a little bit of background
"....Ali Bongo appears to have run out of popular support. His father Omar Bongo ran Gabon from 1967 until his death in 2009, when Ali Bongo succeeded him. Both were accused of amassing huge personal wealth and running the country for their own financial benefit. Crowds in Libreville, the Gabonese capital, took to the streets on Wednesday to celebrate the demise of what was in effect a 56-year family dynasty.
“There’s nothing worth anything in Gabon in which the Bongos don’t have an interest,” said Chidi Odinkalu of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, adding that they were “were basically using Gabon as a family estate”. Despite France’s strong condemnation of the coup, Bongo’s lack of popular support suggested there would be little appetite — internally or externally — to restore him to power, Odinkalu said...."
And then there;s this pretty terrible album
View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1978 Vinyl release of "A Brand New Man" on Discogs.
www.discogs.com
"This album is a curiosity. Alain’s mother is Patience Dabany, who had connections with many American musicians. Alain’s father was president of the central African nation of Gabon. The story goes that James Brown and his band stopped in the capital of Libreville on their way to the Rumble In The Jungle boxing match in Kinshasa in 1974, and Alain convinced the band to back him up on his album. That’s right...This is James Browns band playing on this album! Alain never pursued a career in music, and instead converted to Islam, changed his name to Ali and pursued a career in politics. He is now the president of Gabon just like his father."
*may not be true about the JBs - Fred Wesley is credited, but another Discogs theory says "Nashiville-based Motown group Bottom & Co. recorded the music tracks", which seems more likely to me as it doesn't sound anything like the JBs.
news.sky.com
