39
In 1993 , she released a second eponymous album on the major BMG label . The French public discovered her through the song Frou- Frou , the theme tune of a very popular TV show in France . Koko Ateba , the eclectic guitarist ’ s second album , will also contain other highly appealing tracks , including : Si Jeu , Wake Me Up , Nuits DE Chine , Te Wo Na , Nnem Wa Tai , Taxi , Elle Danse , Black Feeling , Petite Pierre . In 1994 , she released a duet single with Chris Marlow ( Laisse-moi en toi ).
Around the same time , a hyper-possessive partner forced Koko to give up a career as a TV host with a leading French TV channel . The torments of love that she sang so well seemed to come true with this umpteenth unfortunate episode in her life . Despite all her European exile , Koko Ateba had a son . James , whom she raised with the strength of a mother ’ s love .
Years later , Koko Ateba would forgive her beloved country , Cameroon , and return there to perform concerts , including the fiftieth anniversary of independence in May 2010 .
Koko Ateba was not only an artist , but above all a woman of her time , who also took a stand against apartheid in the 80s , hence her song Nelson Mandela never give up , released in 86 .
Flashmag ! Issue 156 January 2025
She was also concerned about Africa ’ s place in the concert of nations . She saw pan-Africanist movements flourish on social networks from the 2010s onwards , and often lent an attentive ear to them , exchanging cordial views with Internet users in all simplicity .
In 2017 , when her beloved country , Cameroon , found itself at a crossroads with a war of secession , Koko Ateba , who has never changed her nationality , sent a poignant message of unity and dialogue through a video published on social networks .
39