BEBEY, FRANCIS

born July 15, 1929, Douala, Cameroon writer, guitarist, and composer of international reputation. Trained at the Sorbonne and New York University in musicology and French and English literature, Bebey first became known as a musician. By 1967 he had made several recordings and had performed in New York City and Paris as well as in Africa. That same year his first novel, Le Fils d'Agatha Moudio (1967; Agatha Moudio's Son, 1971), won the Grand Prix Littraire de l'Afrique Noire, and the following year Embarras et Cie: nouvelles et pomes (1968; nine short stories, each accompanied by a poem) was published. His later works include La Poupe Ashanti (1973; The Ashanti Doll) and Le Roi Albert d'Effidi (1973; King Albert). Bebey claims that his wide experience as a radio broadcaster has affected the style of his stories, which he directs toward hearers rather than readers. Critics found his first novel a carefully constructed masterpiece of burlesque. Bebey has also written a book on broadcasting in Africa (having worked on several French-language African radio stations and on a broadcasting project for UNESCO) and two books on African music. His verse has appeared in a number of journals and anthologies, and his several recordings have been well received.