Makossa is a type of music that began in Douala, Littoral Region, Cameroon in the late 20th century. Like many other types of music from Sub-Saharan Africa, it uses strong electric bass rhythms and loud brass instruments. Makossa includes guitar music, such as solo and rhythm guitar, with one main singer and a group of backup singers. The music focuses on how the guitar sounds, its role in the song, how it works with other instruments like the bass, drums, horns, and synthesizers, the lyrics, the languages used (usually French, Duala, or Pidgin English), the use of percussion instruments like bottles, the rhythm of the bass and drums, and the use of technology like microprocessors to create the music. Most Makossa songs are in 4/4 time.

Makossa started in the 1950s, but the first recordings were made about ten years later. The style took ideas from other music, such as bikutsi and assiko, and later added complex bass rhythms, brass sections from funk music, and string sections from disco. It also borrowed a style called sebene from Congolese rumba. In the 1980s, Makossa became very popular in Africa and some other countries. It is considered one of the most important musical achievements from Cameroon and Africa.

The word "makossa" may mean "the contortions" or "(I) dance" in the Duala language. It came from a Duala dance called the kossa. A musician named Emmanuel Nelle Eyoum used the phrase "kossa kossa" in his songs with his group "Los Calvinos." Artists like Eboa Lotin, François Missé Ngoh, and especially Manu Dibango helped make Makossa famous worldwide. His song "Soul Makossa" in 1972 became very popular. It is the most sampled African song in history. A part of the song, "mamako, mamasa, maka makossa," was later used by Michael Jackson in his 1983 song "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." In 2007, Rihanna also used it in her song "Don't Stop The Music." Many other musicians have used Makossa in their songs. In 2010, during the World Cup, Shakira used a Makossa song called "Zamina mina (Zangalewa)" in her music.

Etymology

The word "makossa" comes from the Duala words "m'a" and "kossa." The word "kossa" was originally a term that was part of a new type of word. It was first used as a loud cry to encourage someone and later became a type of strong word used to express anger or frustration. In the book Le Makossa: une musique africaine moderne, there is a passage that includes this description.

In the same book, the author explains that Remy Minko Mba, a journalist who has passed away, wrote about this topic.

In the original French version of the book, a passage includes the translated version of this description.

In Cameroonian Pidgin English, a similar word that might be the root of "makossa" is "kosh." One of the meanings of "kosh" is "to insult, abuse, curse, or swear at," which matches the context of how the word "makossa" originated.

Origins

Before the word "makossa" was created, the music began in the late 1800s. The term "makossa" was introduced by Nelle Eyoum. He started shouting "kossa kossa" to children, who would dance in response. This was similar to how people shout to encourage others during daily activities. The shouts were used to inspire dancers to move more intensely during the most exciting parts of a song, called "secousse" or "balle à terre."

Although Nelle Eyoum coined the term, others helped develop the music. In the mid-1960s, Ekambi Brillant helped shape makossa through his popular recordings. Many musicians, including Lobe Lobe Rameau, Mouelle Guillaume, and others, contributed to its growth.

Makossa became one of the most popular music genres in Cameroon. It influenced music in the country for more than 50 years and spread to other parts of West and Central Africa. It grew from the mix of musical traditions during the colonial era and the connection between the West and sub-Saharan Africa in the 1700s.

At the same time, new ideas, technologies, and music styles from Europe reached Africa. These influences led to new forms of music along the coasts of West and Central Africa. For example, the Kru people of Sierra Leone and Liberia, along with musicians from the French Congo, brought their own musical styles to cities like Douala.

This blending of old and new traditions created new ways of making and experiencing music. It led to many new artistic forms in West and Central Africa. Makossa emerged from this mix, shaped by new ideas and styles.

Makossa began when Nelle Eyoum combined sounds from Douala ambasse bey, Bassa assiko, and highlife music from Ghana and Nigeria. He used shouts to encourage children to dance in the 1950s.

Assiko is a music style found in parts of Cameroon, including the Littoral, Centre, South, and North-West regions. Each region has its own version of assiko, with different rhythms, melodies, and instruments. For example, "hard assiko" is fast and lively, while "cool assiko" is smoother. One famous type is the "Bottle dance" from the North-West region, which uses bottles as percussion instruments.

Bassa Assiko, in particular, influenced makossa. It has a fast, uneven rhythm and uses a lot of guitar and percussion. The guitar plays both background and lead parts. Makossa is like a slower version of Bassa Assiko. Some songs, like "Mintoa Mintutu" by Nkotti Francois, show this connection. There was also a disagreement between Toto Guillaume and Jean Bikoko Aladin about whether Guillaume copied Aladin’s song "Samedi Soir" by slowing it down.

Makossa developed around the same time as the fight for independence in Cameroon. Local leaders wanted to create music that reflected their own culture, inspired by movements like Negritude and black American politics. After colonists left, new spaces like "palm wine bars" gave musicians a place to perform. These bars served local drinks like "bilibili" and "arki." Small groups of musicians, including guitarists and singers, played traditional songs. The availability of electricity and musical equipment, along with events like "bol" dances, helped makossa grow.

Makossa has roots in traditional rhythms that helped shape its identity. Many musicians learned music in Baptist church choirs before moving into secular music. The Duala people, who are mostly Protestant, influenced makossa through the use of female voices in choirs.

Highlife is a popular West African music style that started in Sierra Leone, then Ghana, and later Nigeria in the 1920s. It mixes Western and traditional sounds. Highlife uses many instruments and styles that match different social groups. The word "highlife" reflects the new urban culture created by colonialism.

By 1930, two main styles of highlife existed: one with brass instruments and Western instruments, and another with guitars. The guitar-based style influenced makossa’s use of guitar and harmony.

Merengue began in the Dominican Republic in the 1800s. It started with African drums and later added Western instruments like the accordion and brass. Merengue influenced many urban African music styles, including makossa, which was popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Joseph OWONA NTSAMA noted that merengue’s tempo affected makossa.

Original rumba came from Cuba, created by African slaves. It mixes Spanish, African, and Caribbean styles. Rumba spread from Cuba to the Americas, Europe, and Africa, where it merged with highlife to support independence movements in Africa. In the Congo, rumba became smoother and more rhythmic, leaving a lasting impact on makossa. Musicians like Vicky LONGOMBA, Docteur NICO, and others were influenced by rumba’s guitar techniques.