{"id":53894,"date":"2024-08-21T23:51:15","date_gmt":"2024-08-21T22:51:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neonmusic.co.uk\/?p=53894"},"modified":"2024-10-23T10:27:29","modified_gmt":"2024-10-23T09:27:29","slug":"cracking-the-code-of-mama-say-mama-sa-mamakusa-the-groove-behind-the-gibberish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neonmusic.co.uk\/cracking-the-code-of-mama-say-mama-sa-mamakusa-the-groove-behind-the-gibberish","title":{"rendered":"Cracking the Code of Mama Say Mama-Sa Mamakusa: The Groove Behind the Gibberish"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Afro-Funk Roots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Manu
Manu Dibango<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dive into the history books, and you won’t find many phrases that shake the dance floor quite like “mama say mama-sa mamakusa.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This catchy sequence of sounds first popped onto the scene in the 1970s, riding the waves of Cameroonian saxophonist Manu Dibango\u2019s infectious tune, “Soul Makossa.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This track wasn\u2019t just music; it was a funk-infused passport to rhythmic ecstasy, melding jazz zing with African beats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=7JQGd65yEQE\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Language Behind the Groove<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While everyone loves to belt out “mama say mama-sa mamakusa,” not many can tell you what it means. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Linguists and musicologists have tangoed over its origins, suggesting it might stem from Duala, a language spoken in Cameroon, where “makossa” quite fittingly means “dance.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s like Dibango was secretly inviting his listeners to groove, and they didn\u2019t even need to understand the words to feel the vibe!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael Jackson’s Iconic Spin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward to the 80s, and who do we find giving these words a new lease on life? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

None other than Michael Jackson<\/a>, the King of Pop himself, in his hit “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MJ tweaked the chant to “mama say mama sa mama coosa,” a version that had everyone from toddlers to grandmas grooving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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