CULTURE
SENEGAL: USA, Canada, Norway, Senegal or Belgium: King Ibu is the king of the stage
His name sounds like a legend inscribed in history. King Ibu! It is above all a story that resonates deep in the Fouta lands to give birth to an artist of unequalled talent. An exceptional artist who delights us with his exquisite Peules sounds, mixed with jazz, pop or soul. King Ibu is an artistic gift that Senegal has generously bequeathed to us. This world music giant, steeped in its roots, is a native of Podor five hundred kilometres north of Dakar, the former colonial trading post that borders the Senegal River. Podor is also the birthplace of the great singer musician Baaba Maal. Podor is Ngawlé, an ancient Fort, and the island of Morphile. Podor is a region that is bathed in a dizzying geographic density. Ze-Africanews went to meet this must-see artist, King Ibu, in Las Vegas where he has lived for more than twenty years.
Love of song was born in Podor
King Ibu is a musician who plays many instruments at the same time. He is based in the USA precisely in Las Vegas. Songwriter and producer, he began playing guitar at the age of 12. In Podor where he grew up, music and art in general have always been part of his social and cultural landscape. He was thus very early seduced by this musical world.
Mixing modern, African and Senegalese music
When some musicians imitated American music, King Ibu played traditional music with a modern approach. A personal choice that allowed him to mix contemporary music, African music in general and Senegalese music in particular. As an artist, he mixes traditional West African folk music with modern contemporary arrangements, a musical choice that can be explained by his dual culture. The singer artist defines his music as: “a bridge between Afro Pop and World Music, a mixture of different styles of music designed to promote all that human beings have in common through the expression of the language that can certainly be very different but with universal emotions.” Fascinated by diversity, King Ibu sings in several languages, enriched by his linguistic and literary academic training. It uses five languages: Pulaar, Wolof, English, French and Spanish. This linguistic flexibility allows him to share his music with peoples around the world.
Between spirituality, instrumentalization and polyrhythms
King Ibu surfes between a spiritual approach to storytelling through polyrhythmic instrumentalization and grooves. The melody and rhythm are an integral part of his work but also of his life due to his origins in the lands of Fouta. “Even before we are born, we are exposed to music in one way or another. There is music in all religious and spiritual rites. I use music to create a space of communion with others. This style of musical composition allows me to connect with the human fibre that binds us all.” said King Ibu.
Between the guitar and the drum
Apart from the five languages he practices in his songs, the artist plays alternating guitar and talking drum. This versatility as a producer has allowed her to work effectively. King Ibu embodies in perfect symbiosis, a multidimensional, human and generous value. He works constantly on different subjects of society, musical styles and instruments to improve not only his art but also his personality as an artist. “I often say that it would be a sin not to glorify the Creator by practising these faculties that are given to us,” he explains.
King Ibu sings love and Africa
Three key songs are part of King Ibu’s many achievements. The first evokes love and regret: “To the one” which talks about missing out on the love of one’s life or making mistakes about one’s own personality. The song “Gidel Am, My love,” meanwhile, is a declaration of love that was written when he was younger: “It was a declaration of love that I had written when I was a teenager. Love when you hold on to us. It’s also the most human feeling: love. We thrive when we’re in love.” The third “Cooporate” and “Mama Africa”, which speaks of the African continent, is an appeal to African nations to unite and work together for a better future for Africa, to put down their arms in order to live in peace, to stop the war between brothers, to build…. but also to stop asking for Western assistance. He explains that Africa has everything it takes to be the most modern and prosperous continent in the world.
Watch the song “Mama Africa” here
“What’s going on” is his brand new production”
“What’s going on” is a paternal approach in response to the situation of African-Americans. It is a heartfelt cry about the situation, according to him, of his brothers and sisters who are suffering social, political, economic and even institutional injustice. King Ibu addresses this issue as an African living in this American society, and being himself concerned by the situation of discrimination. It is his way of participating in the construction of the movement “Black Lives Matter”
International Artist and “The Voice of World Music”
King Ibu has collaborated with artists from around the world such as Becaye Aw from Norway, The Hard Road Trio from New Mexico, Dirk K from Germany, Kurt Rasmussen from Cirque du Soleil and Carlos Santana. His presence at these various events is in fact the most satisfying result according to him in his career as an artist. “It’s a great honour for him. And it proves that work and persistence are investments that never disappoint,” he says. Moreover, it is a confirmation of his status as an international artist that is recognized. Performing in the casinos of Las Vegas and all over the world, offered him a beautiful experience musically and humanly. It is a bit like a dream that comes true through hard work, perseverance and determination in what he loves: music.
USA, Canada, Norway, Senegal, Belgium: King Ibu, the king of the stage
King Ibu also shared the stage and famous podiums with Tim Weisberg, Poncho Sanchez, The Wailers or Femi Kuti. Exceptional encounters with the key to a great recognition in his life as an artist in search of positive vibrations. In the United States, in Canada, in Norway, in Belgium, in Senegal, in Ecuador, King Ibu brings his music, his vibrations, his multiple languages, the mastery of various instruments, his sonorities, his Peul culture wrapped in his “Pulaagu”, his rigor, his artist soul and joy. “It is a very noble opportunity to be listened to and appreciated. I owe everything to those who find joy and happiness in what I do“. He defines himself as “The Voice of World Music” or even a citizen of the world and I sing world music,” explains King Ibu… His message is clear, he wants to send a message of peace and love through his art while recalling that it is the responsibility of everyone to build a better world in order to live in all cohesion and harmony.
CINEMA
BURKINA FASO – Culture and tourism: The 4th edition of Tunnel honors the builders of the shadow
Koudougou, May 31, 2025 (AIB) – The 4th edition of Tunnel, a ceremony for distinguishing cultural and tourist actors in the Central-West region, was held in Koudougou on Saturday, noted the AIB on site.
This annual event, initiated by Adama Badiel, aims to create, according to him, a platform of visibility and support for artists and tourism professionals to allow them to establish themselves on national and international scenes.
The promoter Adama Badiel stressed the importance of this edition, placed under the sign of collaboration, recognition and collective construction. He recalled the fundamental objective of the Tunnel: “to highlight the cultural and tourist talents of the Center-West, these women and men who, often without spotlight or support, nourish our region with their passion, creativity, and determination.”
This year, the event paid a special tribute to its partners, whose support is deemed indispensable. Among the officials present were Jean Noël Bonkoungou, representing the minister of culture, patron of the ceremony, El Hadj Inoussa Bagué, president of the Patronat du Centre-Ouest, Franck Alain Kaboré, CEO of Cinéma Neerwaya, and Ali Bonkoungou, CEO of Salsabil Bâtiment, testifying to the commitment of the private and public sectors.
Despite a slight reduction to five categories in competition this year, due to a limited number of album releases and works meeting the criteria, Adama Badiel ensured that the “Golden Tunnel” category will evolve from next year to expand opportunities while maintaining the quality requirement.
The promoter also launched a call for goodwill because, “we need you to build a true ecosystem where art, heritage, tourism and youth can express themselves, thrive and inspire.” This heartfelt plea highlights the major challenge of the lack of resources to fully support the laureates and optimize their visibility.
Several emblematic figures of Burkinabe cinema, such as Eugène Bayala (Oyou), Sawadogo Alidou (head of the Village of Kikideni), and Rasmané Ouédraogo (Razo), have already been honored in previous editions.
This year, the winners on the artistic side include Mr. Baraka, Tasha, Yololo Junior, and KSB 80.
In the cultural and tourist field, personalities like El Hadj Inoussa Bagué, Franck Alain Kaboré, Rasmané Ouédraogo, Boubacar Berewoudougou (Hôtel Pousga), Catherine Zoma (ISMK), and Salfo Dermé were distinguished, in addition to tributes paid to ancient glories of Burkinabe music such as Pasteur Moussa Josué.
Adama Badiel concluded by stating that “the Tunnel is not a one-time event. It is a movement, an ambition, a bridge between what we are and what we can become. A strong message for the future of culture and tourism in the Center-West.
The boss’s representative, Jean Noël Bonkoungou, reassured the promoter of Tunnel of the support of the ministry.
Source: Information Agency of Burkina
Photo credit: Information Agency of Burkina
See on the platforms the legendary Senegalese hip-hop group Daara J Family. On May 30, 2025, the band returns with “COSAAN”, a committed single that resonates, with its morning mbalax melodies and gentle flows, as an essential reminder: never forget where you come from. The single has over 80,000 views and 900 comments on YouTube.
“Fan nga cosaanoo?” – Where are your roots?
This question in wolof, almost a supplication, serves as the thread to the new title of Daara J Family. NAACP literally means “origin” or “heritage”. With this single, the iconic duo formed by Faada Freddy and Ndongo D delivers a work that is at once poetic, political and deeply rooted in history, especially that of Senegal. It is also a call to African youth not to forget their origins. And above all to enhance its cultural heritage by walking with pride in the footsteps of the ancients.
Cosaan, between mbalax and rap
Formed in 1994, while still in high school, the members of Daara J Family never gave up their musical identity. Indeed, they have always mixed sharp words, spirituality and pan-African consciousness. In “COSAAN”, they revisit this tradition that is dear to them. In this song, there are traditional sounds (mbalax) and contemporary hip-hop textures, echoing their long-standing belief: rap was born in Africa, traveled, then came back. The refrain, translated into French, is unequivocal: “Le monde et ce qu’il contient / Si tu vas là et que tu l’obtiens / N’oublie pas, n’oublie pas / This is where your origin lies!” A direct appeal to African youth not to give in to cultural amnesia and to keep the memory of ancestors and African identity alive.
When history inhabits the word
Faada Freddy, with his recognizable soul voice among a thousand, hums: “We know where we come from/ What worries us is where we are going…” This lucid concern can only be tempered by an unwavering faith in the values of the elders. Ndongo D, adds in a quick flow: “If you forget yesterday, tomorrow you will be lost (…) You were born here, you come from here, you live here.” It is an anchor cry, a response to uprooting, a warning against forgetting.
Daara J Family: Making sense of the flow
From their first eponymous album in 1998 to Boomerang in 2003 — hailed as one of the best hip-hop albums of the century by The Observer — to Yaamatele in 2020, Daara J Family have always been able to combine the art of flow with that of meaning. Their commitment goes beyond words. They shared the stage with icons such as Public Enemy or Mos Def, and travelled through festivals from Africa to Europe, from WOMAD to Live 8.
COSAAN: a single dedicated to transmission
More than a return, COSAAN is a transmission. It is a manifesto. That of a knowledge, a duty to remember, a pride. At a time when markers are shifting, when crops are being diluted. In an era marked by migration, globalization and multiple influences, Daara J Family reminds us that identity is a foundation, not a burden. That heritage is not nostalgia, but a compass. And they offer a musical compass and identity with this single: Cosaan!
The monumental works depicting the battle of Little Big Horn, exhibited on the Pont des Arts in Paris in 1999, made the Senegalese artist famous. The installation has just joined the fortress in the Hautes-Alpes for at least ten years.
Muscled warriors meld, horse bumping. Sounds of the fury of battle are heard. Under the impressive curvilinear wooden frame of the old Rochambeau barracks, at the fort of Mont-Dauphin (Hautes-Alpes), is played the battle of Little Big Horn, opposing, in 1876, a coalition of Cheyennes, Sioux and Arapaho to the soldiers of General Custer’s regiment.
In thirty-five monumental sculptures, visible from 6 July, the Senegalese sculptor Ousmane Sow (1935-2016) celebrates the resounding victory of the fragile over the powerful. Deposited in this fortified village for a period of ten years renewable by his widow, the director Béatrice Soulé, this epic installation is well known to the Parisians who discovered it amazed, one day in March 1999, on the Pont des Arts.
The exhibition has remained in the annals with its record attendance – at least 3 million visitors in three months. «An unexpected success», recalls art critic Emmanuel Daydé, then deputy mayor for cultural affairs. For the former physiotherapist born in 1935 in Dakar, who later became an artist, it is consecration. But also, surprisingly, a swan song.
At the moment when Ousmane Sow gains international fame, the art world turns its back on him. Although he was the first African artist recognized in France, none of his successors, to whom he had paved the way, claimed it.
Mayor’s daughter supports her cause
It had all started well. In 1993, the Senegalese sculptor, who two years earlier had been on the cover of Revue noire – a quarterly magazine that revealed a number of African talents – was invited to the major five-year exhibition at Documenta in Kassel, Germany. In 1995, here he is at the Venice Biennale, which is to contemporary art what the Cannes Film Festival is to cinema. The autodidact dreams of an event in Paris.
By chance, he met Hélène Tiberi, daughter of the mayor at the time, Jean Tiberi. Who supports his cause at the City Hall. The location is easy: it will be the Pont des Arts, between the Louvre and the Academy of Fine Arts. It will take diplomatic treasures to convince these two institutions, who have not seen with a good eye the proximity of massive silhouettes imagined by an African artist.Archives «World»: Ousmane Sow questions Bordeaux and politicians
The neighbouring National School of Fine Arts, where figurative art was then taboo, is also pinching its nose. Money is missing. The Havas group had initially promised to contribute to the addition of 5 million francs (the equivalent of 1 million euros today), but its new CEO, Jean-Marie Messier, is sneaking out. Béatrice Soulé moves heaven and earth, finds sponsors and is personally indebted to the tune of 1 million francs. More here
Source: Le Monde
