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Manu Dibango was born on December 12, 1933 in Douala, Cameroon. In March 1949, aged just 15, he disembarked in Marseille after a three-week boat trip and joined his host family in Saint-Calais, Sarthe. In 1953, he decided to devote himself to music, his sole passion, and turned professional in 1957. From France he emigrated to Belgium, where he lived almost permanently for 5 years. In Brussels, he frequented jazz clubs, establishing himself as an excellent musician and playing with the best Belgian and foreign artists. He recorded several albums for various labels, but it was his collaboration with Kabassélé and African Jazz that really brought him to the attention of the African public. In 1964, with his African Soul Quintet, an African recorded jazz for the first time. Back in France, Manu made a name for himself, accompanying the stars of French chanson. He notably collaborated with Nino Ferrer, Mike Brant, Dick Rivers, Michel Fugain... In 1973, Soul Makossa hit the airwaves in the United States and became a worldwide hit, putting Manu and his saxophone in the spotlight. More than 30 years later, the song remains "the most sampled". A musical nomad par excellence, Manu has recorded over forty albums, more than a dozen film scores and collaborated with a wide range of musicians.

A multi-instrumentalist (saxophone, piano, vibraphone, marimba, vocals), composer, arranger and conductor, Manu Dibango was a UNESCO Artist for Peace and an active member of the ASSMIR Association, which collects hospital equipment from wealthy countries to equip dispensaries in Africa. Died on March 24, 2020, the saxophonist had celebrated 60 years of career in 2019.