Francis Bebey was a Cameroonian artist, musician, poet and writer. He played guitar, sanza, flute, percussion. He died with heart attach on May 28, 2001.
John Williams' piece "Hello Francis" is written as a tribute to Bebey: "The piece is based on the Makossa, a popular dance rhythm from Cameroon often used by Francis, and includes a quote from his piece The Magic Box and a hidden bit of J.S. Bach."