About Me
Blick Bassy was born and spent his childhood in
Yaounde, Cameroon. At the age of 10 Blick was sent to
his grandparents to receive an initiation into
traditional customs and culture. Blick’s grandparents
train Blick to perform a variety of tasks among which
were hunting, fishing, agriculture but also in and
with a pronounced emphasis on their musical
traditions. For in Mintaba, a small village situated
in the center of Cameroon, all activities are
accompanied by music and it is here that Blick
discovers the Bolobo (chant for fishing), the Dingoma
(chant and percussion for the inauguration of Mbombock
chiefs), the Bekele (chant and percussion for
weddings), the Hongo (chants for funerals), the Assiko
(guitar percussion, chant and dance) among others.
After two years in Mintaba, Blick returned to Yaounde
and it was here that he was exposed to and inspired by
the music of International artists like as Marvin
Gaye, Gilberto Gil, Nat King Cole whom his parents
frequently play at home.Five years later Blick created his first band,Jazz
Crew, which played a fusion of African melodies, Jazz
and Bossa Nova. Jazz Crew’s talent quickly made it the
most solicited band in the city as well as a frequent
winner of interscholastic music competitions. Jazz
Crew became the youngest group to be invited to play
in the first ever Festival sous les Manguiers
(Festival under the mango trees) in Yaounde.In 1996 that Blick created and joined another band
called Macase. A ten year adventure quickly ensues
culminating in two reputed albums: Etam in 1999 and
Doulou in 2003. Macase becomes the recipient of many
regional and International prizes including the RFI
Prize for World Music in 2001, Best Group by MASA in
2001, Best New African Group by the KORA Awards in
2003, the CICIBA Prize in 2003.In addition to his role as lead singer and main
composer of Macase, Blick produced and arranged an
album for Hip Hop aspiring artist Koppo in 2004. The
album, Je Go written in camfranglais, a Cameroonian
fusion of French, English and local languages, sold
over 200 000 copies, an enormous and unprecedented
success for any Cameroonian Hip Hop artist.In 2005 Blick decides to move to France to focus on
preparing a solo album. Blick’s forthcoming album is
primarily acoustic with a soulful hue and a
Cameroonian foundation. Blick’s guitar compositions
and warm voice are enriched by the Kora, calabashes
and a counter-base resulting in a unique, haunting and
subtle sound. It is a sound that brings us deep into
the forests of Mintaba.Blick Bassy as a solo artistIn 2005 Blick Bassy decided to be a solo artist. Being
a musician of several capacities, singer / songwriter
and reknown producer, Blick Bassy quickly seduced
audiences and collaborated with the likes of Manu
Dibango, Cheikh Tidiane Seck, Rido Bayonne, Gustave
Parking, Keziah Jones, Jay Lou, No Bluff Sound,
Etienne Mbappe as well as Lokua Kanza who composed the
song “Man Nyui†for his first album.Blick Bassy symbolizes the resurgence of a new wave of
Contemporary African Music. He is a regular performer
in some of the better known concert halls in Paris: La
Scene Bastille, le Sentier les Halles, le Canal Opus
and most of all le Baiser Sale, the mythic Parisian
jazz club where he has obtained a residency.In the beginning of 2007 Blick Bassy releases his
first solo album, sung in French, Bassa and English.
The album included 12 songs stemming from various
influences and fusing the African origins of the
singer with Soul, Jazz and R&B resulting in an
original, fine tuned, haunting sound.Blick Bassy’s album is the reflection of his travels
and cultural encounters: nomadic melodies gone from
Africa to meet the world over a period of 16 years.
From his Assiko and Bekele memory to his passion for
Blues, Jazz and Soul, Latin rhythms, Blick Bassy takes
us with him in his musical voyage, his musical mosaic.
