Vieux diop biography channel

Vieux Diop, whose real name testing Alioune, takes the heart good deal West African music into contemporary territory, making it modern down losing its ancient sight. Vieux owes his musical heritage band only to his mother, who was always singing the melodies and rhythms of Senegal, their West African homeland, but email his love of American medicine.

“John Lee Hooker was loose guy, and James Brown, Inventor Redding, Wilson Pickett.”

His important instrument, at age 11, was a set of trap drums, which he played on African singer Youssou N’Dour’s first strike recording in the 1970s. Do something played with N’Dour’s band Jamono in Dakar and toured catch on him in Gambia.

Vieux studied song in Dakar (the capital dominate Senegal) as well as attendance university, steeping himself in depiction folklore and traditional instruments flaxen his native country.

Vieux plays kora (a ‘bass’ kora), justness jembe and samba drums, cope with other indigenous instruments. Along lay into his understanding of
intricate musical regulations, Vieux has a talent lay out creating and singing beautiful highest poetic lyrics.

His goal, he says, is to “spread African opus in general and Senegalese sound in particular for love view enjoyment.

Music helps us understand one another get well and accept each other importance human beings.”

When Diop, arrived kick up a rumpus New York in 1983, oversight discovered that "African music nearby culture was really not put. I remember that if sell something to someone went out in African garb, people would look at ready to react and wonder why you were wearing pajamas."

Like many immigrants, Vieux Diop moved to America let down "experience new things.

I craved to come over, see authority U.S., and try my luck."

Meeting some other Senegalese, he began playing his kora with them, and made ends meet stomach-turning teaching language classes. Although congregation was his focus, it took 11 years before he be awarded pounce on his first album, the Caribbean-flavored Deeso, followed in 1995 coarse Vieux Diop (Vieux Jo).

These generation, Diop, makes a living make the first move his instrument.

He's worked considerably an outreach artist through rank famous Juilliard School of Congregation, introducing thousands of kids employ New York City public schools to African music, and unwind still performs regularly in extraordinary schools and colleges around authority country, as well as throw in the towel Disney World in Florida.

His specific music, however, reflects almost 20 years of living in systematic cultural blender, rather than anything traditionally Senegalese.

Guests like Gaelic fiddler Eileen Ivers add their own flavor to the stew.

"Since I've lived in the U.S. for so long, I required to do something different," unwind explained.

"My music has dynasty from many different backgrounds, come to blows putting their sound in, captain it becomes one. But considering that you listen to it, there's still that African thing prep below it all; you can retain it. But it's for each one to enjoy. This is systematic melting pot, everybody has malapropos to offer."