Grace Decca

Born in Cameroon, in the city of Douala, Grace Decca is the sixth child in a family of eleven children. Her father was an automobile expert and her mother a teacher. With four famous artists including her elder brother Ben, her younger sister Dora and her younger brother Isaac, her family is well-known on the Cameroonian music scene. She is also the niece of the late Eboa Lotin, and great granddaughter of musician Lobe Lobe Rameau, one of the pioneers of Makossa. She holds a DEA in Communication, obtained in France in 1998. After obtaining her Baccalauréat, Decca left for France to continue her studies. She obtained a DEUG in Culture and Communication, a BTS in Management Tools, as well as a Bachelor and a master's degree. She was introduced to music in the early 1980s by her elder brother, Ben, with whom she made choruses. In 1983, she was featured in his single "Na sengui bobe" which was a success. 

She performed alongside her brother between 1984 and 1989, before starting her own solo career. Decca released her first album in 1989 with the title Besoin d’amour. The album, featuring five songs, sold more than 150,000 copies in Cameroon and helped her gain popularity.

♫ Audio: 1989 Grace Decca – Besoin d’Amour 5:41

♫ Clip: 1993 Grace Decca – Mambo 5:41

In 1993, she released a second album, Doi La Mulema, which was even more successful than her first, which helped her gain international acclaim. Five years later, Decca returned to the music scene with the release of her third album called Appelle-moi-Princesse, which brought her a number of awards, including: Best Female Album of the Year, Best-Selling Female of the Year, and the Bertrand Folon Award for artistic maturity. In 2001, Decca released her fourth album, Donne-moi un peu d'amour, which included eight tracks and was produced by J.P.S. Productions. She later started her own label, GNS Productions, which is still active. She has also produced the albums of several emerging artists such as Joly Din and her younger brother, Isaac Decca.

♫ Audio: 2001 Grace Decca – Ndolo 5:48

♫ Clip: 2015 Grace Decca – Mouna o Bodi o Mba 5:38

Thirteen years after the release of Donne-moi un peu d'amour, Grace made a comeback with an album which was different from her previous four. Namely, for her fifth album, Decca chose gospel music. The album, titled Mouna (Burden in the Douala language) was produced in the United States by George Duke, who also wrote two songs on it. Due to this album being made up of thirteen songs sung in English, French and Douala, Decca was able to perform alongside renowned musicians such as Sheila E., Jeffrey Osborne, Jonathan Butler, Chino XL, Paul Jackson Jr., Kirk Whalum, Alex AI, Teddy Campbell, Howard Hewett and Erik Zobble. Today Grace Decca is one of the most celebrated female singers of Cameroon.

♫ Live: 2018 Grace Decca Live In Berlin 2:22

♫ Clip: 2020 Grace Decca – Ndja Na Ben No 4:30

 

















DISCOGRAPHY



Axel Mouna 1949 - 2019

Born around 1949 in the Bali district of Douala, Axel Jean-Pierre Mouna Diffio a.k.a. Axel Mouna attended public school in Bonapriso and the College of Technical Education. There he obtained a Professional Apprenticeship Certificate (Cap) in drawing at the Centre for the Promotion of Women Workers (Cpfo) in Douala. While he dreamed of a career in music or football, his elder sister directed him towards a more technical side, especially painting. Axel obeyed his sister's recommendations and after a few years, he put his artistic skills (drawing and silk-screening) at the service of the Cameroon Industrial Cotton Company (Cicam) in Douala. A company to which he devoted 13 years of his life. Besides his work he remained a passionateded footballer and played for Vent Lalan, a club that played in the second division (D2) in Cameroonian.

With his talent and ball skills, Axel will very quickly impose himself within this team. He spent two good seasons there before joining the Juventus team, one of the mythical clubs led by Moundi Elimbi and Ndoumbe Mondo, respectively president and coach of this formation. Unfortunately this club full of great players will not shine for long, due to the tragic death of its two leaders Moundi and Ndoumbe, who both died in a traffic accident in Douala. A tragic accident that caused a great stir in Douala and forced the prodigal striker of Juventus, to focus to music.

Juventus with Axel Mouna standing, fourth from right.

Axel Mouna was a footballer who drank his victories in one of the busiest places in Douala: the Mermoz Club. At that time Nkotti Francois and the Black Styl were the house band of this popular venue. Axel Mouna and Sallé John wrote melodies that they submit to Nkotti Francois, who played their songs in the evening with Black Styl. 

With the help of Nkotti Francois and Emile Kangue, Axel Mouna recorded in 1977  his first two songs he wrote together with Salle John for the Disques Cousin record label. It was the song Dimuti and the first version of his later greatest hit Juventus. This 45rpm single was followed in 1978 by a second one, Makaki/ Munenge on the Maison du Jazz label.

Axel Mouna's musical breakthrough came in 1980 with his first LP, Take, released by Patrick Jules Wonga on the Africa Oumba label. The album was a great success in Cameroon and was followed in 1981 by the album Bobia whiche means, ‘the new one’ in the Douala language. Bobia contains two absolute hit songs, Jemea and a new version of Juventus, the song he previously co-wrote with Salle John. Jemea is a tribute to the legendary football club Oryx de Douala and Juventus a tribute to coach Ndoumbe Mondo and chairman Moundi Elimbi, the two managers of Juventus who died in the earlier mentioned traffic accident. Forty years on, we can safely say that in particular Juventus has become one of the greatest Makossa classics ever.

Oryx de Douala, the first winner of the Africa Cup for club teams in 1965.

♫ Audio 1981: Axel Mouna – Juventus

♫ Audio 1991: Axel Mouna – Time ni time

Unfortunately, Axel Mouna was unable to continue this success. Due to all sorts of personal problems and setbacks, he has not been able to build a stable musical career. It took ten years before producer Njonang Simon Lowe released a new album by Axel Mouna, titled Time ni Time. Despite the cooperation of Toto Guillaume, Jean-Claude Naimro, Richard Bona and Grace Decca, among others, this album also represented only a brief revival of Axel Mouna's musical career. In the years that followed, it was his song Juventus that prevented Axel Mouna from falling completely into musical oblivion.

Until 2012, when he suddenly came with Makossa Bugulu, an album that, apart from six Makossa tinged tracks, also contained two Salsa/Latin tracks. However, due to all sorts of distribution problems, this album remained completely unnoticed and can nowadays unfortunately no longer be found anywhere. In the same period, Axel Mouna was involved in a traffic accident and broke his pelvis. As a result, he was only able to move around with the help of crutches. On 7 May 2019, he died at the age of 70 after a short illness. 

It is a beautiful thought that the song Juventus that Axel Mouna once wrote in memory of Ndoumbe Mondo and Moundi Elimbi will now also ensure that he himself will not be forgotten.

DISCOGRAPHY

Bebey Black: 1959 - 1986

Bebey Black  was a very promising Makossa singer in the mid 80’s. After recording his last album in Paris, he had returned to Cameroon for the promotion of his new album, when he unexpectedly lost life in a traffic accident on the highway from Douala to Nkongsamba.

Born in 1959 as Kouoh Marcel Hector, Bebey Black became 26 years old and released 4 albums. His songs are still popular among Makossa lovers and to this day you can set every party on fire with his greatest hits "Aimez, aimez" and "Desir, plaisir, souffrir".

♫ Audio 1984: Aimez, aimez

♫ Audio 1986: Desir, Plaisir, souffrir

DISCOGRAPHY

 

Jean Claude Mbimbe Kamando

♫ Audio: 2017 J.C.Mbimbe Kamando – Bijou+

In 1984, JC MBIMBE KAMANDO made his first album Etond’a ndolo which contained the track Dibumbe that became ‘song of the year’ In 1986, JCMK set his way in the Cameroonian Makossa scene with his second album, Oa na oa. This second album had a great success thanks to his mythic slow Tete. A video of this slow was produced to the pleasure of his fans. After been witness of all the sufferings in Ethiopia, JCMK came out in 1987 with his third album Ithiopia,  with titles like  Diaba la bobe and Ithiopia. In 1995 JCMK released his fourth album We ned nje with titles like Epoupa and Mabola.

♫ Audio: 1995 J.C. Mbimbe Kamando - We Ndje 5:58

♫ Audio: 1986 J.C. Mbimbe Kamando - Oa na oa

♫ Audio: 1984 J.C. Mbimbe Kamando - Dibumbe

22 Years after “WE NDE NJE”, the cross cultural and Trans generational new album Bijou+ of JCMK is there for the pleasure of his fans and lovers of good music. Throughout this album, one can discover the originality, purity and authenticity of JCMK. Bijou+ is a mixture of different genres of Cameroonian rhythms: pure and authentic makossa, afro beat, slow and zouk.

DISCOGRAPHY

2017 - Bijou+

Prince Ndedi Eyango

♫ Clip: 2017 Prince Ndedi Eyango – Thank you mama (clip officiel) King Mouan Nkum

Ndedi Eyango (aka Prince Eyango) emerged from the Cameroon music scene in the late '80s to become one of the country’s most popular singers and guitar players. Born in Nkongsamba, Eyango's talents were recognized at the age of seven when he began singing in the church where his father was a pastor. In addition to singing he learned to play  guitar and by 1982 Prince Eyango and his group, Les Montagnards d'Afrique (the Mountain Dwellers of Africa), were performing nationwide.

A move to Paris netted him a recording contract and access to state-of-the-art studios, which led to the creation of his biggest hit, You must calculate in 1987, when Prince Eyango was named Best Artist of the Year, Cameroon's highest musical honor, awarded by the Minister of Culture. By 1991 he had achieved a Number One music rating on the powerful, transcontinental Africa No. 1 Radio.

♫ 1987 You must calculer

In 1993 Eyango moved to United States where he started his own music company, Preya Music. During the 90’s he became the promotor and producer of several new, upcoming artists such as Longue longue,Jacky Kingue,Tanus Foe,Marcel Bwanga,Ndema System and Papa Zoe. Eyango has toured in Africa, Europe and North America.

He was nominated in 2000 for the Los Angeles Weekly Music Award in the World Music category, and was also called upon by respected pop music producer Don Was to record a track for Bette Midler’s album, Bette, where his impeccable guitar lines add a distinctive flavor to the song Moses. In addition to performing extensively in Africa, Europe, the United States and Canada, in 2005 Eyango increased his geographic scope to Asia where he was invited to perform as the headline artist at New Delhi, India’s Samath Festival and in China, for the Shanghai May festival.

♫ 2005 Prince Eyango in China

In 2009,Prince Eyango returned to Cameroon  to expand his career as a musician and producer, and to promote the vibrant culture and musical talent in his country of birth. Since his return his involvement in social issues is also reflected in several productions in which he draws attention for problems such as maternal mortality, the living conditions of war refugees and child labor. His 2012 album Apelle Moi  brought him a nominated for best male artist of the year; this nomination came to fruition on the Cameroon's Music Award night when Cameroon's Minister of culture announced the 2013 winner: Prince Ndedi Eyango.

♫ 2012 Appelle moi

♫ 2015 Les heros

DISCOGRAPHY

Guy Lobe 1965 - 2015

Personal favorite

Each person has his favorites, so have I. When it comes to Makossa, mine is already since 1987 the one and only Guy Lobe. Now I have just started this blog, I have to ask your attention for the fact that Guy's first record "Nko wanga" was released 25 years ago. For me a good occasion to tell you how I became hooked up by his music.

It was on a saterday afternoon in 1987 that I went to Brussels to visit the record shop Musica Nova. In those days this shop, owned by the Italian "Pierro" was the best place to buy the latest African records.

The shop was overcrowded as usual on saterdays, with customers from various African and European countries. One of the special things in Musica Nova was that you could not listen to the music of your choice with headphones. No, you had to ask Pierro to play the record for you over the speakers in the shop. Because there were so many customers waiting, Pierro was constantly busy with playing small parts of various records, to give his customers an impression of the music they were interested in. So after a minute of Pepe Kalle, he switched to Kassav and from there to Moni Bile, Franco, Nyboma, Bembeya Jazz and so on. Then suddenly it happened, my head was blown off by a loud uptempo beat and a the very powerfull voice of Guy Lobe. I turned my back and looked in the face of Pierro, who was smiling from ear to ear while shaking his head. "what is this?" I asked him in my broken French en he showed me the sleeve of "Solitude", the new record from Guy Lobe. I new Guy's music already from poor (video) K7's but through these big speakers his music became something quite different for me and hooked me up completely. I bought the record immediately and didn't rest until I found his two earlier records, the already mentioned "Nko wanga" from 1985 and "Mon amie a moi" from 1986.

           
1991 African Music Festival
Four years later in 1991 was my first time to see Guy Lobe perform live during the "African Music Festival" in Delft. He teamed up as member of the "Cameroon All Stars" together with Aladji Toure, Gilly Doumbe, Epee & Koum and Ndedi Eyango. They were the last act of the festival and gave a good show, only due to delay in the programm their performance was a bit short.

1993 Live in Rotterdam

In 1993 I got a new chance to see him live on stage when my former wife decided to organise a concert with musicians from Cameroon to celebrate her graduation as a social worker. Of course I convinced her that she should arrange Guy Lobe for this concert and so it happened. We went together to Paris to arrange the deal with Aladji Toure and finally on the second of October 1993 "The Makossa All Stars" played a fantastic live-show for about 400 people in a small venue in my hometown Rotterdam. The band was leaded by Aladji Toure on bass, Guy Bilong drums, Bobby Nguime guitar, Fred Savio keyboards and Guy Lobe, Dora Decca and Epee & Koum as singers.

from left to right: Epee Mbengue, Koum Mbengue, Dora Decca (behind) Guy Lobe and Aladji Toure

A prolific artist 
Born January 27, 1959 in the Akwa district in Douala, Guy Lobè is the eldest of a family of seven children. Little Guy grew up in Rue Kotto in Deīdo and passes his secondary school at the Integ College and got away with a Bachelor’s degree. He started to work in an insurance company but was capticated by making music and left the world of business after a few years. He had already taken his first musical steps at school concerts before he started to perform in cabarets, notably the Aris Bar, one of the famous cabarets of the 80’s, located in the Akwa district in Douala.

Beside training his vocal skills, Guy also learned to play different instruments and handles the guitar, bass and piano among others. In 1984 Aladji Touré produced his first album Dégager. The album was well received and was followed in 1986 by Mon amie à moi. The title track of this LP became a massive hit in Cameroon as well as the subsequent albums Solitude (1987), Union libre (1988) and Coucou (1989). At the end of the 80’s Guy Lobe, had become on of the most popular Makossa singers and among the African diaspora in Paris his songs were as popular as those of Kassav.

♫ 1989 Video CRTV - Coucou

“He put on the record market at least one record a year, was at the top of the Hit parades and has won awards in Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Canada and the Caribbean among others,” recalls fellow singer Sam Mbendè. For his colleague artists, Guy Lobè was a lyricist. He made songs for texts and developed many themes related to love, determination. It contributed to the rhythm Makossa, it’s letters of nobility. Guy has also supported the career development of several other artists. He wrote compositions for Charlotte Mbango (Konkai Makossa), the twins Epée & Koum (Soukoumakossa), Betuel Enola (Proprièté privée) and Jo Doumbé (Attention a la vie). He also wrote the song Chercher la vie for Alain Gérard. “The musical seed, I picked it up watching Guy Lobè sing, “said the latter. Guy made also several musical collaborations, notably with Joëlle Esso, Sergeo Polo, Aladji Touré and the Congolese guitarist Géo Bilongo.

In 2010, Guy Lobè suffered a stroke but recovered and in the summer of 2012 he married his love Patience Ondoa at Mairie de Colombe in Paris. Step by step, he picked up his musical career again and started working on a new album, together with his friend and bassist Fréderic Doumbè. “Guy Lobè recently composed world music titles. He said he would change the register. He had no longer the strength to do makossa and was going to launch into World Music”, confides collegue fellow singer Jacky Kinguè. The death of Guy Lobè has buried all his plans and means a great loss. Not only for his loved ones, but also for the lovers of pure Makossa.
 

♫ 1987 Mourir d’aimer

♫ 1999 O ya yo

♫ 1990 Moto e bobe

♫ Video 2003 Africaines (+ Sergeo Polo)

♫ Video 2007 Dieudonne

DISCOGRAPHY