How Songs Were Made on Instagram: "The iconic chant “Mama-say mama-sa mama-coo-sa” in Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” comes from Manu Dibango’s 1972 Afro-funk song Soul Makossa, where the original phrase—“mama-koo mama-sa maku ma-ku-sa”—was a rhythmic vocalization, with “makossa” meaning “dance” in the Duala language of Cameroon. Jackson adapted it into his 1983 hit, adding infectious energy, and Rihanna later sampled his version in her 2007 single “Don’t Stop the Music,” which l

Makossa in Cameroon