Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique: Kristo Numpuby

Frank Bessem's
Musiques d'Afrique:

Kristo Numpuby
(Cameroon)

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Kristo Numpuby is born in Paris, but grew up in Eseka, Cameroon, in the forest area, and the home region of the bassa. Although he has been exposed to various styles of music, it was the assiko that really caught him. Assiko, the rhythm of the bassa people, is generally played with a guitar, plucked in a particular way, and with a knife ticking a frenetic rhythm on an empty bottle. Kristo receives his first guitar at the age of 12, and when he was 18, he created a trio in which he is the lead singer. They played essentially assiko, a music until then solely played by the elders, not by young people. After a few years at the University of Yaoundé, he left for Paris in 1986 where he continued studying and he ended up making publicity spots. The music was a bit left aside, but at one moment, he urgently needed music for a radio spot. He quickly composed « Morning Limbé ». Slowly, it brought back his interest for music. He started working as a studio musician and as a bassist sideman. During a tour by Kanda Bongo Man in Ghana in 1994, Kristo Numpuby met Stevie Wonder who had asked him if he could hear some of Kristo's music. He realised that it was time to record his music. The following year, he recorded his first album « Assiko City », that was released in 1997.

Kristo Numpuby performed in the New Morning venue in Paris in December 1997, and started to have a loyal following, just because of his performance, where he shows his talents, interlaced with small jokes and an imitation of the sound of the balafon with his fingers and his cheeks.
After his second album « An Sol Mè » released in 2001, he intensified the frequency of his performances, not only in Paris but also in other cities of France. A third album features an interesting interpretation of the music of Georges Brassens in an African context, based on an idea of Denis Tchangou.

The music of Kristo Numpuby, although largely based on assiko, uses elements of African music, afro-american folk, blues, jazz as well as Brazilian and Mediterranian accents.

Check out his web site for more information, pictures, audio files, video [link...].

Born: 16 July 1964 in Paris, France
Style: Assiko

Photo courtesy Franck Vorgers

Discography:

Title	Year	Label	Remarks
Kristo Numpuby chante... Brassens en Afrique	2006	Lon Yes LY 6403
An Sol Mè	2001	Night & Day NDCD 080	/Lon Yes LY 6402
Assiko City	1997	Lon Yes LY 6401