Sam Fan Thomas is a Cameroonian musician associated with Makossa Thomas started his career at the end of the 1960s, when he joined André-Marie Tala's group Les Tigres Noires. In 1976, he left the group and went to Cotonou (Bénin) where he recorded his first album, Funky New Bell, with the Santiagos of Cotonou. In 1977, he came back to Cameroon to record a second album. His first hit was "Rikiatou," and in 1984, "African Typic Collection" became an international hit.