“Mama say mama sa mama coosa.” Even if you don’t know these words by heart, you’ve likely chanted along to them in Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” or Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music.” This catchy refrain has puzzled and energized listeners for decades. Where did it come from, what does it mean, and how did it become a pop culture phenomenon?
In this article, we’ll dive deep into the history of “mama say mama sa mama coosa,” tracing its origins in a 1970s Afro-funk track, its adaptation by the King of Pop, its re-emergence in 21st-century hits, and the myths and meanings surrounding it.
By the end, you’ll know exactly why this nonsensical-sounding line is one of the most famous chants in music – and you might even find yourself singing along with new appreciation.
Origins: Manu Dibango’s “Soul Makossa” (1972)
Manu Dibango’s 1972 hit “Soul Makossa” introduced the world to the now-famous chant “ma-ma-ko, ma-ma-sa, ma-ko-sa.” Released as a B-side in Cameroon, the track unexpectedly became an international sensation and is often cited as the first disco record to break into the American Top 40.
In fact, “Soul Makossa” is considered the most sampled African song in history. Its infectious groove and chanted refrain caught fire in New York dance clubs and quickly spread worldwide.
The words in “Soul Makossa” aren’t random gibberish – they’re a playful riff on the Duala (Douala) word “makossa,” which means “(I) dance” in Cameroon’s Douala language. Makossa is also the name of a popular Cameroonian dance music style.
In the song, Dibango doesn’t literally say “mama say mama sa mama coosa”; he chants “mama-ko, mama-sa, ma-ko ma-ko-sa,” essentially stuttering and rearranging the word makossa for rhythmic effect. According to Manu Dibango’s autobiography, even his family noticed the creative liberty he took with the word. His father teasingly asked, “Can’t you pronounce ‘makossa’ like everyone else? You stutter: mamako mamasa.”
In other words, the chant was meant to invoke the spirit of dance, not convey a literal sentence. It was a catchy bit of musical improvisation – one that would soon take on a life of its own.
For a taste of the original, check out Manu Dibango’s “Soul Makossa” in a 1973 live performance (the source of that irresistible chant). Watching the clip, you can practically feel the birth of a musical legend.
Michael Jackson’s Adaptation on “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” (1982)
A decade later, the hypnotic refrain from “Soul Makossa” found its way into the recording studio with Michael Jackson. While working on his 1982 album “Thriller,” Jackson (a known perfectionist and music lover) was inspired by Dibango’s chant and decided to embed it into the climax of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.”
He tweaked the wording slightly to fit the song’s uptempo groove, singing it as “mamase, mamasa, mamakusa” – phonetically very close to Dibango’s original African cha. The result was an unforgettable hook that added a world-music flair to an already infectious pop song.
Jackson’s song doesn’t explain the phrase’s meaning – and indeed, “mamase mamasa mamakusa” doesn’t have a direct translation. It functions as a joyous, urgent call to dance, perfectly matching the song’s high-energy vibe. Many English-speaking fans simply heard it as playful nonsense syllables. In “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” the line arrives in the finale like a burst of adrenaline, repeated over and over to a climactic frenzy.
As one Guardian writer described, “the King of Pop ends the chorus with a nonsensical chant, ‘mama-say mama-sa ma-ma-coo-sa,’ words that sound awfully close to the Duala chant in Dibango’s classic ‘Soul Makossa’. In other words, even if listeners didn’t know the African origins, they could tell Jackson was channeling something catchy and exotic.
It was no secret that Jackson borrowed the line. He openly acknowledged the inspiration and, according to news reports at the time, made sure to give credit where it was due. In fact, Michael Jackson admitted to borrowing the chant and settled a deal with Manu Dibango out of court.
This early settlement (reportedly a financial arrangement) was Jackson’s way of saying “thanks” to Dibango for the hook – and it cleared the way for him to use the phrase in his song. According to Dibango, after the settlement he and Jackson were on good terms; a New Yorker obituary even noted that the two later became friends.
For Jackson, the line was simply too good not to use, and he had immense respect for its originator.
Fun fact: If you have the Thriller album or look up the official lyrics, you might see the phrase written as “Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa.” That’s just an English transcription of the sounds. No matter how it’s spelled, when you hear Michael and his backing singers loop that refrain, you’re hearing a direct musical thread back to Africa. It’s a prime example of how global influences shaped pop music in the 1980s.
Rolling Stone and other critics have since pointed out that this was one of the first times many Western listeners heard an African chant in a pop song – a subtle but significant moment in music history.
To see Michael’s electric use of the phrase, watch his live performances of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” During the 1984 Victory Tour, for instance, Jackson would lead the crowd in singing “mamase mamasa mamakusa” for minutes on end – turning a 10-year-old Cameroonian chant into a stadium-sized anthem.
From Pop Classic to Modern Hits: Rihanna, Kanye West, and Others
The “Mama say mama sa” magic didn’t stop with Michael Jackson. Decades later, new artists picked up the chant and introduced it to another generation. Perhaps the most famous resurgence came in 2007, when Barbadian pop star Rihanna released “Don’t Stop the Music.”
In this club hit, Rihanna sings “mama-say mama-sa ma-ma-coo-sa” as a looping hook, directly sampling Michael Jackson’s recording. Many fans who grew up in the 2000s actually associate the phrase with Rihanna first – not realizing it’s a twice-translated hand-me-down from Jackson and Dibango.
The irony is that Rihanna’s team cleared the sample with Jackson’s camp (securing permission from the Michael Jackson estate), but initially failed to consult Manu Dibango himself.
This oversight led to a bit of music-industry drama. In 2009, Dibango – by then in his seventies and recognized globally as an Afro-jazz legend – took legal action in France against both Jackson and Rihanna for the unauthorized use of the lyric.
He wasn’t looking to stop the music (pardon the pun) so much as to get proper credit and compensation for his creation. Dibango’s lawyers even sought to bar the record labels from receiving any “mama-say mama-sa” related income until the matter was resolved. For a moment, it looked like the famous chant was headed for a high-profile copyright battle.
However, the French court ultimately rejected Dibango’s claims. Why? Because it turned out Dibango had already accepted a previous settlement and even had his name added to the credits on some later releases of Rihanna’s.
Essentially, the court noted that Dibango had already been acknowledged (and compensated) for the use of the phrase, so he couldn’t sue again for the same issue. The result: “Don’t Stop the Music” continued to dominate the airwaves, mamasa mamakusa and all, and the royalties flowed as they had before.
Dibango didn’t win that case, but in the court of public opinion his contribution was now widely recognized. Articles in the late 2000s made sure everyone knew that the catchy chant was originally Dibango’s creation, not Rihanna’s or Jackson’s.
In a way, the legal scuffle had a silver lining: it shone a spotlight on a piece of music history, educating younger pop fans about the Afro-funk roots of their favorite club anthem.
The Good Girl Gone Bad era brought Dibango’s hook to a new global audience. Rihanna’s incorporation of “mama-say mama-sa mama-coo-sa” was so prominent that many listeners assumed it was simply a fun gibberish line she came up with – until they learned of its heritage. The song became a worldwide hit, topping charts in multiple countries, and once again proved the enduring appeal of Dibango’s makossa magic.
Rihanna wasn’t the only 21st-century artist to pay homage to the chant. In 2010, Kanye West released “Lost in the World” (featuring Bon Iver) on his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Amidst that song’s dense production, Kanye included the line “Mama-say mama-sah ma-ma-coo-sah” as a deliberate nod to Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.”
In context, it’s almost a blink-and-you-miss-it reference, but it underscores how iconic the phrase had become. Even an avant-garde hip-hop track could drop “mama-say mama-sa” and count on listeners to feel the connection. As Wikipedia succinctly notes, *“Lost in the World” features the ‘Mama-say mama-sah ma-ma-coo-sah’ hook from Michael Jackson’s song.
In other words, Kanye sampled MJ sampling Dibango – a third-generation echo of the original chant.
Beyond these major examples, the phrase has popped up in various forms throughout music. Artists from the Bloodhound Gang (who titled a 1995 song “Mama Say” as a cheeky reference) to numerous DJs and remixers have riffed on the line.
It’s not unusual to hear the chant woven into dance mixes, mashups, and even shouted by DJs to hype crowds, especially in Afrobeat and world music sets. The refrain has truly taken on a life of its own, transcending the original context of any one song. It’s a bit like a musical meme: instantly recognizable, joyful, and universally understood to mean “let’s get dancing!”
Timeline of “Mama Say Mama Say Mama Coosa”
To illustrate the journey of this phrase, here’s a quick timeline of its key moments:
- 1972: Manu Dibango releases “Soul Makossa.” The world first hears “ma-ma-ko, ma-ma-sa, ma-ko-sa.”
- 1973: “Soul Makossa” becomes an underground hit internationally, playing in New York clubs and influencing Western arti (Soul Makossa – Wikipedia) (Soul Makossa – Wikipedia)77】.
- 1982: Michael Jackson records “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” adapting Dibango’s chant into “mamase mamasa mamakusa.”
- 1983: Thriller is released and Jackson’s song (with the chant as its finale) becomes a pop culture star. Dibango and Jackson reach an out-of-court settlement acknowledging the hook’s original.
- 2007: Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music” re-interpolates the chant, hitting #1 across Europe.
- 2009: Dibango files suit in France over Rihanna’s usage without direct permission. The case is dismissed, but it raises awareness of the chant’s Cameroonian original.
- 2010: Kanye West samples the phrase in “Lost in the World,” cementing its status in hip-hop and modern.
- 2020: Manu Dibango passes away at age 86. Tributes from around the world credit him for his huge influence – including the famous “Mama say mama sa” hook that forever changed pop music.
This journey from a B-side in Cameroon to the biggest album of all time (Thriller) to 21st-century club bangers is a testament to how music travels and evolves.
A single creative spark – Manu Dibango playing with the word “dance” in his native tongue – has echoed across five decades of music.
Meaning of “Mama Say Mama Sa Mama Coosa” – And Common Misconceptions
One of the most frequently asked questions is: What does “Mama say mama sa mama coosa” actually mean? The short answer is it doesn’t have an exact literal meaning – at least not as a whole phrase. The long answer is a bit more interesting.
As we’ve learned, the key word here is “Makossa,” which means “dance” in the Douala language When Manu Dibango created the chant “mama-ko, mama-sa, ma-ko-sa,” he was essentially riffing on “makossa” – think of it as saying “dance, dance, dance.” It was more about the sound and feel than about forming a standard sentence.
Musicologist Ned Sublette famously noted that in African pop music, often “the sound of the words carries more importance than their dictionary meaning.” Dibango’s chant is a perfect example of that principle: it’s all about rhythm, repetition, and vibe.
Therefore, “mama say mama sa mama coosa” isn’t a direct translation of a phrase in Duala or any language – it’s playful gibberish built around makossa. There’s no evidence that it means “I’m going to say it one more time, I’m not gonna stop” (a popular mis-hearing among English listeners) or anything occult or mystical.
In fact, a bizarre misconception in the 1980s had some people claiming the line was some kind of “witch doctor chant” or even a satanic message – a myth that likely sprang from the era’s paranoia about backmasked lyrics and hidden meanings in pop songs. This is absolutely false.
There’s nothing evil or supernatural about it – unless the spirit of dance possesses you when you hear it! The only “magic” in the phrase is musical magic, designed to make you move.
Another common myth: Did Michael Jackson invent “mama say mama sa mama coosa”? No – as we’ve detailed, the phrase pre-dates MJ’s use by about 10 years. Michael’s genius was recognizing a great hook when he heard one and seamlessly integrating it into his own song.
He did add his own twist – altering the vowels and syllable flow – but the heart of it was Dibango’s creation. To his credit, Jackson never claimed he made it up; he acknowledged Manu Dibango’s influence. So if you ever see online debates about who came up with it, now you know the answer: it was Manu Dibango, later popularized by Michael Jackson.
Finally, some people wonder: Is it “mama say mama sa mama coosa” or “mamase mamasa mamakusa”? You’ve probably seen it spelled all sorts of ways. The truth is, there’s no single “correct” spelling for a made-up chant. “Mamase mamasa mamakusa” is how Michael Jackson’s team officially wrote it out (to approximate the sound).
Over time, fans have written it phonetically as “mama say mama sa mama coosa,” which is basically the same thing with spacing and spelling that make it look like English words. Any variation you see – mama-say mama-sa mama-koosa, mamase mamasa makusa, etc. – is just an attempt to capture the sound. They’re all referring to the same chant. So don’t be confused if you see different versions; it’s a phrase that lives in our ears more than on the page.
Cultural Impact and Legacy
The journey of “Mama say mama sa mama coosa” from Cameroon to the top of global charts highlights the rich tapestry of musical influence. Music historians often point to this case as a landmark example of African music influencing Western pop.
In the early 1970s, “Soul Makossa” brought Afro-funk to international ears in a way few songs had done before. It’s notable that Dibango’s refrain was essentially the hook that made the song memorable, and that hook was powerful enough to resurface in the biggest album of all time (Thriller).
As author Michael Campbell wrote in his study of pop music, “sometimes a single riff or phrase can connect across cultures – ‘Soul Makossa’ to ‘Thriller’ is one such connection.”
There’s also an educational aspect to this story. Generations of listeners who loved the Michael Jackson or Rihanna song eventually discovered Manu Dibango thanks to that catchy line. It has prompted many to explore the broader genre of Makossa music and other African genres.
In interviews, Dibango expressed pride that his work reached so many people in a roundabout way. “It’s a pleasure to see young people dancing to my rhythm, even if they heard it first from Michael [Jackson],” Dibango told a French news outlet in 2010. He saw it as a cultural bridge – and indeed, that’s exactly what it became.
The phrase has also entered the pantheon of misheard lyrics and pop culture references. It’s been joked about in TV shows, internet memes, and even a famous sketch where someone quips, “I thought Rihanna was singing ‘I’m a stove, I’m a sock, I’m a school sock’!”.
This lighthearted confusion only underscores how universal the sounds are – they’re not normal English words, so anyone can interpret them humorously. Yet, no matter how it’s misheard or parodied, the true origin and intent of “mamase mamasa mamakusa” remains a celebration of music and dance.
Ethnomusicologists often highlight “Soul Makossa” as a watershed moment for Afro-pop in the West, and the famous chant as a prime example of cross-cultural adoption in music.
In short, you can trust that when you sing “Mama say mama sa mama coosa,” you are participating in a little piece of global music history, not just a random viral lyric.
Conclusion: An Enduring Chorus That Spans Generations
From the dance halls of Douala to the clubs of New York, from Michael Jackson’s sold-out stadiums to Rihanna’s international pop domination, “Mama say mama sa mama coosa” has traveled an incredible path.
It’s a phrase that means “dance” without literally saying it, a snippet of song that carries the joy of music across languages and eras. Manu Dibango’s creative spark in 1972 set off a chain reaction that is still reverberating through speakers and headphones today.
Next time you find yourself humming those syllables, you’ll know you’re part of a story that connects Afro-jazz, disco, pop, and hip-hop. It’s not just a lyric – it’s a legacy.
So go ahead and chant it the next time “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” or “Don’t Stop the Music” comes on. Feel the urge to move, and know that people around the world – from Cameroon to California – have felt that same urge from the very same words.