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| Afro-jazz music legend Manu Dibango died on March 23, 2020, after contracting the new coronavirus. |
Paris, FRANCE
Veteran Afro-jazz star Manu Dibango died on
Tuesday after contracting the coronavirus, his music publisher told Reporters.
The 86-year-old Cameroonian, best known for the 1972 hit
"Soul Makossa", is one of the first worldwide stars to die as a
result of COVID-19.
"He died early this morning in a hospital in the Paris
region," his music publisher Thierry Durepaire said.
Dibango arrived in Marseilles in 1949 as a teenager and was
made Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur in 2010.
He maintained his energy and love for live performance
that defined his 60-year career with a 2019 tour with Symphonic
Safari, mixing jazz and classical music.
A message on his official Facebook page confirmed that his
death had come after he contracted COVID-19.
"His funeral service will be held in strict privacy,
and a tribute to his memory will be organized when possible," the message
said.
The saxophonist was one of the pioneers of Afro jazz and
also fused funk with traditional Cameroonian music.
In 2009, he accused Michael Jackson of borrowing one of his
hooks for two songs on the legendary "Thriller" album.
Jackson settled out of court.
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