le grand Manu...
Manu came to the Sziget like a great king of Africa, the big bald man and his inimitable smile and deep, deep voice... Those voices that remind us of story-telling when we were tiny and listening to words unveiling landscapes full of soul and colours. The Makossa Crew gives the set the lightness it needs for the festival: An excellent second tenor-saxophone from England, a great pianist/singer from France, a very groovy Bass player from Cameroon, a fusion and fantastic stylish drummer from Cameroon also, a Percussionist from the US, Guitarist from North Africa, and a lovely young vocalist on the backing-vocals.
Somehow, Manu knows his team perfectly, and plays around the whole stage, eventually reducing the chances of getting a 'clishé'-shot of him somewhere along the line, at some point during the lion's dance. The king of Yaoundé sounds so fresh and in form it's hard to believe he's just celebrated his 72nd Birthday!
A bit of rain raises an umbrella in front of me, but I still keep on enjoying what I dream of being Yaoundé's dance-floor hymns. The nostalgia behind the deep voice is one of simple pleasure, it is just there, a full presence surrounding my eagerness...
I feel like a goat somewhere between Morocco and and the forests of Niger - enjoying the taste of Hungarian rain dropping down my neck while the crowd enjoys a careful, calm, and deep swing from side to side.
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