In 1989, the twins Epée & Koum burst onto the makossa scene with a bang. The two nephews of Nelle Eyoum, a historic figure in makossa itself, got their start in church choirs in Douala, before Aladji Touré gave them the boot. It was Touré who produced their first albums on his own label, Touré Jim’s Records. The bassist is at the helm of this first album, which includes two medleys of the great mkossa hits, entitled Makossa Collection Non-Stop. The compositions are performed by seasoned studio sharks Guy Bilong, Gilly Doumbé, Ernest Mvouama and Justin Bowen. The classic Hatot / Bolognesi / Giausserand brass section is on board, with backing vocals by Sissy Dipoko and Charlotte Mbango. Touré got the twins to cover songs by Douleur, Emile Kangue, Dina Bell, Hoigen Ekwalla, Toto Guillaume and others. The recipe worked perfectly, and the craze for the twins’ covers exploded. The album mixes soukous and makossa, to the delight of dancefloors everywhere!
Makossa Collection Non-Stop – Epée et Koum, 1989
