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• Denis Tchangou (drums / percussions)
• Henri Marcel Mbom (bass)
• Joëlle Esso (backing vocals)
• Kristo Numpuby (lead vocals / guitar)

• country:
  Cameroon
• region or city:
  Central Africa
• style(s):
  Afro Folk
• label:
  Lon Yes
• type:
  Solist
• gender:
  male
• instrumentation:
  instrumental, vocal
• artist submitted by:
  Pure Son'G

Born in Paris, Kristo Numpuby was however brought up in Eseka (the tropical forest of Cameroon). This is where he discovered a very particular rhythm: assiko.
Although he was immersed in a kaleidoscopic musical environment, it was Assiko that really caught his imagination.
Assiko is a guitar plucked in a very distinctive way with a rhythm drummed out by knives on an empty bottle. An acquired taste with very particular techniques that, like the blues, represent a way of living rhythm.
When he moved back to Paris in 1986, he started working on material that led to two albums : "Assiko City" and "An Sol Me".
These were followed by tours during which he built up a loyal following. This is due to the fact that Numpuby is also very much a live performer of many talents, alternating between jokes, grimaces and using his cheeks to imitate the sound of a balafon.
Although largely based on Assiko, his compositions also feature finely patterned traditional African music, Afro-American folk, blues, jazz and Brazilian and Cuban accents.
Kristo recently recorded with drummer Denis Tchangou (Mory Kante, Papa Wemba ...) an album entirely devoted to the chanson legend George Brassens. The result is "Brassens in Africa", an album that illustrates the beauty of cultural crossovers but also a warm tribute to the French poet on African rhythms.
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Ne a Paris, Kristo Numpuby - prononcez noum-pou-bi - est eleve a Eseka (foret tropicale camerounaise). C'est la qu'il y decouvre un rythme particulier : l'assiko.
Bien que Kristo soit baigne dans un univers musical kaleidoscopique, c'est sur ce rythme qu'il jette son devolu.
L'assiko, c'est une guitare au pincement particulier et un rythme execute par des couverts et une bouteille vide. Une musique d'inities a la technique singuliere qui, a l'instar du blues, represente une maniere de vivre le rythme. S'installant a Paris en 1986, il y sort quelques annees plus tard Assiko City et An Sol Me .
Deux albums suivis de tournees grace auxquelles il se cree un public fidele. Car il est aussi un homme de scene aux talents multiples, alternant blagues, attitudes comiques, quiproquos, jouant de ses joues pour imiter des sons de balafons.
Dans ses compositions, on y retrouve bien sur l'assiko mais aussi d'autres musiques traditionnelles africaines finement rythmees, du folk afro-americain, du blues, du jazz et des accents bresiliens ou cubains.
Kristo a recemment enregistre avec le batteur Denis Tchangou (Mory Kante, Papa Wemba...) un album entierement dedie a Georges Brassens. Le resultat est Brassens en Afrique , un album temoignant de la beaute du metissage culturel mais egalement un chaleureux hommage au poete setois rythme par les musiques d'Afrique et de la diaspora.

Links

• MySpace Website
• official web site