Geo W. Masso 1951 - 2018

Masso Mpessa Geoffrey William is born on the 4th of August 1951 and hails from Bonaberi - Douala. After highschool he goes to Paris to continue his studies. After his studies he finds a job, marries and becomes a father. At that moment nothing points to a future career in music for this modest family man. Others point out to him that he has a good voice, but he lacks the confidence to believe in a career as singer. Moreover, his wife does not want her husband to become a singer. In this period Geo becomes good friends with Toto Guillaume and it is this musical wizard who eventually gets him into the studio for a recording.

He doesn't tell anything and to avoid suspician he says he visits his cousin the drummer / singer Bell'a Njoh in the studio. With Toto Guillaume and Jean Claude Naimro (Kassav)  taking care of the production and arrangements the challenge is huge. But finally in 1982 they released Geo's first 45rpm single A Muto.  He took home a record and put it on the turntable without saying anything. His wife was busy in the kitchen but immediately recognized her lover's voice. She immediately liked the song and played it again and again. With this Geo achieved his first musical success.

 
♫ Clip: 1989 Tondo nde mba
♫ Clip: 1998 Nen lambo

Although the record was well received in Paris and Douala, Geo chose for his job and a quiet family life. So it does not come as a surprise that we had to wait until 1989 for a second album. With the help of  Aladji Toure who took care of the arrangements and among others Toto Guillaume on guitar, Geo came back with Lolita his first real hit.  Two years later Geo's third record appeared and he scored again with the song Nen lambo. After this album followed again a musical silence of almost eight years. From 1998 onwards he had a second come back. This was musically his most fertile period in which he released three albums in four years. Until his death in October 2018 he lived in Bonaberi (Douala - Cameroon) and enjoyed family life.

Discography