Endorsers
StartseiteEtienne Mbappé from Cameroon is considered one of the world’s
best electric bass players. His technique and rhythmic sense are amazing and he
has created a great musical genre of his own, transcending the frontiers
between african music and other styles such as jazz, fusion/funk, rock,
singer/songwriter and even classical music. Best known for his years with the
Zawinul Syndicate (2000-2003), Etienne Mbappé has also toured with Steps Ahead,
Ray Lema, Mayra Andrade, Salif Keita and Manu Dibango. Many years ago, he also
played with the French National Jazz Orchestra (ONJ) under the direction of
Antoine Hervé and formed the two fusion bands Ultramarine* and Chic Hot. 2000 -
2003 he played with Joe Zawinul, and he can be heard on several of his
recordings, for example „Faces And Places“. In 2001 Etienne played on Ray
Charles’ last album. His style is extraordinary - just like the fact that he
wears silk gloves while playing his instrument due to a very aggressive sweat
from his hands that "can kill a string in minutes"!
His music constitutes a unique fusion between traditional cameroonian rhythms
(Makossa, Bolobo, Sékélé) and more modern music. His first solo album
"Misiya" (released on the French label O+) also reveals a singer
whose voice is smooth and deep. In the cameroonian dialect "Douala"
he sings of love, of friendships, of his son’s eyes… But his music also
features more upbeat songs that show his unique feel for dance rhythms and his
great talent for arrangements and instrumentation, including a string quintet.
The second album "Su La Také" was released in the spring of 2008, and
2013 saw the release of "Pater Noster", Etiennes beautiful third solo
album.
http://www.etiennembappe.com