Manu Dibango who was a professional Vibraphone and Saxophone professional player is the latest musician to succumb to Coronavirus, COVID-19 in Île-de-France, France after Arlus Mabele passed on last week in Paris from the same pandemic disease.
The legendary, veteran, Grammy Award-winning Jazz musician has passed on after contracting the pandemic, Coronavirus, COVID-19.
Arlus Mabele succumbs to Coronavirus, COVID-19 in France
“He died early this morning in a hospital in the Paris region,” his music publisher, Thierry Durepaire, said.
“His funeral service will be held in strict privacy, and a tribute to his memory will be organized when possible,” the message added.
Funerals in France have been limited to 20 people who are in the closest circle of the deceased because of lockdown to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
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So far, the Coronavirus, COVID-19 disease has since claimed 16,231 lives as of today, 24th, March 2020 affecting over 194 countries, areas or territories with 372, 757 confirmed cases.
The former Safaricom CEO, the late Bob Collymore was more than honored to have him perform in Nairobi in May 2018 where he headlined the annual Safaricom International Jazz festival.
“It’s a privilege and a dream come true for us to host Manu Dibango as we kick off the events that will lead up to the 6th edition of the Safaricom International Jazz Festival next year.” the late Bob Collymore said, “Not only is he well known and loved world over, he brings to our stage an energy and fire that has been well stoked through a lifetime of passion for jazz, and puts us in the same league as some of the biggest jazz festivals on the continent.”
The 86-year-old Cameroonian Afro-Jazz musician is one of the very few African musicians to have his songs sampled by established international artistes like Rihanna and the one and only King of Pop, the late Michael Jackson who both sampled his hit song ‘Soul Makossa’.
Dibango scored a British disco hit with the 1976 single “Big Blow,” and he collaborated with artists like Fela Kuti and Herbie Hancock. He continued to record and tour well into his later years. He released his final album Balade En Saxo in 2013, and he was still playing live as recently as 2018.
Watch Manu Dibango performing ‘Soul Makossa’ live in 1983 below
The ‘Soul Makossa’ hit song which won him a Grammy Award topping the charts back in 1973 is one of the timeless African songs there is to this day.
Manu Dibango is survived by Georgia Dibango, Marva Dibango, Michel Dibango.
