Soul Makossa

Label

Atlantic Records

Genre

Jazz-funk

Media Type

45s

Duration

4:30

Composer(s)

Manu Dibango

Entered Chart

Jun 23, 1973

Peak Date

Jul 28, 1973

Released

1972

Recorded

1971

Catalog #

Atlantic 2971

B-Side

"Lily" (reissue)

"Soul Makossa" is a song by Cameroonian saxophonist and songwriter Manu Dibango, released as a single in 1972. It is the most sampled African song in history.[1] The song was originally recorded as the B-side for "Hymne de la 8e Coupe d'Afrique des Nations", a song celebrating the Cameroon national football team's accession to the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament, as well as Cameroon's hosting the games for the first time; the lyrics were written by Cameroonian poet and musicologist S.M. Eno Belinga. Except for some words in English, it was written in Duala, a native dialect continuum from Cameroon. Manu Dibango later recorded a new version for his 1994 album Wakafrika, titled "Mouvement Ewondo". In 1972, David Mancuso found a copy in a Brooklyn West Indian record store and often played it at his parties at The Loft. The response was so positive that the few copies of "Soul Makossa" in New York City were quickly purchased. The song was subsequently played heavily by Frankie Crocker, who deejayed at WBLS, then New York's most popular black radio station. Since the original release was so obscure, at least 23 groups quickly released cover versions to capitalize on the demand for the record. Later in 1972, American-based Atlantic Records licensed the original Manu Dibango version from French record label Fiesta, and released it as a single (with the B-side track being "Lily"). The single peaked at number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1973; Dibango's original version of the song and a cover by Afrique were on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart at the same time. The song also became an international hit leading to even more cover versions by various groups around the world. The song is probably best known for the chanted vocal refrain "ma-ma-ko, ma-ma-sa, ma-ko ma-ko-sa", which was adapted and used in songs by many prominent artists such as Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" from his album Thriller (1982) and Rihanna's hit single "Don't Stop the Music" from Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). The refrain is a play on the word makossa, Dibango's main music genre. In 2011, a second version of the song titled "Soul Makossa 2.0" was recorded in France by Manu Dibango and Wayne Beckford and was issued as the first single from Dibango's album, Past Present Future. In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked the song number 35 in their list of the "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time". The 2024 PBS series Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution explores the importance of "Soul Makossa" to the history of disco music

How you doing?
Oh, shit
I ain't seen you in a long time, girl
Uh huh, party, party
Now wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute
Now wait a minute
California knows how to party
California knows how to party
In the city, of L.A.
In the city, of good old Watts
In the city, city of Compton
They're Poplocking, woo
Poplocking in Rolls-Royce, Cadillacs, Lincoln and Mercedes-Benz
Poplocking in Howard Johnson, Sheraton
Poplocking at the Holiday Inn
Poplocking in Hollywood, it's understood
While listening to the Mac
Poplocking at Broadway, everyday
To the preacher's rag
So rough, so tough, out here, baby
So rough, so tough, out here
California knows how to party
California knows how to party
In the city, of L.A.
In the city, of good old Watts
In the city, city of Compton
They're Poplocking
Dance, dance, disco style
It's all on the West Coast
Living good and playing hard
Cruising the Boulevard
Leaning and feeling
And you won't be dreaming
That's what it's all about
So rough, so tough, out here, baby
So rough, so tough, out here, baby
So rough, so tough, out here, baby
So rough, so tough, out here, baby
Woo
Lock it up, baby
Woo, ya
Lock them shoulders
Lock them arms
Now lock that neck
You just raise those fingers in the air
I swear it's getting mighty funky out there
There's a party over here
There's a party over there
Can't I get a right on, cuz?
Playboys
That's cool, clean and mean
Can't I get a right on, cuz?
Right on
So rough, so tough, out here, baby
So rough, so tough, out here
California knows how to party
California knows how to party
In the city, of L.A.
In the city, of good old Watts
In the city, city of Compton
Woo
They're Poplocking
Poplocking in Rolls-Royce, Cadillacs, Lincoln and Mercedes-Benz
Poplocking in Howard Johnson, Sheraton
Poplocking at the Holiday Inn
Poplocking in Hollywood, it's understood
While listening to the Mac
Poplocking at Broadway, everyday
To the preacher's rag
So rough, so tough, out here, baby
So rough, so tough, out here
California knows how to party
California knows how to party
In the city, of L.A.
In the city, of good old Watts
In the city, city of Compton
Woo
They're Poplocking
Dance, dance, disco style
It's all on the West Coast
Living good and playing hard
And cruising the Boulevard
Leaning and feeling
And you won't be dreaming
That's what it's all about
Woo
So rough, so tough, out here, baby
So rough, so tough, out here, baby
So rough, so tough, out here, baby
Shake your booty and bust your soul
Get up, get up
Shake your booty and bust your soul
Get up, get up
Shake your booty and bust your soul (make you wanna scream, make you wanna scream)
Get up, get up
Shake your booty and bust your soul (make you wanna scream, make you wanna scream)
Get up, get up
Shake your booty and bust your soul (make you wanna scream, make you wanna scream)
Get up, get up