„Jâbeâ“ is the debut album by Jeano Elong, published by Not OK Records in late 2024. Jeano Elong comes from Eboné, a village in the Nlonako district, a three-hour drive north of Douala. With the exception of two songs (“Common”, “Vieux Fascistes”), all are sung in Bakaka, the language spoken in Eboné.
It was produced by Not OK Records founder Christoph Twickel, who also plays guitar on the album, and Ted Gaier (Goldene Zitronen); it was largely recorded at Gaier’s “Art Blakey Studio” near Hamburg’s fish market, and that’s exactly how it sounds: Jâbeâ is a beautiful hybrid of Cameroonian and African styles and the Hamburg underground. Jeano’s songs have their roots in Cameroonian or African genres such as makossa (“Mkoum”), bikutsi (“Mâleâ”, “Êboma”) or hilife (“Mboa”), yet you can hear that they were played in Altona and St. Pauli. Accompanied by the drums and percussion of Babatunde Agonglo (Benin), Massa Dembele (Burkina Faso, djembe and balafon) and Oded Kafri (Israel, drums), accompanied by fuzz-driven electric piano sounds, Korg Volca beats, psychedelic Juno synthesizers and edgy guitars in the style of Kid Creole or Talking Heads.
Recorded at Art Blakey Studio / Not OK Studio / Hamburg 2024
Produced by Ted Gaier / Christoph Twickel
Mixed by Ted Gaier
Mastering by Garvin Weiss
Artwork by Simone Kesting
Thanks to Babatunde Agonglo / Massa Dembele / Harm Hinz / Erica Kafack / Oded Kafri / Marinette Kamga / Simone Kesting / Toto Lightman / Carla Riveros / Christine Schulz / Nina Schwabe / Not OK Jazz
dedicated to mu mother Naono Madeleine / Nlonako Fhone Cameroon