 Francis Emmanuel Ndoumbe was
born in Douala, Cameroon. Like most kids, he began to enjoy
music at an early age. Traditionally, in Africa, children
ages three and up, grow-up dancing and/or singing in various
folkloric groups. His first experience was when he was about
five years old. He had to sing and played a part in a small
show presented by the church that he attended on Sundays. He
grew up listening to a variety of music, but had a deep love
for Caribbean music - in particular Cuban music - probably
because of the colorful sounds and the harmony of its rich
rhythms connected with Africa. The entirely original album
debut of the above mentioned singer/songwriter reflects his
enduring romance with Cuban Son and other musical traditions
of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. After all, the Caribbean
region and the African continent may be separated by
thousands of miles of ocean, but they share profound
cultural connections that were immediately recognized by the
Africans who first began hearing Cuban Son on scratchy 78s
that made their way across the ocean from Havana in the
1930s. By the mid-twentieth century, some of the best
African music was influenced by Cuba. It should be noted
that the Son, which was exported to Africa as rumba, is the
basis of Congolese soukous, the most popular dance music in
all of Africa. He has been performing in different venues in
and around Los Angeles, such as the famous Century Club in
Century City, the Granada Ballroom, Hollywood Park Casino,
just to name a few. He has also been a featured artist on
the syndicated television show, KJLA's "Adelante Hispanos."
His music has also been played on various radio stations in
Los Angeles and Orange County, as well as the internet radio
stations, noting that his show is live and backed by the
well known Son Y Clave Orchestra that recorded the music for
his album "Africaribe Soy." |