Henri Dikongué (born 6 December 1967) is a Cameroonian singer and guitarist.
Dikongué was born in
Douala to a family of musicians. He attended a music school in Paris, where he attempted unsuccessfully to release a first album. He started a music and acting troupe and worked with actor Martin Yog and musicians Alfred M'Bongo and Manuel Wandji, as well as
Maranatha, a South African chorus.
After finally choosing to settle in Paris in 1989, he perfected his skills with classical guitar and collaborated with African musicians such as
Manu Dibango and
Papa Wemba
Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba (14 June 1949 – 24 April 2016), known professionally as Papa Wemba (), was a Congolese singer and musician who played Congolese rumba, soukous, and ndombolo. Dubbed the "King of Rumba Rock", he was one of the ...
. In 1995 he released his first album, ''Wa''. His music mixes elements from
makossa,
bikutsi,
reggae and
rumba. He sings in his native tongue,
Duala Duala or Douala can refer to: Relating to Cameroon
* Duala people, an ethnic group in Cameroon
* Duala language, part of the Bantu languages
* Douala, the largest city in Cameroon, founded by the Duala people
* Rudolf Duala Manga Bell (1873–1914 ...
.
His second album, ''
C'est la Vie'', was released in 1997 (in the US under the Tinder Records label) and sold about 10,000 copies. Between 1997 and 1998, he toured Germany and the United States.
His third album, ''N'oublie jamais'', was released in 2000. This album incorporated more musical styles such as
reggae and
flamenco, but the album wasn't as successful as his previous works.
Discography
* ''Wa'' (1995)
* ''
C'est la Vie'' (1997)
* ''N'oublie jamais (Never forget)'' (2000)
* ''Biso Nawa'' (2005)
* ''Diaspora'' (2016)
References
External links
Official website of Henri DikonguéBiography (French)National Geographic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dikongue, Henri
1967 births
Living people
Cameroonian guitarists
21st-century Cameroonian male singers
20th-century Cameroonian male singers