Cameroon music icon dies from coronavirus in France

By Felix Tih

ANKARA (AA) - Manu Dibango, a veteran Afro-jazz star, has died from the coronavirus in France, his family announced on Tuesday.

"It is with deep sadness that we announce you the loss of Manu Dibango, our Papy Groove, who passed away on 24th of March 2020, at 86 years old, further to covid 19," his family said in a statement on Facebook.

Dibango was a Cameroonian musician and songwriter who plays the saxophone and vibraphone.

He developed a musical style fusing jazz, funk and traditional Cameroonian music.

Last week, his family announced that Dibango was "resting well and calmly recovering."

He was named UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2004.

The virus first emerged in Wuhan, China last December and has spread to at least 168 countries and territories. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a pandemic.

There are more than 382,000 confirmed cases worldwide and the death toll now tops 16,000, while over 101,000 people have recovered, according to U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.