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FM Groove is a music-production company that implements the expansion of creative thoughts. Rooted in traditions and incorporating modern production techniques, FM Groove is a catalyst for the unfolding of cultural heritages.
Formed in 2000, FM Groove has been developing its array of content products to position itself as a production company known for it's highly developed unique sound and artistic resources with a base in afro-modern movements.
Founder, Francis Mbappe, has been involved in the music industry for over twenty years and has extensive experience within the field of recorded music and performance.
This project started out as a vision of Francis Mbappe to bring people closer together through the universal connection of music. As the world has been in such as state of chaos, Francis believes that if he can bring talented musicians together from various points in the globe that each share the common special talents in the arts, he can possibly shed some light to those who come in.
The first series of performances were held at and sponsored by the Kampo Cultural Center in New York City. the nights included artists from the USA, Europe, Japan, Africa, and South America. Francis recorded all of these performances and will make a live CD from these nights.
This is a non-profit entity, whereby all profits will go to a chosen African Children's Music Fund.
Several FM Groove Artists' tracks
are featured on the
"Fuse This Jazz" program
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Francis Mbappe / CD Title: FM Tribe vol. 1
Review by Dr. Ana Isabel Ordonez at: jazzreview.com
"FM Tribe vol. 1 is a perfect representation of Cameroonian bassist
Francis Mbappe’s significant discography. The arrangements and choices of
musicians brighten this album, testifying Mbappe’s musical wisdom. The band
shows a true stylistic unit --despite their different origins -- and in
every track of this release, one recognizes instantaneously the brilliance
of this musician and great producer which proves his real identity."
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"Think of all the things you may have liked about modern African music over the last thirty years, combine that with some of your favorite American R&B and jazz concerts over the last forty years, and you start to get a picture of the music of Francis Mbappe." (World Discoveries, July 2005).
A mixture of simplicity, virtuosity and humility, Francis Mbappe's songs reflect the many planes of a life full of adventure, strength, passion and fire of a man turned to the Modern World and the Future but deeply attached to his Roots and Traditions. "The main thing I try to keep is the African authenticity," he says, "that is my fight".
©FM Groove website
Coumba Sidibe, known the world over as the multititled Queen of Malian music, performs music of West Africa. She has toured in Africa, Europe and the US. Her first album is the highest selling album in Africa for a female vocalist. She is from a big Artist family in Mandigue where her parents and grandparents were the most famous vocalist singers of Wassolo in Mali. She won the best female vocalist in National Competition from 1974 to 1977. The Malian People discovered from Coumba Sidibe that "Wassolo Sound" is the richest traditional sound of Malian music.
©FM Groove website
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Solade, born Andrea Lindborg, is of Argentine and American descent and was raised in the Marshall Islands. She has performed at Lincoln Center's "Night of the Cookers" as a featured jazz trumpet player, and has toured extensively with jazz and afrobeat bands in the US and abroad.
A tantalizing mixture of simplicity and cool intelligence, Solade's debut album promises to invoke and inspire. Her style is a blend of island and jazz, and her collaboration with FM Groove's founder Francis Mbappe provides a musical texture rooted in traditional and original African rhythms. The result is entirely unique, with passion, humour, dedication, hope and love...
©FM Groove website
New album coming soon to be sold on fmgroove.com. Les Tetes Brulees (meaning burnt-out heads) is a band from Cameroon that started as a reaction to the popularly projected image of Bikut-si musicians and fans. (Bikut-si is one of the many traditional musics of Cameroon).
According to Jean Marie (band leader), "I wanted to present musicians living in Cameroon, playing only bikut-si, the sort of music that people don't want, but that the musicians decide to play anyways and succeed. When you try something your own way, and succeed against all odds, then you are a Tete Brulee."
The recording of this album is complete and is in need of editing and mixing.
©FM Groove website
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