Legendary saxophonist Manu Dibango dies of COVID-19

CAIRO - 24 March 2020: A French agency announced on March 24 the death of the Cameroonian saxophone player and songwriter Manu Dibango, due to COVID-19.

Thierry Doubert, publisher of the work of the famous Cameroonian saxophonist Manu Dibango, said that the artist died in France of COVID-19 at the age of 86. He further explained that the Cameroonian artist died in the morning of March 24 at a hospital in Paris.

According to Agence France-Presse, Dibango became the legend of the "Afro-Jazz", and is the first global star to die from the new coronavirus.

On Dinabgo’s official Facebook page, it was stated that the funeral will take place in a purely family setting, and later honor will be given to him at the earliest opportunity.

Manu Dibango is most famous for writing the 1972 single "Soul Makossa", which was a secondary song in a CD dedicated to the Cameroon national football team on the occasion of the African Cup of Nations. The song achieved huge success.

Dibango accused Michael Jackson of using the "Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa" hook without his permission in the song "Wanna Be Starting Something" that was released as part of the album "Thriller", before the artists eventually reached a financial settlement.

Later on, Rihanna used the same hook in her hit "Please Don't Stop the Music".