When the famous Cameroonian guitarist Zanzibar passed away in 1998, it caused consternation within the public opinion. His talent as a musician and singer having crossed the national borders, it was absolutely normal that the circumstances of his death be questioned. The rumour goes around: the member of the group “Les têtes brûlées” died after being poisoned by a woman or one of his colleagues. Which is not true, according to the biography retracing his journey as larger-than-life Bikutsi soloist. A book published in February 2013 under the title”Zanzibar, la passion bikutsi” (Zanzibar, the passion for Bikutsi) amd written by Joseph Fumtim and poet An Cillon Perri.

Nevertheless, even if it ingenuously pushes away the poisoning idea, this book does not clearly state the cause of the death of this young icon (Zanzibar was 26 years when he died).

Even today, Joseph Fumtim still has difficulty stating the exact cause of death of the Essingan singer (90’s hit song). “My conviction is that his death is linked to several factors. One of them is the consumption of drugs, on the day before his death. An aspect that many testimonies corroborate”, highlights Mr Fumtim before saying that Zanzibar's death remains a mystery. Better to keep significant memories.

M.N.M.