Bob Sinclar has for a long time sought inspiration in African music, and his latest hit “What I Want” continues that trend – it features a beat with a clearly identifiable African ascent and a video with one of the dancers performing west-African dance moves. But what I had not realized is that even Fireball’s surprising vocal performance may well find its roots in African music.

On hearing that track, the Bamileke mother of a Camerounese friend told me she definitely recognized a tune she used to sing in her childhood with her friends as a playful vocal trick. I checked on the web and found no one having noticed that. So there, a musical scoop !