Early 1980 were the two 'Sound d'Afrique' LP's on the Mango label, for many their first
introduction to African pop music. Volume one opens with the song 'Me bowa ya' by Mekongo.
Now in 2019, Africa Seven Records ensures that Mekongo President has not been forgotten 5 years after his death in 2014.This year 'Africa Airways' Vol. 5 came out, with the song 'Angono Mana' from Mekondo's first album on Disque Esperance in 1979.
Mekongo (President)
hails from the area of Yaoundé, the
capital of Cameroon. At a young age he starts singing and playing piano, sax
and guitar. In 1970 he decided to become a professional musician and moved to
Douala. He worked with Ekambi Brillant and in 1971 he started his own band,
'Les Tulipes Noirs'. With this band he toured in Senegal, Nigeria, Benin, Togo,
Ivory Coast, Gabon and Kenya. In 1975 he visited Canada and Europe. In 1977 he
joined the French disco group 'Black Soul'.
In 1979 he returned
to Cameroon and made his first solo record for Disque Esperance. In the
eighties he became one of the modernizers of Bikutsi music. In the early 90s,
he withdrew from the music scene. The last years of his life he led a reclusive
life in his native village.
DISCOGRAPHY
