International artist Pape Diouf set fire to the Hotel Méridien in Paris during his charity evening on Friday, December 23, 2022. The leader of the conscious generation was masterful on stage. In front of a conquered audience, he sang for more than three hours to make music lovers vibrate. As part of this event, Ze-Africanews conducted an exclusive interview with this unrivalled artist.
The objective of this unique evening was to raise funds to help children in need to facilitate their education, training and integration into society. As a child of the suburbs, especially the conscious suburb of Pikine, the international artist sees himself in a duty to share with the most vulnerable/
This desire of the singer artist Pape Diouf to support children through the facilitation of their education comes from the fact that he defines himself as a child who learned in street school. He is very sensitive to their living conditions. As a young man who left school early, he took his revenge on the remarkable work these children needed. He is also the sponsor of the French association “Too Couleur”, which works for the inclusion and enhancement of people with disabilities in France and Senegal.
But who is Pope Diouf?
The leader of the conscious generation like, the child of Pikine, was born in Dakar the capital in 1973 in a traditional family of griots. The mbalax singer, traditional Senegalese music, launched into music in 1995, joining the band Lemzo Diamono, mbalax band with growing local success with which he landed several hits before deciding to go solo 1998. Although his first album, Live au Biddew, was only released in 2003, it was his meeting and collaboration with guitarist and producer Jimi Mbaye, then collaborator of artist Youssou N’Dour, that propelled him to the forefront with his band “La Génération Conscient”, winning a first major success with the album “Partir!” produced by Prince Arts in 2013, worn by his eponymous single, proofreading of “Con te partiro” by Andrea Bocelli. From then on, the child prodigy of music cuts a path in the artistic ring supported by Senegalese music lovers. He toured throughout the country, then in the African sub-region and then in Europe. Pope Diouf is considered by many as the true successor of King Youssou Ndour, he has made a solid reputation in Senegalese music with his moving songs, his captivating voice, his scenic charisma. He is now a superstar in Senegal, West Africa but also internationally and in the diaspora.
His discography?
Leaving” in 2004 at Jololi. “Jotna”, “Casse Casse” “Rakkaaju”, “Enjoy” at Prince Arts in 2008 and 2013, 2014, 2018. “Far West Africa with the Pape Diouf Group Label in 2020 and finally “Listen!” in 2022. This album was performed during the Gala caritative au Méridien in Paris in a packed room with a seductive audience.
