About the performance

Coco Mbassi performs five acoustic versions of songs from her upcoming album rooted in traditional African music with elements of blues and jazz. Themes of human lives, family, children, faith, well-being, displacement and death are explored using rhythm and intricate melodies.

Key Personnel

Serge Ngando Mpondo - Composer, arranger, band leader
Coco Mbassi - Author, composer, lead singer

Production Information

Running time at full length: 1hr 30 (negotiable)

Suitable for all ages

Medium use of text

Use of live music

Does not require a clear understanding of English or another language. Some use of Duala which is explained before each song.

Touring Information

Suitable for a show of any scale

Appropriate for an indoor setting

Number of people on tour: 3 (without technical personnel or manager, otherwise 6-8)

Number of performers on stage: 3

Ready to tour ASAP

Suitable for rural touring

Outreach and Educational Work

I have frequently lead workshops (such as African polyphony/polyrhyhm vocal workshops) for interested and selected audiences when on tour.

Company History

Winner: Radio France Decouvertes Contest,1996, German World Music CD Critics Award. 2001; nominee BBC World Music Awards 2002
Major concerts:
Amazing Africa, 2010
Barbican 2009
Eden Project Live 8 2005
Louisiana International Festival
Festival d’Eté Montréal; Nuits d’Afrique Québec,
Haus der Kulturen der Welt Berlin, Afroprojekt in Würzburg
Brotfabrik, Germany
Womad festivals Reading, UK; Caceres, Spain; Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Singapore, Womadelaide...
500+ concerts in Germany
Albums, SEPIA (2001), SISEA (2003)
DVD, Coco Mbassi Tour

Recent Productions / Tours

We (my husband and I) have just finished recording my 3rd album; it is ready for release and we are in discussions with record labels at the moment, and have started exploring tour offers.

Reviews

"Cameroonian singer songwriter Coco Mbassi describes her music as a “tree with deep African roots and branches that extend some towards classical music, some towards soul, gospel and jazz, and others towards Latin music and even pop music”. Her songs and her voice which exude warmth and soul have made her a fond favourite of WOMAD audiences across the world." Oxford Contemporary Music Events, 2010.

"A famously soulful West African singer and songwriter known for her mellow vocals and charismatic presence. Coco made her name as a backing vocalist with leading African and French pop artists based in Paris, including Salif Keita, Oumou Sangare, Touré Kunda, Manu Dibango and Ray Lema. Together with her husband, the guitarist Serge Ngando Mpondo, she has produced two albums, offering some characteristically stirring acoustic performances." Realworldrecords.com, 2005.

"Coco Mbassi, born in Cameroon and transplanted to Paris, harmonizes and multiplies her melancholy alto on "Sepia" (Tinder), an album of delicate, inward-looking songs. The lyrics, in the Douala language, often preach Christian messages, but they're delivered with the sensuality of Sade and the ingenuity of Zap Mama. Vocals often float above little more than subdued hand drums and a syncopated acoustic bass. Although Ms. Mbassi hasn't abandoned African rhythms, her music aims not for the dance floor, but for a chill-out lounge or a private moment at home." NY Times, 2003.