Francis Bebey

Born in Douala, Cameroon, on 15 July 1929, Francis Bebey was a guitarist, composer, novelist, and ethnomusicologist who merged Cameroonian makossa with classical guitar, jazz, and early electronic music. Influenced by Andrés Segovia during his studies at the Sorbonne, he spent years documenting traditional African music for UNESCO before founding his own record label, Ozileka, in the 1970s — running a home studio at a time when such facilities were rare. His debut novel Agatha Moudio's Son (1967) won the Grand Prix Littéraire de l'Afrique Noire. He died in Paris on 28 May 2001, leaving a legacy that predates and rivals later celebrated electronic pioneers.