The best-known Cameroon music Makossa, made popular in France by certain famous musicians such as Manu Dibango.

This region, however, to the west of the country, harbours many other rhythmic jewels, sortie of which are still restricted to traditional music.

Thanks to the work of the experienced Cameroon musician Brice Wassy, we car today (re)discover the amazing sounds of "Manga Mbeu", "Kou Nga" and "Bikoutsi", among many others.

Although this music was originally played for funerals in the Cameroon, it gradually found its way into dance halls and even weddings.

Brice Wassy began his musical life by playing on saucepans and frying pans. At the age of seven he found himself in a fifteen-piste band in a Yaoundé club, followed I y a number of different groups so that, by the age of twelve, hic, entire world was music.

In 1974 he came to Paris and played with Wally Badarou and then Manu Dibango for six years. He was much appreciated by his colleagues, and hic, 1981 album "Waka Juju" brought his talents to a wider audience.

His musical path from then on brought him into contact with other musicians such as Pierre Akendengué (Gabon), Francis Bebey (Cameroon), Uta sella (Cameroon), Touré Kounda (Senegal), Daniel Balavoine, Louis Chédid and Jacques Higelin (France) as well as jazz musicians (who greatly admired his skill with compound rhythms) including Colin Walcott, Don Cherry and Jim Pepper (USA). In 1984, Brice Wassy, after taking part in the recording "Soro", became the musical director of the Kalif Keita orchestra for the next six years. He also performed with Myriam Makéba, and joined Tam Tam L'Europe, a vine-man percussion band. At this period Wassy was often to be seen (and heard) in the best jazz clubs in Paris.

All this wealth of experience, together with his Cameroon roots and his varied native rhythm patterns, came to fruition when Brice Wassy began to write his own music. Its enticing rhythms were boom successful, and in 1991 he co-produced an album with Jean-Luc Ponty, engaged the musicians himself and composed mort of the music, which provided the album title, "Tchokola" [Chocolats]. Brice Wassy today makes the mort of this colourful music, so deeply rooted in Africa and yet so open to other styles. Although "Kù Music" is astoundingly complex, beneath it lies the pure simplicity of "African Jazz Pance", an invitation to join in the music-and more music.