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Douleur
(Cameroon)
Biography
Douleur's career started in 1983, when his debut album was released with a black cover
and just the word Douleur, no picture of the artist. Over the years, he revealed
hardly anything more of his face, he preferred to let his music speak for itself.
Of douala origin, Douleur started with makossa rhythms and ngosso
blues, his lyrics are reflective. As he rarely appeared in shows, people wondered who he was.
After a couple of albums, he disappeared from the music scene in Cameroon discretely, only to resurface nearly 10 years later with the album « Fureur » (1997). His long silence was partly caused by his deception by producers who were not interested in his success and did little to promote his music. Although his latest albums received more media attention, his criticism toward African producers remains loud and clear.
So what happened? Alexandre Douala, as his real name is, was not a brilliant student, and already in secondary school, he was more interested in singing and composing than in studying his books. One of his school comrades happened to be Guy Lobé and together they composed their first songs. In 1981, hardly 20 years old, he went to Paris and after two years work he recorded his debut album produced by Toto Guillaume.
Since 1988, he stayed in Paris but left the music scene. He worked in factories just like thousands of other African immigrants until Aladji Touré convinced him finally to make a new start in music. After three albums, he can finally make a living in music and has plans to explore further the music of the sawa region (Douala and surrounding ethnical groups).
Born: 1957, as Alexandre Douala
Style: makossa, ngosso, essèwè, bolobo, ambassi-bey
After a couple of albums, he disappeared from the music scene in Cameroon discretely, only to resurface nearly 10 years later with the album « Fureur » (1997). His long silence was partly caused by his deception by producers who were not interested in his success and did little to promote his music. Although his latest albums received more media attention, his criticism toward African producers remains loud and clear.
So what happened? Alexandre Douala, as his real name is, was not a brilliant student, and already in secondary school, he was more interested in singing and composing than in studying his books. One of his school comrades happened to be Guy Lobé and together they composed their first songs. In 1981, hardly 20 years old, he went to Paris and after two years work he recorded his debut album produced by Toto Guillaume.
Since 1988, he stayed in Paris but left the music scene. He worked in factories just like thousands of other African immigrants until Aladji Touré convinced him finally to make a new start in music. After three albums, he can finally make a living in music and has plans to explore further the music of the sawa region (Douala and surrounding ethnical groups).
Born: 1957, as Alexandre Douala
Style: makossa, ngosso, essèwè, bolobo, ambassi-bey
Douleur
Discography
| Title | Year | Label | Remarks |
| Nguila Moto - Lion Man | 2012 | Dipitalassou | |
| Best of Douleur Vol.2 | 2004 | Sonodisc | |
| C'est Magique | 2002 | JPS Productions CDJPS193 | |
| Armageddon | 2000 | JPS Productions CDJPS60 | |
| Fureur | 1997 | TJR CDAT173 | |
| Benyengen Ba - Golden Collection Vol.2 | 1996 | Production TN 604 | |
| Stop! (Best of Douleur) | 1988 | Tiger Sound Production TSP 01 | |
| Beneground | 1988 | Kanibal Records KL 8702 | Distribution Sonodisc |
| Wake Up Africa | 1986 | Production TN 592 | |
| Nkumbele | 1984 | Production TN 589 | |
| Douleur | 1983 | Production TN 588 |
Sources
Le Messager (Douala);
Massai Mara (www.massaimara.com)
http://www.afrisson.com/Musango-5596.html?lang=fr
Le Messager (Douala);
Massai Mara (www.massaimara.com)
http://www.afrisson.com/Musango-5596.html?lang=fr
Page added October 2003