Gabonese Musician Oliver N’Goma is back in Rwanda for the Pan African Dance Festival this week. SAUL BUTERA finds out where the star comes from.

Oliver N’Goma, born 23 March 1959, is a Gabonese Afro-zouk and reggae singer and guitarist. Nicknamed "Noli,” he was born in Mayumba in south-west Gabon in 1959. He is best known for his 1990 song Bane, which was popularized by Radio Africa N.1 and Gille Obringer.

N’Goma was first exposed to music by his father, a teacher and harmonium player. He took his first music lessons when he was eight years old, and began performing for audiences after moving to Libreville to attend school.

While taking classes in accounting, he joined Capo Sound, the school band, where he learned to play guitar. The group played at formal dances and balls, teaching N’Goma the art of performing on stage.

N’Goma was a poor student, devoting himself to music and cinema instead of his class work. His love for film led to a job with Gabon TV, who sent him to France in 1988 where he was trained as a cameraman.

While spending a winter in Paris, he finished work on music he’d written in Gabon. He shared his music with Manu Lima, a well-known record producer for African music.

Lima was impressed with the young man’s work, and handled the artistic direction of N’Goma’s first record Bane.
The album enjoyed modest success at first, until an African radio station began to play his songs.

The title track scored large success in Africa, France, and the French West Indies, and continues to rank as a party anthem in those areas. It enjoys success comparable to Mario by Franco or Yeke Yeke by Mory Kante.

The album is one of the best-selling African albums to date.
N’Goma released a second album, Adia in December of 1995, again working with Manu Lima. Five years later, his third album Seva debuted. A greatest hits compellation, Best of Oliver N’Goma, was released in 2004.

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