Manulo

Born in Dibombari a town north of Douala, Nguime Manulo was discovered in the late 1970s by Salle John, who revived Ambass-Bey during the 1970s. Ambass-Bey originated among the Yabassi people and grew popular in Douala after World War II. Through the 1950s and 1960s, the style evolved in the Cameroonian Littoral. In the mid-1960s, Eboa Lotin performed a style of Ambass-Bey on harmonica and guitar that was the earliest form of Makossa, a style that quickly came to overshadow its predecessor.It is in the ranks of Salle John's band Johnco that the young Manulo continues to develop his skills on rhythm and solo guitar.

Manulo (L) with Salle John(M) in the late 1970s 

In 1982 Manulo left Johnco and recorded his first solo record, the 12 inch single Dibumbe. With this record Manulo created a fruitfull fusion between Ambass-Bey and Makossa.

♫ Audio: 1982 Manulo Nguime – Dibumbe

Together with two other former Johnco members - drummer Ngoloko Zachee and singer Patrick Djecky - Manulo formed the group N'Kumbe. In 1983 the group recorded one LP with the help form bass guitarist Ekima Edouard (Kolor).

♫ Videoclip:  1983 Patrick Djecky & N'Kumbe - Bosadi    

In 1984 Manulo recorded his first solo LP Longue le nde bila. He has now refined his own up tempo blend of Ambass-Bey-Makossa with a prominent role for the rhythm guitar. His name as guitarist rose quick to fame and he became the playmaker (Maitre a jouer) behind the success of fellow artists such as Djene Djento who scored with Debroussailler and Jean Paul Mondo with Sona Papa.

♫ Videoclip: 1988 Manulo Nguime – Fundament  

As solo artist Manulo scored his biggest hit in 1988 with the album Fundament. During the following five years he made three more albums whcih did very well: Bombe H (1989), Bombe V (1992) and Ese ndutu in 1993. After Ese ndutu his output became more irregular with albums in 1998 Bombe 6 and his most recent in 2007 Bombe X.

♫ Videoclip: 1998 Manulo – Bombe 6

♫ Audio: 2007 Manulo – Bombe X

♫ Live: 2014 Manulo Nguime Live à Charleroi

DISCOGRAPHY

Emile Kangue

With his career as bass player, singer, songwriter and producer Emile Kangue has become a part of the cultural heritage of Cameroon. Eldest in a family of twelve children Kangue was born in Edea. He started singing in a church choir. His next musical step was to join the school band The Black Banner. After he had left Edea to live in Douala he joined Epee Mbende Richard's (aka Epee d'Or) orchestra UVOCOT Jazz. Meanwhile he created a group in the Mount Cameroon Bar in Bali with Nkotti Augustine ans a few musicians of Mouelle Guillaume's orchestra. This group was called Les Corniches and stayed together for two years. After Les Corniches he joined the group Black Styl, the house band of the Davoum Bar in the Bonakouamouang district of Douala.

 
♫ Audio 1976: Emile Kangue, Nkotti Francois Et Les Black Styl – Na Mabolea Nde Ne 

As bass player and singer beside founder of the group Nkotti Francois het toured in France for three months in 1979. Back from this tour Emile Kangue left Black Styl after a disagreement with some of the other band members.

Together with Penda Dalle he created a new band La Muzette du Mont Manengoumba and recorded his first big hit album Dikom lam la moto 'My very dear friend' in Douala language), which has sold more then 50.000 copies. The album was released on Jules Wonga's record label Africa Oumba and earned him a gold record.

 
♫ Videoclip 1980: Emile Kangue – Dikom Lam La Moto

During the eighties Emile Kangue released several more albums such as Tube nie bobe (1983), Sele dutea (1984) and Douala infos in 1988. He also reunited with former Black Styl members Nkotti Francois and Toto Guillaume. In the late eigties they renewed Black Styl with some new members like female singer Nadia Ewande, in an attempt to bring new life in this legendary band.

♫ Audio 1988: Emile Kangue – Douala Info 8:40

 
In 1997 Emile Kangue was touring in the US, when a tour operater suggested him to stay in the Stares to make a new start. He took the challenge to start from scratch. His first job was packing sales flyers. Later he became sales associate at an Office Max and after that he became supervisor of the electronic department. After five years he moved to Dollar General, where he became an assistant regional manager.

After the first difficult years in his new country Emile Kangue found time again some new albums. In 2003 he founded his own record company OTH K. Production Sophia (Sohia is the name of his daughter). With this label he produced 'a best of' album in 2003, followed by We nde champion (2004) and Village Amatongue (2005).

♫ Videoclip 2005: Emile Kangue – Village Amatongue 6:33

 
Today Emile Kangue still performs for the Cameroon community in the US. On the 4th of march 2011 he was back in Cameroon for a big concert with his old Black Styl friends and others, such as Manu Dibango and Andre Marie Tala, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Nkotti Francois musical career. In 2012, he recorded the song Ekon with the US based musician Goddy Shake, who unfortunately died in 2014.  In 2016 Emile Kangue celebrated his 50th anniversary as an artist with the release of the album Massa chop chop.

♫ Videoclip 2012: Goddy Shake ft. Emile Kangue – Ekon

♫ Video 2015: Emile Kangue Live In Montreal

DISCOGRAPHY

T.J.R. Label



Bassplayer, arranger and producer Aladji Toure is, together with guitar wizard Toto Guillaume, one of the most influential men behind the "New Wave Makossa" of the last three decades. Since 1982 Toure has released over 300 albums on his T.J.R. label. His cataloque contains mainly Makossa albums, supplemented with some Bikutsi, Bend Skin and Congolese artists such as Nguma Lokito and Yondo Syster. He brougt many Makossa singers to fame such as Moni Bile, Guy Lobe, Charlotte Mbango and more recently Joly Priso and Eriko.

The following series of record covers include the catalog numbers 057 to 100. This immediately raises the question why the first LP released on the T.J.R. label starts with number 057 and not with 001. Also in this series the numbers 073 and 093 seem to have been skipped. At least I have not been able to find them in recent years. If someone can answer the question why the series starts with 057 then I would like to hear that. Information about the missing numbers 073 and 093 is also welcome.