Tiken Jah Fakoly

Originally from Odienné in the north-west of Côte d'Ivoire, he formed his first reggae band in the 1980s and called it Les Djelis: the Griots. From the outset, Fakoly understood his work as continuing the rich lineage of Griot singers and storytellers. The desire to pass on knowledge and stand up for his convictions runs through his entire oeuvre.


During the political conflicts of the early 1990s, he became an important figure for Ivorian youth, using his songs to name injustices and advocate for self-empowerment. Nonetheless, he was also repeatedly criticized for his clear stance and decided to leave Côte d’Ivoire for Mali in 2002.


In his 2004 song ‘Plus rien ne m’étonne’ [Nothing surprises me anymore], Fakoly denounced the military barter deals and the eye-for-an-eye policy of major global powers. He also referred to the colonial division of the African continent and its consequences, which are still being felt today. Twenty years later, he recorded an acoustic version of the song to emphasise his statement, which has only become more urgent: ‘They divided the world, nothing surprises me anymore. They divided Africa, over our heads. And now they are surprised that we are divided!’


Fakoly meanwhile, through his music and personality, stands for cohesion and pan-Africanism. With this in mind, he performs with his ten-piece reggae band at Deberlinization—a musical highlight of the programme.