Princewill Pius
Throughout his lengthy career, Manu Dibango collaborated with numerous artists, including American pianist Herbie Hancock and Nigerian multi-instrumentalist Fela Kuti, a fellow Afrobeat pioneer, according to the BBC.
Regarded as the “Giant of African Music” by many, Dibango was more passionate about his art than about the spotlight. Still, he was embroiled in some Hollywood drama in the ’80s when he filed a lawsuit against none other than the “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson, according to Variety. At the time, Dibango claimed that Jackson stole a hook from his famous song “Soul Makossa” for two tracks on his best-selling album, Thriller. The line, “Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-makossa,” from Jackson’s 1983 song “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” was the one he allegedly lifted from Dibango’s chorus on “Soul Makossa.”
After much debate, Jackson eventually settled the case out of court in 1986, giving Dibango a big legal win. Per Variety, Dibango tried to file another lawsuit years later in 2009 against Jackson and Rihanna, who sampled “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” on her track “Don’t Stop The Music.” That claim, however, was found inadmissible.
Written by: Nicki
