dj zenn<p>1000 Day Album Challenge (#89) Manu Dibango: Soul Makossa (1973) [29.03.24]</p><p>mama ko mama sa maka makossa / mama ko mama sa maka makossa<br>mama ko mama sa maka makossa…</p><p>I believe this record entered my life during my late thirties or early forties. I felt like I remembered the song from when I was a kid, but that memory seemed too fleeting to be certain that it was genuine. if I heard it I certainly didn’t recall that the artist was Manu Dibango, a saxophonist from Cameroon.</p><p>Soul Makossa is one of the most important records in the development of disco and dance culture. it was the first record to break in the clubs and then become a Top 40 hit. it reached #35 on the Billboard charts. it was unearthed by the legendary David Mancuso, who discovered it in a small record store in a West Indian neighborhood in Brooklyn. it became a staple at his party, The Loft, and was subsequently played by the Chief Rocker, Frankie Crocker on WBLS.</p><p>subsequent generations might recognize it because of Michael Jackson interpolating the soul makossa chant within Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ featured on Thriller. that section was then sampled by Rihanna in Don’t Stop the Music. it has gone onto be sampled dozens of times.</p><p>New Bell is the other can’t miss track here. I don’t mean to be dismissive to say that it follows the same formula as Soul Makossa. when a formula works it worlds. New Bell has a driving rhythm with some fantastic sax played over the top of it. for a dancefloor it should be like honey to a bee.</p><p><a href="https://c.im/tags/1000DayAlbumChallenge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>1000DayAlbumChallenge</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/ManuDibango" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ManuDibango</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/SoulMakossa" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoulMakossa</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/DavidMancuso" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DavidMancuso</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/TheLoft" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>TheLoft</span></a></p>