Francis Bebey (French: [bəbɛ], 15 July 1929 in Douala, Cameroon – 28 May 2001 in Paris, France) was a Cameroonian musicologist, writer, composer, and broadcaster.
Though Bebey's music is now widely praised, it created controversy at the time due to its blending of African and Western traditions.
[8] His style merged Cameroonian makossa with classical guitar, jazz, pop, and electronics,[9] and was considered by critics to be groundbreaking, "intellectual, humorous, and profoundly sensual".
[10] Bebey released more than twenty albums over his career,[11] and was also known for his poetry, including "Black Tears" (1963), a poem dedicated to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
[2] Bebey had a major role in popularizing the n'dehou, a one-note bamboo flute created by the Central African pygmies.
[12] In addition to exploring childhood and adult experiences in his works, Bebey also wrote tales drawn from the African oral tradition.
The Grand Prix de la Mémoire is an award dedicated to major writers of contemporary Cameroonian literature who have died.