On March 24, 2020, Emmanuel N’Djoké Dibango aka Manu Dibango died aged 86. He was musician (saxophone and vibraphone), developed a musical style fusing jazz, funk, and traditional Cameroonian music. He was a member of the seminal Congolese rumba group, African Jazz, and has collaborated with many musicians, including Fania All Stars, Fela Kuti, Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, King Sunny Adé, Don Cherry, and Sly and Robbie. He was best known for his 1972 single “Soul Makossa”.
Tag Archives: Fania All Stars
Alphonse Mouzon
On December 25, 2016, Alphonse Lee Mouzon died aged 68. He was musician (drums), composer, arranger, producer and actor, and the owner of Tenacious Records. He has recorded and performed with many famous musicians and music acts including Arild Andersen, Donald Byrd, Herbie Hancock, Bobbi Humphrey, Joachim Kühn, Les McCann, McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, Weather Report, Eugene McDaniels, Betty Davis, Infinity, Doug Carn, Norman Connors, Willie Colon, Poussez, Al Di Meola, Torsten de Winkel, Hellmut Hattler, Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Fania All-Stars, Carlos Garnett, George Gruntz, Tim Hardin, Miki Howard, Paul Jackson, Paul Jackson Jr., Alphonso Johnson and Patrick Moraz.
Mongo Santamaria
On February 1, 2003, Ramón “Mongo” Santamaría Rodríguez died aged 85. He was musician (congas, bongos), performed and recorded with Perez Prado, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Fania All Stars, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Lalo Schifrin and Paul Horn. His 1977 album “Amanecer” won a “Grammy” award, and his hit rendition of Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man” was inducted into the “Grammy Hall of Fame” in 1998. He is composer of the jazz standard “Afro Blue”, recorded by John Coltrane among others.
musicalphabet 