Dibango 82

Manu Dibango, who passed away five years ago at 86, is one of the most celebrated African musicians alongside Fela, Miriam Makeba and Youssou N'dour. In a career spanning six decades, Dibango revolutionised African music and had a worldwide hit in the process in the form "Soul Makossa" in 1972. This live album, recorded during a French tour in 1982 came at a critical time when France, after the election of Francois Mitterrand, was embracing its multi-ethnic sensitivity. Through the rise of FM radios such as Radio Nova, an offshoot of cult magazine Actuel, the French music scene suddenly got much more opened. The "Sono Mondiale" as Nova would call World music, was born.

Organised by French producer Martin Meissonnier, the sold-out tour created a stir in France bringing together two legends, Manu Dibango and his group plus iconic jazz traveller Don Cherry, which Meissonnier had closely worked with in the late 70s (Cherry doesn't appear on this set but will soon in a 2nd volume)

Captured on December 22, 1982, at the Théâtre La Criée in Marseille, Dibango 82 delivers an electrifying concert of African rhythms, jazz, and funk mastery, with a pinch of Latin music, led by Dibango accompanied by a stellar ensemble of musicians: Congolese guitarist Jerry "Bokilo" Malekani, drummer Brice Wassy, percussionist Valery Lobe, three of his most trusted partners, together with Jean-Pierre Coco on percussion, Hary Gofin on bass, pianist Del Rabenja from Madagascar and two superb background singers, Florence 'Titty' Dimbeng and Sissy Dipoko. The set opens with a traditional Cameroonian song "Migilbawe" sung by the two female singers a-capella before moving on to three Dibango classics stretched out here for maximum pleasure: "African Boogie" featuring a superb solo by Bokilo Malekani and Hary Gofin, "Ashiko Oumba" and the vibrant "Waka Juju" featuring a jaw-dropping percussion solo. As Graeme Ewens noted in his liner notes, "Manu's African Sound is a strong rhythmic and melodic unit. Super-polyrhythms, jazz-funky bass and keyboards, Congolese guitar provide a physically moving accompaniment to his own horn playing."

The audio from the French INA archives has been remastered from master tapes and the album's liner notes by Graeme Ewens are augmented by an introduction from French photographer Christian Ducasse who organised the concert. Last but not least the front cover features a superb shot by cult Paris-based Bill Akwa Bétotè who documented the Paris 80s African music scene making Dibango 82 an event for all Manu Dibango and African music fans.