Senegal’s Ismael lo coming
You may have heard his silky voice during Mike Makamazibu’s Music Africa show on Uganda Television in the late 1980s and early ‘90s where his songs like Dibilibileck and Africa were popular with the viewers.
By Stephen Ssenkaaba and Sebidde Kiryowa
You may have heard his silky voice during Mike Makamazibu’s Music Africa show on Uganda Television in the late 1980s and early ‘90s where his songs like Dibilibileck and Africa were popular with the viewers.
Now Ismael Lo, the famous Afro - pop artist from Senegal will be in the country with 11 members of his group, to perform in Kampala, at Hotel Africana, on Wednesday June 2.
The show organised by Alliance Francaise (Uganda) will also feature the popular Afrigo Band to perform as guest artists. Umoja productions will provide the stage, lights and sound system.
According to Jessica Miiro of Alliance Francaise, he arrives in the country on Monday, May 31
Better known as the “Senegalese soul man,†Ismael Lo was born in Nigeria, of a Senegalese father and a Nigerian mother in 1956.
After his birth, his family left Nigeria and returned to Senegal where he grew up. As a young boy, Ismael developed a passion for West African Manding music and would spend hours making guitars from scrap wood.
He later enrolled at the school of Art in Dakar but music continued to be his greatest passion and he very soon gave up art for it.
Ismael’s big break into the music world came when he was spotted performing on a television show.
He proved to be a very popular performer in Senegal. Soon, his fame spread beyond Senegal.
While on tour in Gambia, he met with the famous Dakar group, Super Diamono. Impressed by their style of music, he joined the group.
He eventually quit the group in 1984 and went solo. He released five albums which all proved very popular with Senegalese music fans.
His tremendous success was brought about by his innovative fusion of traditional M’balax percussion with folk and soul influences and his ability to write highly original songs, which frequently tackled political and social issues.
Ismael Lo, a Senegalese guitarist, harmonica player is one of Africa’s biggest international Afro-Jazz and soul singers.
Often called the “Bob Dylan of Senegal†because of his guitar and harmonica combination coupled with his deeply satisfying lyrics, Lo is ranked alongside Youssou N’dour and Baba Maal as one of the most popular Senegalese artistes on the world music scene today.
With his smooth voice and low-key folksy style, he and his band play strong, complex, percussion-laden mbalax songs that discuss important topics in Senegal ranging from racism and respect to immigration. Lo was born in a family of 18 children and he is the only one who became a musician.
He built his first guitar from an old bottle and a single fish-line, and learned to play harmonica and guitar together by nailing his harmonica to the wall.
His father loved American soul music and Lo grew up listening to American influences such as James Brown, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Etta James. He learned their songs by listening to the radio. Lo also loved traditional Senegalese music.
At first he only played for the joy of it and never considered performing. But his was rich in tradition, rich in modern and international influences, uniquely expressive and masterfully married together and when he performed, the joy in this was visible for everybody to see.
His older brother, who owned a club saw this and asked him to play on a local television show, Tele Variety. which request he turned down at first but later accepted.
He was an instant hit and this inspired him to think about performing full-time. One week later, Lo again appeared on the show and was paid $300 for his work.
From then on, he continued performing and by 1990, Ismael Lo was a major name on the world music scene.
In 1999, he made his most adventurous recording in collaboration with Congolese hip-hop act Bisso na Bisso and in 2001, he released Dabah. Last year he released Africando Martina.
You may have heard his silky voice during Mike Makamazibu’s Music Africa show on Uganda Television in the late 1980s and early ‘90s where his songs like Dibilibileck and Africa were popular with the viewers.
Now Ismael Lo, the famous Afro - pop artist from Senegal will be in the country with 11 members of his group, to perform in Kampala, at Hotel Africana, on Wednesday June 2.
The show organised by Alliance Francaise (Uganda) will also feature the popular Afrigo Band to perform as guest artists. Umoja productions will provide the stage, lights and sound system.
According to Jessica Miiro of Alliance Francaise, he arrives in the country on Monday, May 31
Better known as the “Senegalese soul man,†Ismael Lo was born in Nigeria, of a Senegalese father and a Nigerian mother in 1956.
After his birth, his family left Nigeria and returned to Senegal where he grew up. As a young boy, Ismael developed a passion for West African Manding music and would spend hours making guitars from scrap wood.
He later enrolled at the school of Art in Dakar but music continued to be his greatest passion and he very soon gave up art for it.
Ismael’s big break into the music world came when he was spotted performing on a television show.
He proved to be a very popular performer in Senegal. Soon, his fame spread beyond Senegal.
While on tour in Gambia, he met with the famous Dakar group, Super Diamono. Impressed by their style of music, he joined the group.
He eventually quit the group in 1984 and went solo. He released five albums which all proved very popular with Senegalese music fans.
His tremendous success was brought about by his innovative fusion of traditional M’balax percussion with folk and soul influences and his ability to write highly original songs, which frequently tackled political and social issues.
Ismael Lo, a Senegalese guitarist, harmonica player is one of Africa’s biggest international Afro-Jazz and soul singers.
Often called the “Bob Dylan of Senegal†because of his guitar and harmonica combination coupled with his deeply satisfying lyrics, Lo is ranked alongside Youssou N’dour and Baba Maal as one of the most popular Senegalese artistes on the world music scene today.
With his smooth voice and low-key folksy style, he and his band play strong, complex, percussion-laden mbalax songs that discuss important topics in Senegal ranging from racism and respect to immigration. Lo was born in a family of 18 children and he is the only one who became a musician.
He built his first guitar from an old bottle and a single fish-line, and learned to play harmonica and guitar together by nailing his harmonica to the wall.
His father loved American soul music and Lo grew up listening to American influences such as James Brown, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Etta James. He learned their songs by listening to the radio. Lo also loved traditional Senegalese music.
At first he only played for the joy of it and never considered performing. But his was rich in tradition, rich in modern and international influences, uniquely expressive and masterfully married together and when he performed, the joy in this was visible for everybody to see.
His older brother, who owned a club saw this and asked him to play on a local television show, Tele Variety. which request he turned down at first but later accepted.
He was an instant hit and this inspired him to think about performing full-time. One week later, Lo again appeared on the show and was paid $300 for his work.
From then on, he continued performing and by 1990, Ismael Lo was a major name on the world music scene.
In 1999, he made his most adventurous recording in collaboration with Congolese hip-hop act Bisso na Bisso and in 2001, he released Dabah. Last year he released Africando Martina.