Tiken Jah Fakoly

Biography

Doumbia Moussa Fakoly, 23 June 1968, Odienné, Ivory Coast. An intriguing singer, Fakoly has blended the traditional sounds of his homeland and neighbouring West African countries with the reggae sounds of his transatlantic contemporaries. Fakoly formed his first band, Djelys, in 1987 and very soon was noted by audiences throughout the Ivory Coast. Politically aware, some of his songs reflected current events and drew admiring attention from audiences in his own age group. His sometimes radical approach did not sit well with the authorities and he was prompted to leave his homeland and settle in Mali, gaining an expanding audience there. He made some recordings, 1993’s Les Djelys and the following year’s Missiri, which were released only on cassette, before 1996’s Mangercratie was given a wider release. Since then, Fakoly has brought out new albums at regular intervals, with 2002’s Françafrique winning a Victoires De La Musique...

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