Based in Paris, Coco Mbassi is a Cameroonian singer/songwriter whose rich, expressive voice graces an array of styles from R&B-inflected pop to vocal jazz and Central African traditions. Already a seasoned backing vocalist, she made the jump to solo music with 2001's Sepia and its follow-up, Sisea. Appearances at the Live 8 Festival and a starring role with Cirque du Soleil followed ahead of 2014's Jóa, after which Mbassi composed her first musical, Haendel on the Estate. Her fourth album, 2020's Ashuka Series, Vol. 1, was an entirely a cappella set focused on vocal polyphony.

Born in 1969, Mbassi showed a talent for singing early on and at the age of seven won a children's' singing competition in Yaoundé, the Cameroonian capital. She moved to Paris in 1983 where she lived with her older sister, attended university, and immersed herself in the European dance and pop scenes. As Mbassi's musical interests progressed, she devoted more time to the rediscovery of African culture, as well as jazz and R&B music. The '90s saw her working as a singer in a popular multicultural gospel group and taking the stage as a backup singer for a number of luminaries from both African (Salif Keita, Touré Kunda, Manu Dibango, Oumou Sangaré) and Western (Dee Dee Bridgewater) music.

Mbassi's first solo outing was "Muenge Mwa Ndolo," a 1996 single that won the Radio France Internationale Découvertes Prize and eventually led to the creation of her first solo album. Released in 2001, Sepia combined a variety of elements including classical, a cappella, jazz, and world beat. Her understated arrangements and powerful voice drew critical acclaim ahead of her 2003 follow-up Sisea. After a 2005 appearance at the Live 8 concert in Cornwall, England, Mbassi released a live DVD featuring her touring band as well as several acoustic performances.

In 2011, she served as the lead female vocalist in the touring production of Cirque du Soleil's Totem, after which she recorded her long-awaited third studio album. Released in 2014, Jóa continued Mbassi's expression of lush worldbeat elegance and thoughtful songwriting. Later in the decade she branched out into composition, writing the musical Haendel on the Estate, which debuted in London. Her next release was 2020's spare, but lively Ashuka Series, Vol. 1, which featured nothing but a cappella vocal arrangements. A non-album single, "Palaba," arrived a year later. ~ Timothy Monger & Adam Greenberg, Rovi