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Born in the Ivory Coast, like Blondy, in the late 60s into a griot family of the Malinké ethnic group, Fakoly has a connection to people and places across the West African region (Mali, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast).

Fakoly discovered reggae in his late teens and has been releasing tracks since his 20s. He and his group Djelys were well known in the Ivory Coast with regular performances and successful album releases. But it didn’t take them long before they were rocking the political boat at home with their lyrics.

In 1994, the group released their second album Missiri during a time of violent upheavals in Ivory Coast. The tracks on Missiri were openly critical of the political elite which went down well with the youth but provoked those in power. The album opened the doors for Fakoly as a solo artist and he soon found himself invited to political meetings and playing to stadiums of 20,000.

A new solo album released in 1997 Mangercratie went over the 500,000 sales mark on the continent and two years later saw its European release, international tours and Fakoly working with Jamaican reggae maestros.

Outside West Africa, France has become Fakoly’s second fan-base, where he won the 2000 RFI Découverte Afrique award with over 100,000 albums sold and in France he now wears the mantle of the best selling African reggae artist.

In 2002, he was getting recognition in America and was rubbing shoulders with Sly and Robbie, Earl Smith, Tyrone Downie, all working in Jamaica on Fakoly’s new album: Françafrique. And they have all come together again for his 2004 album Coup de Geule, produced by Tyrone Downie, with Sly and Robbie providing the reggae rhythm section. But the West African flavour is strong with Wolof rap from Didier Awadi from Positive Black Soul and singing from griot Saramba Kouyaté plus talking drum, n’goni and balafon.

As a collection of tracks Coup de Geule is provocative with Fakoly speaking out as he always has. The opening track ‘Françafrique’ sets the tone “They sell us arms/ while we’re fighting each other/ They pillage our riches/ And are surprised to see Africa always at war.” He sings about corruption: “Go and tell the illusion-sellers/ That our consciences are not for sale” (‘On a Tout Compris’). About inequality “Uncle America/ He took all the zinc for his metro/ He took our hair to do his own afro/ He took all the coffee/ He took everything without showing us how to follow in his footsteps,” (‘Tonton d’America’). And social agitators back home, “Justice, you aren’t made for us alone/ These people think they are above it/ And we are always the victims/ Wake up justice/ Nobert Zongo is asking to talk” (‘Justice’). Nobert Zongo, a high-profile Burkinabé journalist, was assassinated in 1999 with no one brought to justice for his death.

Nothing is spared from Fakoly’s harsh lyrics and it’s not easy listening, despite the reggae sound. The stand out tracks are ‘Alou Maye’ featuring the regal Saramba Kouyaté praise singing and ‘Quitte le Pouvoir’ with Didier Awadi’s out of this world rap that shifts Fakoly and his laid back reggae rhythm into another gear.

This is Africa at its cutting edge.

Tiken Jah Fakoly will be performing at WOMEX in October 2005.

Tiken Jah Fakoly’s official website: www.tikenjah.net