For Guitar. The little book with all the BIG songs. Lyric and Chord book. Published by Wise Publications.

Guitar

SKU: BT.MUSAM996996

Arranged by Russ Shipton. The Complete Guitar Player. Pop & Rock. Book with CD. Wise Publications #MUSAM996996. Published by Wise Publications (BT.MUSAM996996).

ISBN 9781849380140. English.

Th e Complete Guitar Player series has taught hundreds of thousands how to play and the accompanying songbooks have featured hits by Paul Simon, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, John Denver and many othertopartists.

N ow these songbooks are available in super value omnibus editions like this one. The songs are still graded by ease of playing and everything is there... standard notation, Guitar chord boxes, full lyrics andevenstrumming patterns!

Over 180 great songs! Perfect for all players and singers!

The bonus CD contains backing tracks to 16 of the songs in the book.

Lyrics/Chords Guitar

SKU: HL.242081

By The Beatles. The Little Black Songbook. Pop. 384 pages. Hal Leonard #HL00242081. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.242081).

ISBN 9781785588617. UPC: 888680704407. 4.75x7.75x0.956 inches.

A pocket-sized collection of 195 Beatles hits presented in chord songbook format. Includes complete lyrics, chord names & a handy chord box reference sheet. Including classic hits such as: All You Need Is Love • Can't Buy Me Love • Day Tripper • Do You Want to Know a Secret • Eleanor Rigby • From Me to You • Get Back • Help! • Hey Jude • I Want to Hold Your Hand • Let It Be • Magical Mystery Tour • Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da • Please Please Me • Ticket to Ride • Twist and Shout • and more.

Guitar - Intermediate

SKU: MB.WBM75M

Saddle-stitched. Folk. Book and online audio. Mel Bay Publications, Inc #WBM75M. Published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc (MB.WBM75M).

ISBN 9781737795353. 8.75X11.75 inches.

This is a collection of 86 guitar solos in notation only from William Bayâ??s books, Solo Guitar in Worship, Communion, Psalms, Timeless Gospel Melodies and Spirituals. The solos work well as preludes, offertories, communion hymns, recessionals or they can be played for enjoyment.  All 86 solos have been recorded and are available as online downloads with this book.

(C Instruments). By Various. Fake Book. Softcover. 432 pages. Published by Hal Leonard

Guitar

SKU: BT.MUSAM1008029

By Toby Knowles. The Complete Guitar Player. Pop & Rock. Book Only. Composed 2015. 146 pages. Wise Publications #MUSAM1008029. Published by Wise Publications (BT.MUSAM1008029).

ISBN 9781783055364. English.

The Complete Guitar Player Acoustic Songbook features a huge collection of 50 acoustic hits from all genres for Guitar. Each song includes full lyrics and Guitar chords as well as strumming and picking patterns, making this perfect for the aspiring acoustic Guitarist. Every song included in this Guitar songbook is a bona fide acoustic classic, perfect for singalongs at parties or just a strum on a summer's day in the park. Songs like Hey, Soul Sister   by Train, Wonderwall  by Oasis and Ho Hey   by The Lumineers represent the best in unplugged and fun chill-out music. 'The book is designed to be accessible and enjoyable, showcasing the best songs by the best songwriters like Bob Dylan, Mumford & Sons, The Beatles and Adele. Songs from the past and the present are included, so there will be something for everyone in this acoustic songbook. Each song has been carefully arranged for Guitar and Voice, including the melody, lyrics and Guitar chord shapes. Not only this, but there are also suggested strumming or picking patterns to help you nail the exact sound of the song straight away. This acoustic Guitar songbook is ideal for beginners and intermediate Guitarists looking to expand their repertoire with acoustic songs new and old, whereas absolute beginnersnew to the Guitar might find that the four books of the famous Complete Guitar Player series by Russ Shipton will help them out with the basics.  With these 50 acoustic Guitar songs, you'll be singing, strumming andfingerpicking your way through the folk, pop and rock canon in no time at all. The Complete Guitar Player Acoustic Songbook would make a stellar addition to any guitarist's bookshelf, and every one of these great songs will make sure that everyone is singing along.

Performed by The Beatles. Easy Guitar (Simplified arrangements for guitar). Size 9x12 inches. 176 pages. Published by Hal Leonard.

Composed by Various. Edited by Frederick M. Noad. Music Sales America. Classical, Renaissance. Softcover Audio Online. 120 pages. Music Sales #AM968066. Published by Music Sales

Guitar solo

SKU: DZ.DZ-4280

Composed by Francis Kleynjans. Score. Les Productions d'OZ #DZ 4280. Published by Les Productions d'OZ (DZ.DZ-4280).

ISBN 9782898521973.

C⠀™est un beau voyage aux travers des tonalités que je vous propose avec ces deux pièces.

La première Le chemin de croix expriment les 14 tableaux de la Passion du Christ par l’intermédiaire d’un simple arpège et de 14 tonalités différentes. Les 12 tonalités mineures qui débutent l’œuvre de façon parfaitement naturelle (ré, la, mi, si, fa#, do#, sol#, ré#, sib, fa, do, sol) sont suivi par deux tonalités majeures (ré et la) qui viennent conclurent l’œuvre comme une triomphante délivrance.

La deuxième pièce Labyrinthe reprend le même principe, mais de façon différente. Avec un autre arpège et des tonalités majeures et mineures qui s’enchainent en s’alternant d’une façon naturelle par le biais d’une légère mutation, nous égarant dans les méandres des tonalités, pour enfin nous retrouver dans le ton original, nous délivrant ainsi de ce grand labyrinthe (do, lam, ré, sim, mi, do#m, fa#, ré#m, lab, fam et do).

J’espà¨re que les découvreurs de ces pièces auront le même plaisir que j’ai eu à les composer pour eux.

Francis Kleynjans

It’ s a beautiful journey through the tones that I offer you with these two pieces.

The first The Stations of the Cross express the 14 scenes of the Passion of Christ through a simple arpeggio and 14 different tones. The 12 minor keys which begin the work in a perfectly natural way (D, A, E, B, F#, C#, G#, D#, Bb, F, C, G) are followed by two major keys (D and the) who come conclude the work as a triumphant deliverance.

The second piece Labyrinthe uses the same principle, but in a different way. With another arpeggio and major and minor tones which follow one another alternating in a natural way through a slight mutation, leading us astray in the meanders of the tones, to finally find ourselves in the original tone, we thus delivering from this great labyrinth (do, lam, re, sim, mi, do#m, fa#, re#m, ab, fam and do).

I hope that the discoverers of these pieces will have the same pleasure that I had in composing them for them.

Francis Kleynjans.

Performed by The Beatles, composed by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, arranged by Larry Beekman. For guitar. Format: Guitar solo book. With introductory text, instructional text and fingerings. Classic rock, britpop and psychedelic rock. 64 pages. 9x12 inches. Published by Hal Leonard

Compiled by Russ Shipton. Fake book for voice and guitar. With vocal melody, lyrics, chord names and guitar chord diagrams. 167 pages. Published by Music Sales.

Guitar/Vocal Guitar

SKU: HL.211634

By Various. Strum & Sing Guitar. Country, Folk, Pop, Rock, Traditional. Softcover. 96 pages. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.211634).

ISBN 9781495085673. UPC: 888680661762. 9.0x12.0x0.289 inches. Strum & Sing Series.

The Strum & Sing series provides an unplugged and pared-down approach to your favorite songs – just the chords and the lyrics, with nothing fancy. These easy-to-play arrangements are designed for both aspiring and professional musicians. This fantastic collection lets you play over 40 songs in lots of styles, knowing just 3 chords on the guitar! Includes: Already Gone • Barbara Ann • Big Yellow Taxi • Cold, Cold Heart • Daughter • Free Fallin' • Hound Dog • I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For • La Bamba • Lay down Sally • Route 66 • Sweet Caroline • Werewolves of London • You Are My Sunshine • and more.

About Strum & Sing

The Strum & Sing series provides an unplugged and pared-down approach to your favorite songs- just the chords and the lyrics, with nothing fancy. These easy-to-play arrangements are designed for both aspiring and professional musicians.

Performed by Led Zeppelin. For guitar and voice. Format: easy guitar/vocal songbook. With standard notation, vocal melody, lyrics, chord names, guitar chord diagrams and strum patterns. Metal and hard rock. 156 pages. 9x12 inches. Published by Warner Brothers.

For Guitar. Includes a high-quality printed music book and two narrated compact discs featuring every exercise and composition in the method book. Published by Music Minus One.

By Groeber, Hoge, Sanchez, Welch. For Guitar. The Performance Book provides additional songs written in a variety of styles to reinforce skills learned in the Lesson Book. Guitar. Level: Primer. Book. Published by The FJH Music Company Inc.

Piano/Vocal/Guitar

SKU: HL.256650

Composed by Various. Piano/Vocal/Guitar Songbook. Children, Disney, Movies. Softcover. 288 pages. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.256650).

ISBN 9781540015303. UPC: 888680723699. 9.0x12.0x0.78 inches.

This updated 7th edition coffee table collection is a Disney lover's dream come true! It is a guided tour through the many legendary years of Disney music. The book begins with an extensive musical history of Disney, followed by beautiful piano/vocal arrangements of 70 Disney classics. Printed on deluxe stock with more than 100 stunning full-color illustrations accompanying the text and music, this book is a keepsake to treasure for years to come! Songs include: Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo (from Cinderella) * Circle of Life (from The Lion King) * Evermore (from Beauty and the Beast) * How Far I'll Go (from Moana) * I See the Light (from Tangled) * Let It Go (from Frozen) * Under the Sea (from The Little Mermaid) * When You Wish Upon a Star (from Pinocchio) * You've Got a Friend in Me (from Toy Story) * and more.

Guitar - easy

SKU: HL.49019327

58 Easy Pieces for Guitar. Arranged by Martin Hegel. This edition: Saddle stitching. Sheet music with CD. Guitar. Dieses Heft enthalt alles, was man fur den Gitarrenunterricht braucht: 58 leichte originale Gitarrenstucke von Aguado, Mertz, Diabelli, Carulli, Sor oder Carcassi, aber auch leicht spielbare Bearbeitungen der klassischen Musik aus den Bereichen Orchesterm. Softcover with CD. 46 pages. Schott Music #ED21305. Published by Schott Music (HL.49019327).

ISBN 9783795747558. UPC: 841886018204. 9.0x12.0x0.2 inches.

This volume contains everything needed for guitar lessons: 58 easy original guitar pieces by Aguado, Mertz, Diabelli, Carulli, Sor or Carcassi, but also easy-to-play arrangements of classical music from the fields of orchestral music, chamber music or opera. Among them are themes from Vivaldi's Four Seasons, from Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks, Mozart's Magic Flute, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 or Verdi's Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves. It is this volume's concern to make classical masterpieces of concert literature accessible to children by means of such rather easy arrangements and make them enjoy classical music. All pieces are recorded on the accompanying CD to make it easier for the pupils to study and master the works.

Piano, Vocal and Guitar - Grade 2

SKU: HL.14011400

Composed by Debbie Campbell. Music Sales America. Musical Education. Book [Softcover]. Composed 2015. 16 pages. Music Sales #GA11014. Published by Music Sales (HL.14011400).

ISBN 9780711956056. 9.0x12.0x0.052 inches. English.

A fun space adventure musical full of information on technology, the solar system and travel. Ideal as an end of term production at any time of the year. Duration: 45 mins. If you need to license a school/youth theatre performance of this product, please use the online application form.

(Performance Book 3) Edited by David Hoge, Leo Welch, Philip Groeber, Rey Sanchez. Performance part for guitar. Series: The FJH Young Beginner Guitar Method. 32 pages. Published by The FJH Music Company Inc.

By Various. Edited by Trevor de Clercq. Fake Book. Softcover. 224 pages. Published by Hal Leonard

Composed by Peter M. Kolar. This edition: Guitar edition. Sacred. Guitar part. GIA Publications #10315G. Published by GIA Publications

Guitar

SKU: HL.278175

Supplement to Any Guitar Method. By Various. Guitar Method. Christmas, Pop. Softcover Audio Online. 32 pages. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.278175).

ISBN 9781540029522. UPC: 888680752569. 9x12 inches. Hal Leonard Guitar Method.

Strum along with your favorite holiday hits, correlated to work with any guitar method book 1. The songs are presented in order of difficulty – featuring 15 songs in all. Includes: Away in a Manger • C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S • Deck the Hall • Feliz Navidad • I Saw Three Ships • Jingle Bells • Jolly Old St. Nicholas • Joy to the World • The Little Drummer Boy • Nuttin' for Christmas • O Come, All Ye Faithful • Silent Night • Silver Bells • The Star Carol (Canzone D'i Zampognari) • Up on the Housetop. The accompanying audio features every song recorded by a full band, so you can hear how each song sounds and then play along when you're ready. The audio is accessed online using the unique code inside each book and can be streamed or downloaded. The audio files include PLAYBACK+, a multi-functional audio player that allows you to slow down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys, and pan left or right.

About Hal Leonard Guitar Method

The world-famous Hal Leonard Guitar Method is preferred by teachers because it makes them more effective while making their job easier. Students enjoy its easy-to-follow format that gives them a solid music education while letting them play songs right away. The Hal Leonard Guitar Method provides a complete system to playing success which includes three levels of instruction and a myriad of play-along supplemental songbooks that let students play great songs while they're still learning to play.

Guitar - Grade 2

SKU: HL.14025762

Volume Two. Composed by Various. Music Sales America. Ballad. Book [Softcover]. 40 pages. Music Sales #OMB81. Published by Music Sales (HL.14025762).

ISBN 9780946005628. 6.0x8.25x0.14 inches. English.

The second book in this Duncle's Collection provides another 50 songs which can be addded to your repertoire. The book contains the words and music for some of Ireland's popular songs and ballads. Illustrated with period photographs from the 1920's and 1930's from the Father Brown collection. Play them all with only six chords!

Guitar solo - Advanced

SKU: DZ.DZ-4244

Composed by Konstantin Bliokh. Score. Les Productions d'OZ #DZ 4244. Published by Les Productions d'OZ (DZ.DZ-4244).

ISBN 9782898521614.

La Sonate n° 6 Kharkiv pour guitare solo a été composée en 2021, à la fin du confinement lié au COVID-19. � ce moment-là, ma famille et moi étions restés dans notre ville natale de Kharkiv (également connue sous le nom de Kharkov), en Ukraine, pendant près de deux ans. Nous considérions cette période de pandémie comme un désastre, mais nous avons réalisé plus tard que c'était en fait un moment plutôt heureux, car la guerre est arrivée dans notre pays quelques mois plus tard. Depuis 2022, une fraction considérable des 1,5 million de citoyens de Kharkiv ont quitté leur foyer, ceux qui sont restés vivent sous des attaques incessantes de missiles, et beaucoup ont été tués. Je voudrais dédier cette Sonate à la ville frontalière de Kharkiv et, surtout, à ses citoyens souffrant de la guerre.

Pourtant, la musique de la Sonate n'a aucun programme spécifique. Ici, je donnerai un bref aperçu de ses principaux éléments de composition pour faciliter les interprétations futures.

Les premier et quatrième mouvements de cette Sonate sont basés sur l'interaction entre le principe dodécaphonique et le centre tonal de sol majeur, naturel pour la guitare. En particulier, le premier mouvement est basé sur l'interaction de la triade de sol majeur Solâ??Siâ??Ré des cordes de guitare à vide 2â??3â??4, le motif ascendant 1 impliquant les notes Miâ??Fa#â??Laâ??Do# (à l'origine sur la première corde), et le motif descendant 2 utilisant les notes Miâ??Doâ??Sibâ??La (à l'origine sur la corde de basse 6). Ces éléments se complètent presque pour former douze tons (à l'exception du Fa manquant), et les motifs alternent avec des fragments ostinato où chaque note de la triade de sol majeur est déplacée pas à pas d'un demi-ton vers le haut ou vers le bas.

Le deuxième mouvement est un Scherzo impliquant de nombreux demi-tons dans des accords accentués et des passages rapides, ainsi qu'un mouvement mélodique chromatique dans la voix de basse. Il est presque atonal dans certains fragments, mais a un centre tonal global de la mineur.

Le troisième mouvement est un Adagio méditatif basé sur un thème composé dans l'échelle hexatonique Réâ??Miâ??Faâ??Sol# â??Laâ??Si et des accords ostinato impliquant les cordes de basse à vide Miâ??Laâ??Ré et le demi-ton Siâ??Do.

Enfin, le quatrième mouvement est basé sur le thème dodécaphonique complet composé de deux phrases comprenant les motifs 1 et 2 du premier mouvement : Solâ??Faâ??Sibâ??Labâ ??Doâ??Mibâ??Ré et Miâ??Siâ??Do#â??Laâ?? Fa#. Ce thème est présenté dans ses formes prime et rétrograde. Il y a des dialogues entre la première corde, les basses et les cordes médianes à vide, similaires au premier mouvement. Ã? son apogée, le thème dodécaphonique est interprété en utilisant le mouvement parallèle de l'accord de sol majeur standard de la guitare avec les cordes médianes à vide sur douze positions.

La Sonate a été créée en première et enregistrée (CD Naxos No. 8.574630) par le célèbre guitariste ukrainien Marko Topchii, qui a également vécu et étudié à Kharkiv. Je lui suis extrêmement reconnaissant pour l'interprétation brillante de cette pièce.

Je suis très redevable envers Productions d'Oz d'avoir conservé mes notations originales là où celles-ci ne correspondent pas au style de l'éditeur.

Sona ta No. 6 Kharkiv for guitar solo was composed in 2021, in the end of the COVID-19 lockdown. At that time my family and I were staying in our home city of Kharkiv (also known as Kharkov), Ukraine for almost two years. We considered that pandemic period as a disaster, but later have realized that it actually was a rather happy time, because a war came to our homeland just a few months later. Since 2022 a considerable fraction of the 1.5 millions of Kharkiv citizens have left their homes, those who stayed have been living under ceaseless missile attacks, and many have been killed. I would like to dedicate this Sonata to the frontier city of Kharkiv and, most of all, to its citizens suffering from the war.
Yet, the music of the Sonata does not have any specific program. Here I will give a brief overview of its main composition elements to facilitate future interpretations.
The first and fourth movements of this Sonata are based on the interplay between the twelve-tone principle and the G-major tonal center, natural for the guitar. Namely, the first movement is based on the interaction of the G-major triad Gâ??Bâ??D of the open guitar strings 2â??3â??4, ascending motif 1 involving the notes Eâ??F#â??Aâ??C# (originally on the first string), and descending motif 2 using the notes E-â??Câ??Bbâ??A- (originally, on the bass string 6). These elements supplement each other to almost make up twelve tones (apart from the missing F), and the motifs alternate with ostinato fragments where each note in the G major triad is step-by-step moved by a semitone up or down.
The second movement is a Scherzo involving numerous semitones in accented chords and fast passages, as well as chromatic melodic motion in the bass voice. It is almost atonal in some fragments, but has an overall tonal center of A-minor.
The third movement is a meditative Adagio based on a theme composed within hexatonic scale Dâ??Eâ??Fâ??G#â??Aâ? ?B and ostinato chords involving open bass strings Eâ??Aâ??D and semitone Bâ??C.
Finally, the fourth movement is based on the complete twelve-tone theme consisting of two phrases including motifs 1 and 2 from the first movement: Gâ??Fâ??Bbâ??Abâ??Câ ??Ebâ??D and Eâ??Bâ??C#â??Aâ??F#. This theme is presented in its prime and retrograde forms. There are dialogues between the first string, basses and open middle strings, similar to the first movement. In the culmination, the twelve-tone theme is performed using the parallel motion of the standard guitar G-major chord with open middle strings across twelve positions.
The Sonata was premiered and recorded (CD Naxos No. 8.574630) by the prominent Ukrainian guitarist Marko Topchii who has also lived and studied in Kharkiv. I am extremely grateful to him for the brilliant performance of this piece.
I am greatly indebted to Productions dâ??Oz for keeping my original notations in places where these do not conform to the publisherâ??s style.

Guitar

SKU: HL.278177

Supplement to Any Guitar Method. By Various. Guitar Method. Christmas, Pop. Softcover. 32 pages. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.278177).

ISBN 9781540029546. UPC: 888680752583. 9x12 inches. Hal Leonard Guitar Method.

Strum along with your favorite holiday hits, correlated to work with any guitar method book 1. The songs are presented in order of difficulty – featuring 15 songs in all. Includes: Away in a Manger • C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S • Deck the Hall • Feliz Navidad • I Saw Three Ships • Jingle Bells • Jolly Old St. Nicholas • Joy to the World • The Little Drummer Boy • Nuttin' for Christmas • O Come, All Ye Faithful • Silent Night • Silver Bells • The Star Carol (Canzone D'i Zampognari) • Up on the Housetop.

About Hal Leonard Guitar Method

The world-famous Hal Leonard Guitar Method is preferred by teachers because it makes them more effective while making their job easier. Students enjoy its easy-to-follow format that gives them a solid music education while letting them play songs right away. The Hal Leonard Guitar Method provides a complete system to playing success which includes three levels of instruction and a myriad of play-along supplemental songbooks that let students play great songs while they're still learning to play.

Guitar - Intermediate

SKU: DY.DO-1522

Composed by Francis Bebey. Arranged by Ingrid Riollot. Score. Les Editions Doberman-Yppan #DO 1522. Published by Les Editions Doberman-Yppan (DY.DO-1522).

ISBN 9782897963026.

Fran cis Bebey est né à Douala en juillet 1929, dans une grande famille où son père, pasteur, luttait pour nourrir ses enfants. Mais Francis a eu l'opportunité d'aller à l'école. Admirant son frère aîné, Marcel Eyidi Bebey, il s'est éduqué, s'est distingué, et a finalement reçu une bourse pour passer son baccalauréat en France.
Nous approchions de la fin des années 1950 lorsqu'il est arrivé à La Rochelle. Plus que jamais, dans cette France où les Africains étaient regardés avec curiosité, condescendance ou dédain, Francis s'appuyait sur ses ressources intellectuelles. Travailleur assidu, il a obtenu son baccalauréat, puis s'est installé à Paris où il a commencé des études d'anglais à la Sorbonne. Un jour, il a su ce qui l'attirait vraiment : il voulait faire de la radio. Francis a appris son métier en France et aux �tats-Unis.
Après avoir travaillé quelques années comme reporter, il a été embauché en 1961 en tant que fonctionnaire international au Département de l'information de l'UNESCO.
Parallèle ment, Francis a toujours été attiré par la création musicale. Son activité diurne très sérieuse ne l'empêchait pas de fréquenter les clubs de jazz le soir. � Paris, le jazz, la musique à la mode à cette époque, mais aussi la rumba et la salsa l'attiraient. Il collectionnait les disques et assistait à de nombreux concerts. Avec son complice Manu Dibango, Francis montait sur scène et jouait de la musique.
Francis aimait la musique classique depuis son enfance. Il avait grandi en écoutant les cantates et les oratorios de Bach ou Handel que son père chantait au temple. Il s'est passionné pour la guitare, impressionné par les maîtres espagnols et sud-américains, et a décidé d'apprendre à jouer de l'instrument lui-même.
Il a commencé à composer des pièces pour guitare, mêlant les diverses influences qui le traversaient avec la musique traditionnelle africaine qu'il portait en lui depuis son enfance. Son approche a captivé le directeur du Centre culturel américain (alors situé dans le quartier de Saint-Germain à Paris), qui lui a offert l'opportunité de se produire devant un public. Francis y a donné son premier récital de guitare (1963) devant un public hypnotisé. Son premier album solo est sorti peu de temps après.
Progressivem ent, Francis est devenu reconnu comme musicien et compositeur. Plusieurs albums de l'ambassadeur africain de la guitare, comme le décrivait la presse, sont sortis. Il a également écrit des livres, au point que sa carrière artistique est devenue difficile à concilier avec sa carrière de fonctionnaire. En 1974, même s'il était devenu le directeur général chargé de la musique à l'UNESCO, il a fait le saut audacieux et a démissionné de cette prestigieuse institution pour se consacrer aux trois activités qui l'intéressaient : la musique, la littérature et le journalisme.
Il a exploré le patrimoine musical traditionnel du continent africain, notamment à travers le piano à pouce sanza et la musique polyphonique des pygmées d'Afrique centrale, ou en chantant dans sa langue maternelle et en composant des chansons humoristiques en français !
Le succès a suivi. Francis Bebey a parcouru le monde : de la France au Brésil, du Cameroun à la Suède, de l'Allemagne aux Caraïbes, ou du Maroc au Japon... la liste des pays où il a été invité à se produire, à donner des conférences ou à rencontrer des lecteurs est très longue. En plus de la reconnaissance publique, il bénéficiait de la reconnaissance de ses collègues musiciens, tels que le guitariste John Williams ou le Vénézuélien Antonio Lauro, qui l'ont invité à faire partie du jury d'un concours de guitare classique à Caracas.
Sa vie était le voyage d'un pionnier africain, un homme enraciné dans son patrimoine culturel et portant un message de partage et d'espoir pour le monde. Son originalité continue de résonner dans le monde entier depuis son décès à la fin du mois de mai 2001.

Francis Bebey was born in Douala in July 1929, into a large family where his father, a pastor, struggled to feed his children. But Francis had the opportunity to go to school. Admiring his elder brother, Marcel Eyidi Bebey, he educated himself, distinguished himself, and eventually received a scholarship to go and take his baccalaureate in France.
We approached the end of the 1950s when he arrived in La Rochelle. More than ever, in this France where Africans were looked at with curiosity, condescension, or disdain, Francis relied on his intellectual resources. A diligent worker, he obtained his Baccalaureate, then moved to Paris where he started English studies at the Sorbonne. One day, he knew what truly attracted him: he wanted to do radio. Francis learned his craft in France and in the USA.
After working for a few years as a reporter, he was hired in 1961 as an international civil servant in the UNESCO Information Department.
In parallel, Francis had always been drawn to musical creation. His very serious daytime activity didnâ??t prevent him from frequenting jazz clubs in the evenings. In Paris, the Jazz, the trendy music of that time, but also rumba and salsa attracted him. He collected records and attended numerous concerts. With his accomplice Manu Dibango, Francis took the stage and played music.
Francis liked classical music since his childhood. He grew up listening to the cantatas and oratorios of Bach or Handel that his father had sung in the temple. He became passionate about the guitar, impressed by the Spanish and South American masters, and decided to learn to strum the instrument himself.
He started composing guitar pieces, blending the various influences that flow through him with the traditional African music he had carried within since childhood. His approach captivated the director of the American Cultural Center (then located in the Saint-Germain neighborhood of Paris), who offered him the opportunity to perform in front of an audience. Francis gave his first guitar recital there (1963) in front of a mesmerized audience. His first solo album was released shortly thereafter.
Gradually, Francis became recognized as a musician and composer. Several albums of the African guitar ambassador, as described by the press, were released. He also wrote books, to the point that his artistic career became challenging to reconcile with his career as a civil servant. In 1974, even though he had become the General Manager in charge of music at UNESCO, he took the bold leap and resigned from this prestigious institution to dedicated himself to the three activities that interested him: music, literature, and journalism.
He explored the traditional musical heritage of the African continent, notably through the thumb piano sanza, and the polyphonic music of the Central African pygmies, or singing in his native language and composing humoristic songs in French!
Success followed. Francis Bebey traveled the world: from France to Brazil, Cameroon to Sweden, Germany to the Carribean, or Morocco to Japan... the list of countries where he was invited to perform, gives lectures, or meets readers is very long. In addition to public recognition, he enjoyed the recognition of his fellow musicians, such as guitarist John Williams or Venezuelan Antonio Lauro, who invited him to be a part of the jury for a classical guitar competition in Caracas.
His life was the journey of an African pioneer, a man rooted in his cultural heritage and carrying a message of sharing and hope for the world. His originality continues to vibrate around the world since his passing at the end of May 2001.