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Soul Makossa

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An incredible record – even if it was a worldwide hit! Before this one came out, Manu was a funky sax player grooving away in Cameroun, cutting tight but obscure soulful sides. In 1972, though, he exploded with the track "Soul Makossa" – a choppy hard-riffing number that blew up on dancefloors instantly, thanks to a strong cultural colonial pipeline already laid down by the French. The track had this amazing choppy beat that was instantly copied by loads of folks – as was the "Soul Makossa" tune, which due to some sort of copyright loophole, was covered by just about as many groups in the 70s as "Der Komissar" was in the 80s! (This is also why the album has a banner on the top that says "The Original"!) The rest of the album was recorded to follow up on the strength of that single – and believe it or not, it's actually even better, as the band is completely tight, very funky, and playing with that weird mix of Afro rhythms and electric funk that was being laid down in Paris at the time (and in fact, French jazzer Georges Arvanitas actually plays on the album!) Manu's tone is incredible, and the record's a must-have in the bin of any fan of 70s Afro Funk! Cuts include "New Bell", "Hibiscus", "Lily", and "O Boso". (Cover has some wear, two promo stickers, and some splitting on the top and bottom seams.)  © 1996-2013, Dusty Groove, Inc.