapted from an essay by Patrick Labesse. Courtesy of Nova Concerts International

Gone Clear (1979)

Abel Dance (1984)

Tam Tam Pour l’Etiopie (1985)

Wakafrica (1994)

Folk Roots

Cubafrica (1995)

Lamastabastani (1996)

Manu Safari (1999)