Cameroonian music; music that penetrated the world by invention

In 1980s I lived a life of watching and listening to music most of my time, it was a time Congolese Ndombolo ya solo and soukous was selling like a hot cake in the Uganda’s capital Kampala. On the doors of music store, one would be attracted by the sounds like Diblo Dibala, Madilu system and that of Tshala Mwana. Mid the excitement and enjoyment of Congolese music, there came Cameroonian singer with Kibe Nzangarewa…….and Ndombolooooo, Ndombolo among others. Cameroonian music became among the most popular in Africa that time till today with struggles though that included new inventions. Messi Martin was a Cameroonian guitarist who had been inspired to learn the instrument by listening to Spanish language-broadcasts from neighboring Equatorial Guinea, as well as Cuban and the then Zairian soukous or rumba. Messi changed the electric guitar by linking the strings together with pieces of paper, thus giving the instrument a damper tone that emitted a dull sound similar to the balafon. Messi’s style was immediately popular with Further innovations followed, as he replaced the handclaps and sanza with a synthesizer and the foot-stamping 6/8 rhythm to drums. The best known Music of Cameroon is makossa, a popular style that has gained fans across Africa, and its related dance craze bikutsi. Makossa is a type of music which is most popular in urban areas in Cameroon. It is similar to soukous, but with strong bass rhythm and a prominent horn section. The most recent form of Cameroonian popular music is a fusion of Congolese soukous and makossa, a scene which has produced Petit Pays, Kotto Bass, Papillon and Jean- Pierre Essome. Other popular genres include tchamassi, mangambeu and makassi. Les Têtes Brulées remained the country’s most well-known musical export, especially after accompanying the Cameroonian soccer team to the World Cup in 1990 in Italy and 1994 in the United States. Vincent Nguini also contributed guitar arrangements and performance to Simon’s Rhythm of the Saints, which became an influential world music album, introducing many North American listeners to the wide range of instrumentation and genres. Ends

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Cameroonian music; music that penetrated the world by invention