Constance "Coco" Mbassi
A Singer from Cameroon
Coco Mbassi, (real name Constance Mbassi), a singer, comes originally from Cameroon and is now living in Paris. Coco's history as a singer streches back to when, at the age of seven, she took part in a singing competition in a cinema hall in Cameroon's capital, Yaundé, and won the first prize. From there on, her career as a singer was sealed and delivered. This can be witnessed with the release of her first solo album "SEPIA", which we are featuring on this site for the first time.
Now, before you start to ask yourself "Coco, who?" you better listen to Coco Mbassi in her own words, to realize that you are not dealing with a novice.
Coco says of herself:- "I sang lead and chorus in the African gospel choir 'Les Chérubins' and as a backing vocalist, I have collaborated with various artists and bands like Sixun, Salif Keita, Toure Kunda, Oumou Sangare, Manu Dibango, Ray Lema, Demis Roussos, Nino Ferrer, Nicoletta, Jocelyne Beroard (Kassav), the Symphonic Gospel with Clyde Wright of the Golden Gate Quartet and the Symphonic Orchestra Colonne etc.
I also performed with my band (Coco MBASSI) during a two years' tour in many famous locations: Afroprojekt Festival (Wurzburg, Germany), Festival 'Nuits d'Afrique' in Montréal, Canada and Festival d'Eté de Quebec Jazz Sous les Pommiers (Coutances, France), Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Festival International de la Louisiane... My collaboration extends to some contemporary and classical projects like 'Mémoires d'Eau' presented in the famous Auvers/Oise classical festival (under the direction of Michel Piquemal) or 'Le Manacuba', composed by Luc Le Masne and performed at the Cuban National Theatre in La Havana." Yes, you are hearing right!
Coco in Paris
In 1983 Coco moved to her older sister in Paris who had just turned eighteen. Her parents stayed in Cameroon while her sister made sure that the two of them graduated successfully from high school and thereafter went to university. In the beginning it was hard going. Coco had to come to terms with the new environment whi ch also involved dealing with the widespread racism that one encounters even in a multi cultural city like Paris. At first she was fascinated by the European culture and wanted to assimilate as much of it as she could, in order to integrate better. She listened mostly to European pop - music up to the point where she discovered herself again. Although she was an African herself she took up African dancing classes and took in everything she could that was connected with African culture.
Today, Coco Mbassi following her own path. The words to the songs of her mother tongue, Duala, are often found combined with jazz, minimalist and classical arrangements., where vocal polyphony and African rhythm continue to play an important role. Coco Mbassi composes her own pieces and writes the words. Although her husband, who teaches as classical double- bassist, exercises a strong influence on her music writing. In her childhood she was permanently exposed at home to a wide variety of Händel, Makossa and big jazz bands.
In the beginning of the nineties she began to work in Paris as a background singer and whoever is familiar with music - scene in Paris knows that quite high standards of vocal stamina are expected. She has sung in the French - African gospel choir "The Cherubs" and has worked with French and international stars like Salif Keita , Touré Kunda, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Manu Dibango, both in the studio and on stage. Coco is also to be heard on the 1999 CD - release of Cameroon's grand - dame of Bikutsi, Anne Marie Nzie.
Since Paris is literally crawling with young singers who are battling through everyday life as background singers in order to make it some day as a soloist, it came as a welcome break - through for Coco to be awarded in 1996 the "Prix Découverte" by Radio France International for the song "Muengue mea Ndolo". She had this one and only song to offer at the competition, for at that stage she hadn't yet a complete album put together. With the help of sponsoring from RFI she made it to internationally important festivals like the Afrika Festival Würzburg, Festival d'eté du Quebec and others. In the course of these years she also gave birth to two sons. Combining this surprising success with a family life often proved to be difficult, and as a result, a few more years were required until Coco Mbassi could complete this now available first solo - album of hers, "Sepia"
The central theme of her songs are everyday aspects of human life like love, friendship, family life and a profound Christian religiosity which Coco has had plenty opportunity to celebrate at masses in a free Christian community in Paris with an abundance of music and songs. Coco's songs tell stories often based on personal life experiences that she recalls.
It's these stories and feelings that make her songs what they are today, and a great deal of these memories are made up of those old sepia - coloured (black and white) photographs from home.
Tracks in Sepia
1. Mbaki (intro) 2. Iwiye 3. Muende
4. D, An mp3 sample clip
5. Muka Mwam 6. Muto 7. Profunda Sensãco
8. A Sawo 9. Mbombo 10. Bayedi 11. Oa Nde
12. Bila 13. Stabat 15. Mbaki ( outro)
In Scandinavia contact:-
">Kongoi Productions
Note:- All song published by Tropical Music (GEMA). All rights reserved.
Produced by Serge Ngando - Mpondo
Executive Producers: Phillipe Robert, Serge Ngando - Mpondo and Coco Mbassi
Distributed in Germany by BMG/ARIS
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