Francis Bebey (French: [bəbɛ]), born on July 15, 1929, in Douala, Cameroon, and died on May 28, 2001, in Paris, France, was a Cameroonian expert in music, writer, composer, and radio announcer.
Early life
Francis Bebey was born in Douala, Cameroon, on July 15, 1929. He went to college in Douala and studied mathematics. Later, he studied broadcasting at the University of Paris. He then moved to the United States and continued his broadcasting studies at New York University. In 1957, Bebey moved to Ghana because Kwame Nkrumah invited him. He began working as a broadcaster in Ghana.
Music career
In the early 1960s, Bebey moved to France and began working in the arts. He became a musician, sculptor, and writer. He was the first African musician to use electric keyboards and machines that could be programmed to make music. He played these alongside traditional African instruments. His most well-known novel was Agatha Moudio's Son. From 1961 to 1974, he worked at UNESCO and became the head of the music department in Paris. This job let him study and record traditional African music.
Bebey released his first album in 1969. Between 1975 and 1997, he released over 20 albums on Ozileka. His music mainly used a guitar, but he also included traditional African instruments and synthesizers. His style combined Cameroonian makossa with classical guitar, jazz, pop, and electronic music. Critics said his music was groundbreaking, "intellectual, humorous, and profoundly sensual." He sang in Duala, English, and French.
Bebey helped start the career of Manu Dibango. He also played a key role in making the ndehu, a one-note bamboo flute made by Central African pygmies, more famous. Bebey did research among pygmy tribes, focusing on their musical traditions.
Literary career
Bebey wrote novels, poetry, plays, tales, short stories, and nonfiction works. He started his writing career as a journalist in the 1950s and worked as a journalist in Ghana and other African countries for a French radio network called Société de radiodiffusion de la France d'outre-mer (SORAFOM).
Bebey wrote poetry, including "Black Tears" (1963), a poem about the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. His first novel, Le Fils d'Agatha Moudio (Agatha Moudio's Son), was published in 1967 and won the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire in 1968; it is still his most well-known work. His novel, L'Enfant pluie (The Child of Rain), published in 1994, received the Saint Exupéry Prize.
In addition to writing about childhood and adult life, Bebey also created tales based on stories from the African oral tradition.
Death and legacy
Francis Bebey passed away from a heart attack in Paris on May 28, 2001. He was survived by his children, Patrick, Toups, and Kidi, and his wife.
John Williams composed a piece called "Hello Francis" to honor Bebey. The piece is based on the Makossa, a traditional dance rhythm from Cameroon that Bebey often used. It also includes a musical quote from Bebey's work "The Magic Box" and a hidden section from J.S. Bach.
The song "Everything Now" by Arcade Fire includes a flute part from Bebey's composition "The Coffee Cola Song." The flute was performed by Patrick Bebey, who was Francis Bebey's son.
Awards
Francis Bebey received the Grand Prix de la Mémoire from the GPLA in 2013 because of his important work in writing. This award honors important writers from modern Cameroonian literature who have passed away. In 1968, he received the Grand Prix Litteraire De L'Afrique Noire for his first book, Le Fils d'Agatha Moudio (Agatha Moudio's Son). The Grand Prix Litteraire De L'Afrique Noire is a prize given to writers from Black Africa. In 1994, his book L'Enfant pluie (Rain Child) won the Prix Saint Exupéry award.