Soukouss has long been cited as the peak of Congolese rumba. This was not necessarily because it was the most creative of the subgenres, but because of its extraordinary popularity. The fast-paced subgenre surpassed its counterparts by breaking the continental barrier and gaining a following in Europe, the United States, Latin America, and Asia. However, during Soukouss’ peak, a closely related genre known as Makossa emerged from Cameroon and threatened to dethrone it from the position of Africa’s most popular music. One of the driving forces behind the rise of this emerging genre was Sam Fan Thomas.
The new success of Congolese music was partly midwifed by a mass exodus of musicians from Kinshasa to Europe, particularly Paris. The migration was driven by the superior recording studios and more elaborate marketing channels available there, which promised musicians better financial prospects than they had enjoyed at home.
For the first time, musicians could make good money simply by appearing in studios to participate in recording sessions. This broke the traditional structure of band membership, where musicians existed primarily as members of established groups. The new arrangement encouraged greater freelancing, a practice also known in Congolese music as nzing nzong.
With the epicenter of Congolese music shifting from Kinshasa to Paris, Makossa took advantage of the void created back home and flourished. Sam Fan Thomas, Prince Eyango, and other Cameroonian superstars kept the continent dancing. Makossa is closely related to Congolese rumba, although there are notable differences in both its musical structure and history. Both genres rely heavily on the electric guitar, with other instruments providing color and additional flavor. However, Makossa places greater emphasis on rhythm and bass, with the solo guitar either absent or playing a marginal and often negligible role. Both genres feature horns, particularly saxophones and trumpets, although over time these instruments increasingly gave way to guitars as the dominant voices in the music.
An ear accustomed to Congolese rumba may keep waiting for a solo guitarist to track the vocalist’s melody from the fretboard, fitting in the patterns of triads repeatedly struck by the rhythm guitar. In Makossa, however, the song is often complete without that additional role.
This means the rhythm guitarist has to be exceptionally thorough because there is no solo guitarist to cover for his inadequacies, as all the attention is on him. The musical concentration is placed heavily on the rhythm section. The resultant beat is funkier and therefore more danceable than Congolese rumba. The genre therefore became more of Congolese rumba flavored with some Western influence.
One man who excelled in this area was Sam Fan Thomas. He drove crowds wild with his rhythm guitar. His band was also a spectacle to watch on stage with well-rehearsed dance moves.
His album Makassi, particularly the song “African Typic Collection,” released in 1984, gained immense popularity in Africa, Europe, and the West Indies. The album enjoyed massive success, including a Golden Disc award.
“African Typic Collection” became a dancehall anthem across the continent. It was a must-play on radio, in entertainment joints, at events, and even in local dances.
This success did not happen in isolation. Other Makossa musicians were also enjoying considerable popularity during the era, releasing songs that became continental hits. For Sam Fan Thomas, who had begun his musical career several years earlier, it was the moment to step into the international limelight and tour the world, performing before audiences far beyond Cameroon.
The Makassi album by Sam Fan Thomas features “African Typic Collection,” “Sabina,” “Rikiatou,” “Makassi (Suite),” “Anna,” “Funk Makassi,” “Mogwo,” and “Ngouze.” The song was also marketed through different compilations, including releases carrying the title Makossa. Sam Fan Thomas once told a Nairobi television station that he had performed across the world and in almost every region, perhaps with the exception of China.
Born Samuel Thomas Ndonfeng in Bafoussam, western Cameroon, in 1952, Sam Fan Thomas began his musical career in 1968, playing guitar for the famous band Les Tigres Noires, led by André-Marie Tala. Tala became particularly popular in the 1970s, with Sam Fan Thomas emerging as one of his most dependable guitarists. André-Marie Tala played an important role not only in mentoring Sam Fan Thomas but also in sharpening his guitar skills. Tala himself was an accomplished guitarist. As with Congolese rumba, the success of a Makossa song or band depended heavily on the quality of its guitarists. Makossa has its ancestral home in the coastal city of Douala, on the Atlantic coast of Cameroon, where it emerged in the 1950s. It was initially an energetic dance style characterized by rhythmic handclapping.
The genre was a convergence of several influences, including Congolese rumba, which had spilled beyond the borders of the Congo, the highly successful highlife of Nigeria, Latin American jazz, and traditional Cameroonian folk music. As with virtually every evolving musical genre, new elements were introduced while others were discarded. Over time, these changes transformed Makossa into a distinctive musical style of its own.
Taking Makossa to its peak was not the work of one man. It was the result of the collective efforts of several of Cameroon’s leading musicians, including Manu Dibango, Eboa Lotin, Manulo Bombe, Prince Eyango Ndedi, and many others. Makossa, whose name is derived from the Douala dance term kossa, meaning dance, had pioneers such as Manu Dibango, who helped give the emerging genre international recognition. However, it was the new generation of musicians, among them Sam Fan Thomas, that helped popularize it across Cameroon and beyond.
Another important name was Eboa Lotin, whose contribution further enriched the development and popularity of the genre. Sam Fan Thomas has since embarked on a journey to mentor younger musicians, including artists from neighboring countries such as Benin, Togo, and Gabon. He is set to return to Nairobi for the “Machoka at 50” concert, scheduled to take place at the Ulinzi Sports Complex on 10 October. Other guests scheduled to perform include Congolese stars Koffi Olomide and Mbilia Bel.
This will not be his maiden performance in Nairobi. Sam Fan Thomas is no stranger in Nairobi. He has toured the Kenyan capital several times over the years. Despite the Makossa embers having subsided, those who dance it will always find it nostalgic, reliving past moments with appearances by the superstar.
BY: JEROME OGOLA