My 2 Cent on Manu Dibango - Michael Jackson and Rihanna suing

Manu Dibango - A beacon of Africa music

Cameroon and African singer Manu Dibango recently filed suit against Michael Jackson and Rihanna. Here is the background. On the 1972 Afro-funk jam ";Soul Makossa";, the Cameroonian saxophonist Manu Dibango opens things up by muttering ";mama-koo mama-sa maku ma-ku-sa"; before his ridiculously pimped-out sax riff kicks in. New York loft party DJs picked up on the song, and it ended up becoming one of the staples of the just-revving-up disco scene.

The story started in 1971, during a brief visit to Cameroon. President Ahidjo commissioned Dibango to write a patriotic song for the Africa Cup football match to be played in Douala, and on the B-side Dibango recorded a throwaway instrumental titled ";Soul Makossa";.

It took two years for the ";Soul Makossa"; seed to sprout, but when it did, it grew fast. In 1973, New York radio disc jockey Frankie Crocker played the track on station WLIB and unleashed a tidal wave of makossa fever in the city. Atlantic Records then bought the USA rights and shipped an initial 150,000 copies over from France, to tide them over until they could get their own pressings into the shops. Dibango went on to win a Gold Disc for USA sales of the record, and was nominated for the annual Grammy Award for the Best R&B Instrumental Performance Of The Year.

A decade later, Michael Jackson tweaked that chant for his eternal pop-funk banger ";Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'";, turning it into ";mama-say mama-sa mama ma-ku-sa."; Manu Dibango swiftly sued Michael Jackson and reached a financial settlement with Manu Dibango after accepting he used parts of the song and ";Soul Makossa"; was licensed properly by Michael Jackson.

But the issue was revisited when pop singer Rihanna obtained Jackson's permission to use the melody on her Grammy-nominated single Please Don't Stop the Music - failing to contact Manu Dibango too.

According to court documents filed in Paris, Manu Dibango is seeking $650,330 (500,000 Euros/£464,520) in damages.

His lawyers have also asked the courts to block record labels Sony Bmg, Emi and Warner from receiving any income from the songs until courts settle the issue.


For me Manu Dibango is Cameroon's, and perhaps Africa's, best-known jazz saxophonist. He has deep Isaac Hayes-like vocal; his music is extraordinarily versatile and he has played almost every style of music you care to mention: soul, reggae, jazz, spirituals, blues etc. He was the 'first' musician to blend African music with the 'western vibe'.   He is the heart – and soul – of Africa.


Its interesting to see A-class musicians like Michael Jackson and Rihanna appreciating and using some section of Manu Dibango's ";Soul Makossa"; song in their music. Below is the original version of ";Soul Makossa"; in you-tube. 

To hear where Michael Jackson used the 'mama-ku  mama-ku  ma-ku-sa' , you have to listen to the song to the end. Because he used it  at the last segment of the song.

 

Rihanna is also used the 'mama-ku  mama-ku  ma-ku-sa'  at the end of this music

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