Makossa Original: A Blog Dedicated to Classic Makossa Music

By Dibussi Tande

Who was the founder of Black Styl, the greatest Makossa group of all time; Emil Kangue or Nkotti Francois? How did Makossa maestro Ben Decca look and sound like when he released Nyonga Mulema, his debut 12 inch 45 rpm maxi single, back in 1981?
 
The cover of the groundbreaking and critically acclaimed "Black Styl à Paris" album (1978)

Can you still remember the cover of Mbemba' Iyo, the 1980 album that confirmed Dina Bell as a bona fide Makossa star, and which included classics such as Nginya Mulema and Nyuwe?

Was Axel Mouna's 1981 hit, Juventus, dedicated to the famous football team in Turin, Italy or to a local team? Did you know that Service Libre (1985) was not Ndendi Eyango's first album as is commonly believed, rather, it was an obscure album released two years earlier titled Espoir 2000 which included a raw version of 'N'weringa', a song which later featured prominently in Eyango’s 1989 hit album Soul Botingo? Do you wish you were able to download and play both versions of 'N'weringa' to compare them from a technical and creative perspective?

The answers to these and other questions related to Makossa classics and artists can be found in an exciting new blog called "Makossa Original" which profiles the major Makossa acts and albums from the 1970s and 1980s, spicing it all up with pictures of rare and long-forgotten album covers and mp3 downloads of some of the greatest Makossa oldies. 

Makossa Original is an exciting walk down music memory lane. The blog is a highly delectable tribute to the “golden age” of Cameroonian music, to that long gone era when Makossa was the envy of the rest of Africa - a "pure" genre free from the nefarious and stifling influence of Soukous from the Congo. Even the younger generation whose musical ears are not refined enough to appreciate this "slow" genre (by today's standards) or to figure out when a "balle a terre" actually begins and ends in a classic Makossa, can still enjoy the history and artists behind these songs which are now part of our collective memory, most of which futured prominently in the hugely popular Bible du Makossa and Testament du Makossa medley series which reintroduced these songs to a brand new generation of makossa enthusiasts.

Hopefully a music enthusiast or historian will pick off from here to start putting together an encyclopaedia of Makossa music.

Click here to go to the Makossa Original blog.

Comments

[Makosso for Ever!]

Ah! Black Styl a Paris!!! The greatest album ever. I remember how everyone wanted to go to Paris after this album!!! That's Emil Kangue on the far right and Nkotti Francois in all white at the center. I can't believe that Nkotti is now 4 times that size!!!

Vive Les Black Styl!!!!!

[Dolf Motz]

Thank you for your positive review of my blog "Makossa Original".

By the way, I have good news for "Makossa for ever". I am planning a new post next week about the Black Styls album "Cameroun dance with BS" on the Disc Cousin label.

Greetings,

Dolf Motz (Makossa Original)

[facter]

The frenetic zaikos from the late 1980s on, not only displaced Makossa but decimated the classic soukous. There are Congolese acts even today, trying to revive the older, deeper soukous. I hope there are acts playing classical makossa.

[Emile Kangue (the bass man and singer for the fomer Black Styl now live in USA)]

hello mr Dibussi tande
nice great jobyou are doing by talking for the fomer group Black Styl i love the way you do the annalisy ifyou have anny thing please feel free to contact me by E-mail [email protected] and i will love to have you contact to tel &E-mail may god bless
greating from Emile kangue thank"s

[www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawkhEWEcH57k4qoXDSUIlUCwBRPvOWNIkkM]

Hi Dolf,

I am from the U.S. and have been in Cameroon off and on since January 1988. I have been living and working Yaounde for the past five years. In 88 I immediately became a big fan of "orignal Makossa" and collect as much music as I can. I find what is happening with the music scene in Cameroon and "les genies de Makossa" quite depressing. I do have an idea on how to make things somewhat better and would love to share this with you. You can email me at [email protected]. Your Makossa Original site is fantastic! Best wishes - James Beighle

[Greg Takor]

I wantto purchase albums by Jean Claude Mbimbe, Tokotou Ashanti, Solo Muna, Geo Massou, Bela Njoh, original black seel, Ngale Jojo, Benji Matike or a cd that comines all these artists. Send information to my e-mail

[Martin Douala]

So, where is Toto Guillaume in the picture? Where can one find this great music? The guitar as an instrument was punished by these guys long before Tim & Forty emerged on the scene. They are our Beatles!