Makossa is a type of music which is most popular in urban areas in Cameroon. It is similar to soukous, except it includes strong bass rhythm and a prominent horn section. It originated from a type of Douala dance called kossa, with significant influences from jazz, ambasse bey, Latin music, highlife and rumba. While the makossa style began in the 1950's, the first recordings were not seen until a decade later. Artists such as Eboa Lotin, Misse Ngoh and especially Manu Dibango popularized the style outside of Cameroon in the later 1960s. Makassi is a lighter style of makossa. Sam Fan Thomas developed and popularised this variation in the mid-1980s and made makossa potentially more marketable.

The two musicians largely credited with modernising makossa are Manu Dibango and Emmanuel Nelle Eyoum. Eyoum start using the term 'kossa, kossa' in his songs with his group "Los Calvinos". But it was Emmanuel 'Manu' Dibango who popularised it to the world with his song "Soul Makossa" which came out in the early '70s with the famous chant 'mamase mamasa mamakossa', which was later used by Michael Jackson in "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and Rihanna in "Don't Stop The Music" ('ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa').    [Courtesy of Wikipedia - Encylcopedia]

Enjoy these selections that feature both classic and modern makossa, with artists like Eboa Lotin, Grace Decca, Ben Decca, Petit Pays, J.P. Esssome, Misse Ngoh and Bobbi Nguime, ... and lot's more MELODU DOES NOT SELL THIS MUSIC YET. However, support our Cameroonian artists by purchasing their CDs at any of the websites listed on the side. If you need guidance feel free to contact us.

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