Si Tcha – Sam Fan Thomas, 1986

In 1986, Sam Fan Thomas hammered home his makassi, his own take on makossa, edgy and funky as hell, two years after his first album of the genre. On the A side, Si Tcha and Noa are two immediate hits, propelled by the rhythm of Jojo Kuoh and Michel Alibo, supported on percussion by Jean-Pierre Coco. Philippe Guez and Jean-Claude Naimro share the keyboards, while Toto Guillaume plays the strings. Makassi can’t be imagined without sharp brass instruments, and Sam Fan Thomas has drawn on the classic sources of zouk and afro-pop, with Claude Romano, Fred Hovsepian and Claude Thirifays. Add in the top-quality backing vocals of Sissy Dipoko and Florence Titty-Dimbeng, and you’ve got it!