BIG BENJI MATEKE





"Le Sorcier Bantu" returns with " Sensationnel":

  a cocktail of 9 danceable tracks.

 

 

♫ Clip:  2013 Tape pas la femme

 

♫ Clip:  2013 Vis ta vie (ft. DonTom)

 

♫ Clip:  2013 Bebey d'amour

 

"Big" Benji Mateke a.k.a. "Le Sorcier Bantu" was born July 11, 1969 in the city of Souza, but  spent his childhood in Nkapa, Department of Mungo region of the Littoral Cameroon. He comes from a family with four girls and six boys. As a young boy he travels several cities (Loum, Nkongsamba Mbanga, etc.) alongside his father David Mateke Miyanga, employed at the National Railway Authority. The latter, who in his spare time is a singer and guitarist, certainly inspired the junior Mateke to become a musician.

 

Unlike many Cameroonian artists, Benji Mateke developed his first musical skills in school bands.Between 1985 and 1988 he was conductor of musical training colleges Saint Jean de Mbanga and Lele Nkongsamba. Thanks to his talent and his boundless energy, he is quickly spotted and in 1988 he joins Tara System, the group founded by the late Lapiro de Mbanga. This is an important moment in his development as an artist. With Lapiro as his mentor, Benji  becomes an accomplished musician during the next 4 years. In 1992 he is ready to face a new challenge and participates in the national song contest organised by Mutzig Breweries Cameroon.  He reaches the finals, but the next year in 1993 he wins the competition.

 

 

In 1994 his first album "Sorcerer Bantu" is released. The track "Fifion Ribana" inspired by a famous radio character broadcasted by Radio Africa Number One, propelled him to the front of the Cameroon music scene. His second album "The match" released in 1997 brought him a second hit with the track "Rosy Muna". With his third album "Makossa Cellulaire" (2001) Benji Mateke proved definitively that he was not a one-day fly, but had become one of the top-makossa singers of the new millennium.

 

♫ Clip:  Rosie Muna live in The Fou Fou Club

 Benji Mateke  is not the type of artist who releases two or more albums a year. He is a perfectionist who takes his time and puts high demands on the production of his music. This explains why his fans had to wait 4 years until his next CD produced by Jean-Philippe Tamba  came out. The title track - "Boulot c'est boulot"-  became a big hit in 2005/6 in Cameroon and the African clubs in Paris.

 

 ♫ Clip:  2005 Boulot c'est boulot

 

♫ Clip:  2009 Mbouké (ft. Ben Decca)

 

♫ Clip:  2009 Kousine

 

♫ Clip:  2009 Immigré à Paris (ft. Charlotte Dipanda)

 

 In late 2009, another four years later "Boulot c'est Boulot" is followed by the album "Emotion". With Toto Guillaume taking care of the arrangements and vocal guest appearrances by Ben Decca, Jacky Kingue, Charlotte Dipanda and Joly Priso among others, "Emotion" is an album with many and varied sounds.

 And now Big Benji is back with "Sensationnel". Again supported by several recognized singers such as Jean Pierre Essome, Jacky Kingue, Sergeo Polo, Annie Anzouer, Joly Priso, the Nigerian Dom Tom and special guest, the great Manu Dibango, Benjy celebrates his 20 years long en rewarding career.

 

 ♫ Clip:  2013 The recording of "Bebey d'amour"

 

That the new album is doing very well I experienced when Ivisited Paris last week. In all the African record shops in Rue Poulet (Rythmes & Musiques - PPCM -Oviation) "Sensationnell" was sold out. Fortunately I finally found my copy in the shop of the Malinese label Camara Production in Rue Marcadet.

 

 ♫ Clip:  Medley Big Benji

 

The albums "Le match" and "Makossa cellulaire" are still available at:

 

$ (Web) shop: Amazon UK

  

Discography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2001

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1997

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1994

A1 Fifion Ribana / 2 Abus de confiance / 3 Marie Philomene Nga

B1 Mbembe na mbembe / 2 Ndut'a bila / 3 Mba pe na mala

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SERGEO POLO

update 08/08/2014:

Listen how Makossa can sound at it's best. Sergeo Polo at the 'Bal du 13 Juillet 2007 á La Bastille. No cheap key-boards, but a big band including a complete horn section under the direction of Guy N'Sangue.

Videoclip: Sergeo Polo

Videoclip: Introduction of the band

Serge Mpollo a.k.a.  Sergeo Polo was born in Deido (Douala) on November 14 1970. He was raised by his mother and his maternal grandparents. He started singing at school concerts when he was in college. In the twelfth grade he decided te become a full time singer and stopped his studies. He performed several years in night clubs where he accompanied some well known big names such as Eboa Lotin, Salle John, Ben Decca and many others.

Then he went to Paris where he married and became father to a daughter, Melissa. In November 1996 he released a duet album with "Njohreur", a former singer of "Les Sans Visas de Petit Pays". The record  "Le mari d'autrui" was well received in Cameroon and in 1998 Sergeo Polo came with his first solo record "Carton rouge".

 

During the making of a tribute album for Eboa Lotin he met Aladji Toure, which led to the production of the record "Georgie" on Toure's label in November 2000. With three successful albums in less then five years, Sergeo Polo soon became a household name in the Makossa community. It is therefore not surprising that he managed to bring together some of the biggest names in Cameroon music for his next album "La chicotte de Papa". With the help of Guy Nsangue, Aladji Toure, Manulo, Congolese guitar wizard Caen Madoka and Jean Philippe Tamba as arranger he won a gold disc and the title of 'best artist of 2003'.

 

 

The same year he did another duet album with legendary singer Guy Lobe released as CD and DVD under the name "Cocktail". With "The Prisoner " an album released in November 2005, he stayed at the top of the Cameroonian music and in March 2006 , he was once again honored by the Cameroonian public who chose him for again as best male artist of 2005.

In 2008 he released a mini album "On est ensemble" at the request of "d'Orange Cameroun" that  accompanied all events organised by the mobil operator and the Cameroon National team "Les Lions Indomptable".

 ♫ 2008 Clip -  On est ensemble

 Two years later Sergeo Polo he came with the CD  "Amour à deux, amour à vie", an album produced by Toto Guillaume. The record was released on Polo's own label SP Association and contains guest appearances by renowned African artists such as, Barbara Kanam, Landry Ifouta and Mirage Supersonic. As "Roi Polo XVIII"  Sergeo Polo presents himself now as a true SAPEUR ( La Societé des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes)

♫ 2010 Clip -  Sanga loba

♫ 2011 Live: & Barbara Kanam
 
♫ 2012 Docu TV5:  Cameroon dandies

 

In december 2013 Polo released the CD "Carte Postale". The album contains 9 tracks and includes collaborations with Kaïssa Doumbe and Ivorian Soum Bill. All the songs are written by Sergeo Polo himself except the title "Ali Baba forever".On this album that marks his 15-year career , Sergeo Polo is surrounded by big names like Guy Nsangué (Bass) , Manulo (Guitar) , Simolo Katongui (Drums , Congas and percussion) , Aubin Sandjo (keyboard ), Alain Oyono (Sax ) Yves Duray ( Flute ), David Tayorault ( arrangements etc.) . It was recorded in studios in Paris Melissa , Makassi in Douala, Cameroon and Marcadet . The mix was done by Ambroise Voundi for SP Association.

♫ 2013 - The making of "Carte postale"

♫ 2013 Clip -  Efforts personnels

♫ 2013 Clip -  Mon coeur bat pour toi

DISCOGRAPHY

1997

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1998

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2002

 

 

 

 

 

2003

2005

2008 - On est ensemble

 

2010

 

2013