The final minute of Jacksons 1983 hit “Wanna Be Startin Somethin ” contains the repeated phrase “Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa.” What does that mean?
Most of it means nothing, but the end references an African musical genre. “Makossa” originated on the streets of Cameroon in the 1960s and features a guitar accompanied by a stick-and-bottle percussion section. In 1971, saxophonist Manu Dibango released the song “Soul Makossa”—a modernized fusion of the style with jazz and soul—as a B-side to an anthem for the Cameroonian national soccer team. After an American label re-released the song, it became an international hit. Jackson then lifted the chant from Dibango’s tune for use in “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” (Dibango sued Jackson for copyright infringement in 1983 and eventually reached a settlement with him for an undisclosed amount.
Most of it means nothing, but the end references an African musical genre. “Makossa” originated on the streets of Cameroon in the 1960s and features a guitar accompanied by a stick-and-bottle percussion section. In 1971, saxophonist Manu Dibango released the song “Soul Makossa”—a modernized fusion of the style with jazz and soul—as a B-side to an anthem for the Cameroonian national soccer team. After an American label re-released the song, it became an international hit.
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