However , the man who loves paradoxes likes to repeat " that jazz does not exist ". Of masters , he concedes only three : “ God , Luther and Bach ”. Similarly , when asked about the instrument created by Adolphe Sax , he declared : “ I usually say that the saxophone does not exist . It ' s not him playing , it ' s me . With his deep timbre , he specifies : “ I play the tenor , it ’ s something you have to hold on to . So , I try to put my body into it . He considers that his role in Gospel Dream consists of " reinterpreting the voices that the soloists send back to him " with obviously a mastered art of improvisation , " this freedom in repetition " he whispers in conclusion . After Gospel Dream , Ben ’ s Belinga will be seen playing with Akanga Voices in 2016 , a group that will create a symbiosis of gospel jazz and soul with Christian Bourdon on drums and bass , and vocals Antide Bourdon , Adele Bourdon , Samantha Berchel and Camille Masson Concomitantly with his Gospel career Ben ' s Belinga Jazzman in the soul will set up a quartet with Georges Edouard Nouel , Valéry Lobé , and Laurent Evini . This quartet will perform several times in Germany , and in 2011 will release a CD at the Jazz Institute in Darmstadt
Ben ' s Belinga had a charisma that was expressed in his art and a certain sensitivity that allowed him to compose with disconcerting ease . Touching almost all genres of his native land , Ben ' s Belinga will lay his claws on various African music ( afrobeats ): Makossa , Bend skin , Mangambeu , Tchamassi , Assiko , Bikutsi , Mandinka music , styles that he grafts in places in his compositions . Generous , Ben ' s Belinga will often have helped his fellows , and shown the way to future generations . He will be personally involved in the creation of a music school in his native Cameroon and despite the administrative hassles , he will try to open a factory for wooden music instruments without success , in his country of origin . Sick for some time Ben ' s Belinga , was operated for a brain tumor . He will unfortunately die on February 16 , 2022 at the Tenon hospital , in the 20th arrondissement of Paris , France . Beyond an immense musical legacy , and an altruistic journey that will have helped the careers of several musicians . He was the father of 3 children .
Sources Madeleine Landry Elessie December 4 , 2012 Facebook post Nago Seck - Afrissons . anks to the musicians Paolo Pondy Christian Bourdon , and Laurent Evini who contributed to this article Hubert Marlin Journalist - Flashmag
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Flashmag ! Issue 126 February 2022