Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique: Ali Baba

Frank Bessem's
Musiques d'Afrique:

Ali Baba (1956-2004)
(Cameroon)

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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.

Born: 1956, in Garoua, North Cameroon as Amadou Baba Ali, died 15 May 2004
Style: Goumba Soula Gandjal

Discography:

Title	Year	Label	Remarks
Kano	2001
Je suis guéri	1996
On ne tape pas la femme	1989	Sonodisc
Danse Africa	1987	SM/KA 002	Local cassette
Le demon de la danse africaine	1985	Safari Ambiance SAS
Ali Baba 85 (Kaï Haba)	1984	Safari Ambiance SAS 056