Official Announcement of the Death of Mr. Jacob Nguni
Dear Cameroonians, Friends of Cameroon, Music Lovers & Well Wishers,
It is with deep regret and sorrow that we announce the death and passing into glory of one of the more complete persons’ that Cameroon has ever produced; music celebrity Mr Jacob Nguni.
Jacob Nguni as he was popularly known, not only in Cameroon & Nigeria, but throughout Africa passed away from the complications of a blood cancer, that he fought and confronted with heroism and bravery. That was an epic battle that he almost won.
Mr. Nguni was an internationally acclaimed music super star. He was a guitar player par excellence, a singer, a composer, a producer, a coach. He mastered all aspects of music from A to Z, playing an uncountable number of musical instruments and he influenced the career of so many musicians all around the world.
Mr. Nguni’s musical career spanned more than half a century. His devotion to music cannot be gainsaid. His love for the beats and singing started when he was only 6 years old. By the time he was 16 years old, that is when he was discovered by Prince Nico Mbarga in Nigeria, essentially kicking off his professional music career. He later cemented his legacy when he became the lead guitarist of the famous “Prince Nico Mbarga & The Rocalfill Jazz”. From his raw talent and magic fingers on the guitar, they churned out classics in Africa throughout the 1970s and roaring 1980s. Such classics included Sweet Mother, Happy Birthday, Christiana and so on. They toured several countries in Africa & Europe during this time including Gabon, Congo Kinshasa, South Africa, Sierra Leone and England. “Sweet Mother” was eventually voted Africa's favorite song by BBC readers and listeners
Mr Nguni lived in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area, where he was raising his children at the time of his death. In addition to his musical stardom, this guitar genius was an active member of the Cameroonian Community in the US Diaspora. He wrote and spoke both French and English perfectly well. He was a prolific writer on several topics of concern of Cameroonians in the Diaspora ranging from social issues, academics, health, engineering & technology, politics and you name it. He was a real “Cameroonian in Miniature” for he was reared in Kumba with origins from the Dschang area and friends from all strata of society. No matter who you were a buyam sellam or CEO, Minister, you felt at ease with him. He positively touched the life of so many people in the world.
The organization of his funeral here in the US will be a gigantic task of unseen proportion. In order to streamline and coordinate the organization of a well-deserved funeral for this once in a lifetime larger than life phenomenon, and in alignment with the specific wish of the deceased and his family, a Central Committee called “Jacob Nguni Memorial Organizing Committee” has been created.