I remember that we sometimes had to bribe the guards or sneak out to play in a cabaret , which was the reservoir of what was being done as live music in the capital , Yaoundé . At the same time , it has to be admitted that in Yaoundé , artists were much more focused on live concerts , whereas in Douala , Cameroon ' s other big musical city at the time , artists were more into covers . The cabaret Le Philanthrope , in a workingclass district of Yaoundé called Mvog Ada , is where I learned my trade with my musician brothers . We often had to bypass the vigilance of our parents and brave the night and the walks to get there .
When you were young , did you want to make a career in music ? If so , did you have a plan of attack to achieve it ?
I was the youngest of 4 sisters and 3 brothers . As I said earlier , I played without thinking too much about a career in music . In fact , I started playing drums , which was my instrument of choice . I only played bass from time to time before going on stage .
Even though you were already involved in the music world in your native Cameroon , I ' d like to know how going to the West for the first time influenced your vision of music ?
I went to France to study architecture . At the time , it was out of the question for me to continue my musical adventure . In fact , my parents had decided that I should be followed by my sister , who was already living in France . It wasn ' t easy at first ; I had to juggle my studies with music . However , being in France opened up my horizons , as I arrived in a country where there were all the resources necessary for a musician to flourish .
And I ' d like to go a step further and ask you if you could give us a comparative description of what the di erent continents you ' ve lived on have contributed to your vision and the construction of the artist you are today ?
Africa is , of course , the source — the one that initially defined who I am and what I could bring to the world . Europe , the United States , Brazil , and Japan are all parts of the world that have enriched the artist . You ' re always nourished by your experiences and encounters with di erent cultures .
Because I ' m African at heart , it ' s been easy for me to find myself in many di erent cultures and styles of music . Even if the language of music is universal , it was easy for me , as an African , because Africa is the mother of the world , to easily understand the musical identity of others because they spoke to me through their discreet or noisy similarities with African culture .
e experience of Ogoro Gang , who became one of the most promising Afro-Funk stars in France in the early 80s . Why did you choose this name for your band ?
The Ogoro Gang was a period during which Africans were entering the Western musical universe like a tornado , not by assimilating but by imposing their way of doing things . And that ' s what the Ogoro Gang was all about : showcasing our African identity , even using modern tools and the waves of the time .
Later , you teamed up with your brother , drummer Félix , to form the group Xamahal . In short , a family a air in music . Can you tell us about this step ?
Of course , it was a logical continuation of what I ' d already done with the Ogoro Gang .
After that , of course , it was almost the inevitable Manu Dibango , with whom you were touring at the time . So , we get the impression that you ' re really on the jazzier side of your career . Did you forget about funk and rock at that point , or are they still there ?
Playing with Manu Dibango was one of the major turning points , if not the major turning point , in my career . When I was very young , I arrived with a fiery rock and funk background . We wanted to break away from everything and play our way . Manu was able to channel our energy while giving us the freedom to play as we saw fit .
e late ' 80s and early ' 90s saw your arrival in the United States , first in 1989 to play in the studio on Paul Simon ' s Rhythms of Saint album , then the tour that followed , and above all , that concert in front of 750,000 people . What goes through the mind of young Armand Sabal ? Is he thinking , " I ' ve arrived ," or " is is a milestone ; what ' s next ?" How do you feel about this new stage in your career ?
Flashmag ! Issue 147 January 2024
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