| Tiken Jah Fakoly | |
|---|---|
Tiken Jah Fakoly at the Eurockéennes de Belfort 2011 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Doumbia Moussa Fakoly |
| Born | June 23, 1968 Odienné, Côte d'Ivoire. |
| Genres | Reggae |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Website | tikenjah.net |
Tiken Jah Fakoly (born 1968) is a reggae singer from Côte d'Ivoire.
Tiken Jah was born into a family of griots and christened Doumbia Moussa Fakoly on June 23, 1968 in Odienné, north-western Côte d'Ivoire. He discovered reggae at an early age, assembling his first group, Djelys, in 1987. He became well-known at a regional level, but would soon ascend to national recognition.[1]
Concerned by the social and political evolution of his country, it was not long before Tiken Jah was writing incisive works on the political environment in Côte d'Ivoire. One such work was on the death of Félix Houphouët-Boigny in 1993, which resulted in a surge of popularity amongst the nation's youth. In 1998, Fakoly made his first international appearance in Paris.
Tiken Jah Fakoly plays music "to wake up the consciences". His music speaks about many injustices done to the people of his country, and those over Africa. As such, many African listeners feel a deep affinity with his lyrics as Fakoly speaks for oppressed people. This connection has helped make Tiken Jah Fakoly a much-listened artist throughout the world.
Since the rise in political instability and xenophobia in Côte d'Ivoire in recent years, Tiken Jah has been living in exile, particularly in Bamako (capital of the neighboring country of Mali) where his concerts are well-attended. In December 2007, Fakoly was declared persona non grata in Senegal after criticizing President Abdoulaye Wade.[2]
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NOTE: Mangercratie was released in France in 1999 and in Canada in 2000. Cours d'histoire was released in France in 2000 and in Canada in 2001. The first two albums were only released in Côte d'Ivoire. His first music video is "Plus jamais ça" ("Mangercratie" album), directed by J.G Biggs.
Tiken Jah Fakoly has recorded various tracks with other artists. He is featured on Steel Pulse: African Holocaust, on Didier Awadi: Stoppez les criminels, on Riké: Airt Frais, on Bernard Lavilliers: Carnets De Bord, on Amadou & Mariam: Dimanche À Bamako, on Dub Incorporation Diversité, and on Tata Pound: Cikan. He also appears on the compilation African Consciences with Mebgane N’Dour. He will be featured in the upcoming movie Les Oiseaux Du Ciel, directed by Eliane de Latour. 2009 "Africa's Reggae Legend in the Making", Directed by Mackie Fagan.
2003: Victoires de la Musique 2003, in the category of Reggae Album/Ragga/World with the album Françafrique.
2008: First Freemuse Award [3]