Anne-Marie Nzié

Anne -Marie Nzié ( born 1931 or 1932 in Lolodorf - Bibia ) is a Cameroonian singer, who is in her home enjoys great popularity and is referred to, inter alia, as the "Golden voice of Cameroon " and " Queen Mother of the Bikutsi ", as it is considered a pioneer of this style of music is considered. It has a song repertoire in various languages ​​, which is considered stylistically versatile.

Career

Youth and early career

Anne -Marie Nzié grew up as the daughter of a Presbyterian minister in Bibia on, a village near the town Lolodorf in southern Cameroon, and sang as a child, especially in the local church choir. At the age of twelve she suffered at Mango Picking a serious accident, which led to a long hospital stay. During this time she learned of her brother Moïse, who was active under the name of Cromwell as a musician, playing on the Hawaiian guitar; also she trained her singing voice. By the late 1940s, she supported with her guitar playing her brother in joint appearances. In 1954 they recorded their first single called " Ma Ba Nze " on the Congolese Opika label; more followed. After winning a government-sponsored guitar competition, which was organized by the German guitarist and composer Siegfried Behrend, she appeared in the second half of the 1950s on as a solo singer with her Hawaiian guitar, which is very unusual for a woman at this time in Cameroon had. She was accompanied only by a banjo player and later by guitarist Emmanuel Ntonga whose older brother she married in 1958.

1960-1981

On the occasion of the independence of Cameroon in January 1960 Nzié occurred along with the Makossa pioneers Nelle Eyoum and Ebanda Manfred for the first President Ahmadou Ahidjo. In the next few years Nzié developed with their Bikutsi songs to one of the most popular singers in her country, although the Makossa represented the dominant music genre in the sixties and seventies. In particular, their song " Dieu Merci ," in which she thanked God for his support during the struggle for independence of Cameroon and other African countries, was very popular. As a result, there was a good relationship with the ruling dictatorial President Ahidjo, who attached great importance to patriotic oriented music while musicians often regierungskritischere censorship and repression were exposed and partially evaded abroad. Ahidjo sent Nzié also as a cultural ambassador for their home country at various international music events. In addition, she was the only woman who was allowed to record for the local Africambience label in Douala, which at times took up the stars of the Makossa music style, Manu Dibango and Francis Bebey. In 1968, she signed a record deal in Paris at the French Pathé Marconi label, which produced three of their albums. On this occasion, she also took part in the recording of a charity EP of the Food and Agriculture Organization, to which artists such as Gilbert Becaud and Miriam Makeba presented different interpretations of the song " Le Bateau Miracle ".

It was followed by appearances at the major Pan-African Music Festival Panaf, 1969 in Algiers, and FESTAC, 1977 in Lagos. From 1979 she was a member of the Cameroonian National Orchestra.

1982-1999

After the seizure of power in 1982 by the second President of Cameroon, Paul Biya, the Bikutsi music style was strongly encouraged. In 1984, the recording of the album Liberté Nziés followed. On this was the same song an updated version of their hit " Dieu Merci ," which she dedicated Biya, who had to fend off a coup attempt in the same year. The song, which addressed the independence of Cameroon again evolved in the decades to become an unofficial anthem of the annual independence celebrations. But the opposition made ​​use of several times in the song. He was, for example, a few years later - with modified text and against the will of the government-friendly artist - from the opposition party led by John Fru Ndi SDF used in the campaign against the government.

Nzié withdrew despite the success of the music business. When she threatened to deplete the mid-nineties, the friendly radio journalist René Ayina organized in 1996 a few concerts, which led to a great response. In 1998 they finally managed, with the participation of singer Coco Mbassi (* 1969), her first album in fourteen years, Beza Ba dzo, out, on which they, combined elements of the Bikutsi music style with influences of jazz blues and Latin music. In the coming months she toured including through France and Germany for example and entered on the World Music Festival Musiques Métisses in French Angoulême and the Moers Festival.

2000 to today

In 2008, she was in her home country - on the occasion of their 60 - year anniversary - honored on behalf of the President with a series of events and received by Ministerpräside60jährigennten. In addition, we asked her a house in her home village and a car available. Back in 2001, the Cameroonian authorities had them, in recognition of her artistic life's work, awarded a cash prize and given her a house in Yaounde after, besides the politicians Josepha Mua and Gwendoline Burnley, one of the three " women of the 20th century " Cameroon was chosen.

In 2009 died with Pascal Onana a long-time companion, who had accompanied her thirty years as a guitar player. 2010 announced Nzié to want to record a new album. In the same year Nzié again presented her song "Liberty " at various concerts to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Cameroon's independence.

Discography (selection)

Solo albums

• Liberté (1985, Pathé Marconi)
• Beza Ba dzo (1998, Indigo )