Psychedelic Sanza 1982-1984

There is so much to discover about prolific Cameroonian artist Francis Bebey. While some know him for “The Coffee Cola Song” (with an infectious riff on the one-note bamboo flute reminiscent of Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man”), others in the academic sphere know Bebey as the polymath responsible for enhancing the field of Musicology with his African Music research. Amusingly, neither Bebey audience seem to know the other side of him, e.g. one day my Ethnomusicology Professor assigned Francis Bebey reading for our exam, and I asked “as in the Coffee Cola Song guy??” to which she stared at me blankly. On Psychedelic Sanza 1982 – 1984 both sides of Francis Bebey (groovy and scholarly) coalesce as he synthesizes his passion for electronic music with his study of traditions such as the instrument sanza (AKA sansa / mbira / thumb piano), and Pygmy music staples: one-note flute and polyphony. Psychedelic Sanza is a mind-altering journey that leaves you feeling reborn, like you’ve just emerged from a week of vision seeking in the forest.