Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique
Back to Musiques d'AfriqueRetour aux Musiques d'Afrique
|<< Back to Music of Cameroon
Ali Baba (1956-2004)
(Cameroon)
Biography
Ali Baba made his breakthrough in 1980 as a dancer of the National Ballet of Cameroon.
He became known as a gifted dancer, singer and painter. During a stay in Paris in 1984, he was able to meet
African artists from various nations, enabling him to mix these influences into a panafrican style.
He had big hits in Cameroon with songs like
« Mbéré Kaki » and
« Tcha Tcha Merengue ».
Around 1993, a stroke turned him into a handicapped man, he walked with difficulties, and at some time he could hardly speak. Yet, a miraculous come-back occurred in the second half of the 1990s.
In the last years of his life, he started a production company Soul Gandjal with the aim to promote young artists from North Cameroon, for instance Abdou Bénito. His untimely death in May 2004 will hamper this promotion.
• Musicians on the album « Condition féminine » (1988):
Ali Baba (lead vocal, compositions, lyrics);
Desire Jeffrey (guitar);
Jacques Djeyim (guitar);
Assolo Noel, Aladji Touré (bass);
Toto Guillaume (drums programming);
Justin Bowen Tchounou (keyboards);
Alain Hatot (saxophone);
Jacques Bolognesi (trombone);
Éric Giausserand (trumpet);
Florence Titi, Georges Seba, Marylou Seba (backing vocals).
Born: 1956, in Garoua, North Cameroon as Amadou Baba Ali, died 15 May 2004
Style: Goumba Soula Gandjal
Around 1993, a stroke turned him into a handicapped man, he walked with difficulties, and at some time he could hardly speak. Yet, a miraculous come-back occurred in the second half of the 1990s.
In the last years of his life, he started a production company Soul Gandjal with the aim to promote young artists from North Cameroon, for instance Abdou Bénito. His untimely death in May 2004 will hamper this promotion.
• Musicians on the album « Condition féminine » (1988):
Ali Baba (lead vocal, compositions, lyrics);
Desire Jeffrey (guitar);
Jacques Djeyim (guitar);
Assolo Noel, Aladji Touré (bass);
Toto Guillaume (drums programming);
Justin Bowen Tchounou (keyboards);
Alain Hatot (saxophone);
Jacques Bolognesi (trombone);
Éric Giausserand (trumpet);
Florence Titi, Georges Seba, Marylou Seba (backing vocals).
Born: 1956, in Garoua, North Cameroon as Amadou Baba Ali, died 15 May 2004
Style: Goumba Soula Gandjal
Ali Baba
Discography
| Title | Year | Label | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kano | 2001 | ||
| Je suis guéri | 1996 | ||
| Condition féminine / On ne tape pas la femme | 1989 | Haïssam Records MH 14 | LP |
| Danse Africa | 1987 | SM/KA 002 | Local cassette |
| Africa Soul Gandjal | 1986 | Espace Tropical ET 1986-03 | LP |
| Ali Baba 85 (Kaï Haba) | 1984 | Safari Ambiance SAS 056 | LP |
Page added February 1999