Nkotti François (1951–2021) was a seminal Cameroonian musician and a leading figure in the makossa genre. Born in Souza, he began his musical journey as the lead singer of Les Fantastic Boys before co-founding the influential group Les Black Styls in the 1970s, alongside Toto Guillaume, Émile Kangue, and Yves Lobe. Their innovative sound played a pivotal role in popularizing makossa both nationally and internationally. Beyond his musical contributions, Nkotti was a dedicated cultural promoter, establishing the FOMARIC festival in 1993, which became a cornerstone of Cameroon's cultural calendar. His legacy includes over 150 songs and a profound impact on the Cameroonian music scene. ([fr.wikipedia.org](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Nkotti?utm_source=openai))