The Jukebox Rebel

Mbarga was just 7 years old when he recorded his first album, “Ravissante Baby”. The Cameroonian lived in Paris in the 1970s with his parents. Father Jean, was a great impresario to the many African artists in Paris at the time. On the debut LP, the French and Cameroonian musicians were arranged by Victor Edimo (who played bass) and included Michel Morose (synths) and Toto Guillaume (guitar) in the line-up. One further album followed a year later (“Crazy Tube”) but Francis did not pursue a musical career. His first LP was reissued, with the singer’s consent, by the Hot Casa label in 2015, and included an extensive interview with Francis himself, who ended up working as a computer programmer.