Editing Manu Dibango (section)

== Early life ==
Emmanuel "Manu" Dibango was born in [[Douala, Cameroon]] in 1933. His father, Michel Manfred N'Djoké Dibango,<ref>{{Harvnb|Dibango|Rouard|Raps|1994|p=xii}}</ref> was a civil servant. Son of a farmer, he met his wife travelling by [[pirogue]] to her residence, Douala.<ref name="Dibango1">{{Harvnb|Dibango|Rouard|Raps|1994|p=1}}</ref> Emmanuel's mother was a fashion designer, running her own small business.<ref name="Dibango4" /> Both her ethnic group, the [[Duala people|Douala]], and his, the [[Yabassi]], viewed this union of different ethnic groups with some disdain.<ref name="Dibango1" /> Dibango had only a stepbrother from his father's previous marriage,<ref name="Dibango2">{{Harvnb|Dibango|Rouard|Raps|1994|p=2}}</ref> who was four years older than him.<ref name="Dibango8">{{Harvnb|Dibango|Rouard|Raps|1994|p=8}}</ref> In Cameroon, one's ethnicity is dictated by one's father, though Dibango wrote in his autobiography, ''Three Kilos of Coffee'', that he had "never been able to identify completely with either of [his] parents".<ref name="Dibango2" />

Dibango's uncle was the leader of his extended family. Upon his death, Dibango's father refused to take over, as he never fully initiated his son into Yabassi customs. Throughout his childhood, Dibango slowly forgot the Yabassi language in favour of the [[Duala language|Douala]]. However, his family did live in the Yabassi encampment on the Yabassi plateau, close to the [[Wouri River]] in central Douala.<ref name="Dibango2" /> While a child, Dibango attended [[Protestant]] church every night for religious education, or ''nkouaida''. He enjoyed studying music there, and reportedly was a fast learner.<ref name="Dibango4">{{Harvnb|Dibango|Rouard|Raps|1994|p=4}}</ref>

In 1941, after being educated at his village school,<ref name="rfimusique">{{citation|url=http://www.rfimusique.com/siteen/biographie/biographie_6095.asp|title=Biography&nbsp;– Manu Dibango|year=2007|newspaper=[[Radio France Internationale]]|access-date=9 September 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906180726/http://www.rfimusique.com/siteEN/biographie/biographie_6095.asp|archive-date=6 September 2008}}</ref> Dibango was accepted into a colonial school, near his home, where he learned French. He admired the teacher, whom he described as "an extraordinary draftsman and painter".<ref>{{Harvnb|Dibango|Rouard|Raps|1994|p=5}}</ref> In 1944, French president [[Charles de Gaulle]] chose this school to perform the welcoming ceremonies upon his arrival in Cameroon.<ref>{{Harvnb|Dibango|Rouard|Raps|1994|p=6}}</ref>

In 1949, at age 15, Dibango was sent to college in [[Saint-Calais]], France. After that he attended the lycée de [[Chartres]] where he learned the piano.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2020/03/24/le-saxophoniste-manu-dibango-est-mort-des-suites-du-covid-19-annoncent-ses-proches_6034197_3382.html|title=Mort du saxophoniste Manu Dibango, qui a succombé au Covid-19|first1=Patrick |last1=Labesse|magazine=[[Le Monde]]|language=fr|date=24 March 2020|access-date=24 July 2020}}</ref>