He was a composer, arranger, guitarist, producer and teacher born in Cameroon in Central Africa.
His first experiences with music were when he was shown traditional drumming by his grandfather. This would be his instrument until high school where he decided to concentrate on the guitar instead. He threw himself into hours and hours of playing each day and by 1969 was performing popular music by British and American artists in various local venues.
In 1973 he moved to work in the Western countries of Africa to work as a bandleader and around 1978 he relocated to Paris where he worked as an arranger and guitarist. Deciding to move once again, he settled in the United States in 1987 where he became a member of Paul Simon’s band and a sought after session musician.
He worked with a wide range of artists such as Chris Botti, Michael Brecker, Stanley Clarke, Manu Dibango, Josh Groban, Thelma Houston, Etta James, Annie Lennox, Hugh Masakela, The Neville Brothers, Osibisa and Pete Townshend.
Also working as a solo artist since around the mid-90s with his backing group Maloko he released albums such as Douma, Mezik Me Mvamba, Sunshine Day, Symphony Bantu and The Traveler and with other artists he has featured on Midnight Without You by Chris Botti, Far Side of the World by Jimmy Buffett, Born at the Right Time, Concert in the Park, Rhythm of the Saints, Songs of the Capeman and You’re the One by Paul Simon, to name just a few of many.
As a teacher he gave private and group tuition on the guitar.
He died of liver cancer in December 2017 in Abadiania, Brazil, when he was 65 years old.
Sources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Nguini
- http://www.learningmusician.com/Vincent
- http://cdbaby.com/cd/nguini
- http://www.mp3.com/albums/149211/similar.html
- http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Vincent%20Nguini:1927166260
- http://paul.simon.org/theone.htm
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2711295/
- http://www.buffettnews.com/resources/coralreeferband/?bid=212
- http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0ifpxq8gldse~T4