Disco Legend Cerrone Teams With Manu Dibango on "Funk Makossa"

Photo by Sarah Bastin

Legendary French producer Cerrone has released a new track, “Funk Makossa,” which features Cameroonian jazz saxophonist Manu Dibango. (The title is a play on Dibango’s 1972 hit “Soul Makossa,” which famously inspired Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” and Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music.”) 

It’s traken from Cerrone’s Afro EP, out February 12 on Because/Big Beat. Below, check out the EP tracklist, which features a Tony Allen collaboration and a “Funk Makossa” remix by Todd Edwards. Also check out the track’s video below.

In a press release, Cerrone said:

I was always deeply influenced by Afro-Rock music. This is because of the great artistic fingerprint of my first band, Kongas, in which I spent four years before starting my solo career with Love in C Minor.

“Soul Makossa” by Manu Dibango has always been one of my favourite tracks. By a strange fluke, we met a year ago and we decided to marry two of our creations as our inspiration was very close, which is now done with “Funk Makossa.” It’s basically a blend with and older track I recorded live a couple of years ago with Little Louie Vega in one night that was called “Love & Dance Ritual.” We used some elements of this track combined with of “Soul Makossa” plus some additional production, and this how it became “Funk Makossa.”

Afro:

01 2nd Chance [ft. Tony Allen]
02 Funk Makossa [ft. Manu Dibango]
03 Bodytalk
04 Funk Makossa [ft. Manu Dibango] [Todd Edwards Remix]
05 2nd Chance [ft. Tony Allen] [Mind Enterprises Remix]
06 2nd Chance [ft. Tony Allen] [Extended Club Mix]

Watch Pitchfork.tv’s documentary on Cerrone:

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