Djely Tapa
Singer-songwriter born in Mali and based in Montreal. Her first album Barokan won the 2020 Juno award for best Canadian album of world music.
"Between Mandingo tradition, desert blues and electronic experiments, Djely Tapa wants to convey a feminist and pan-African message".
- Le Monde (France)
Djely Tapa is a singer-songwriter based in Montreal, Canada. She was born in the Kayes region of western Mali into an illustrious family of griots (djely in the Malinké language - heirs to centuries-old artistic traditions). Her debut album Barokan (Disques Nuits d'Afrique, 2019) evokes African blues, Sahel vibes and is tinged with electro. Produced by Caleb Rimtobaye (AfrotroniX) and Eli Levinson, it features 11 tracks infused with Afro-futurism. Acclaimed by audiences and critics both here and abroad, Djely Tapa has received several awards (including a Juno for best Canadian world music album). Barokan (Deluxe edition) was released in Europe in October 2020 with a new track entitled Biriko Spirit - produced by Jean Massicotte (Lhasa de Sela, Arthur H, etc.). Her most recent single, Le sais-tu? was released in March 2022.
With a powerful, high-pitched voice, incandescent delivery and elegant gestures, Djely Tapa explores a musical language that looks to the world and to the future, synthesizing her musical heritage and incorporating contemporary sounds. Her songs convey a message of strength and hope, giving voice to the struggles of the marginalized. She sings mainly in Malinke, Bambara and Kassonke, but sometimes in French. Djely Tapa is a spokesperson for several causes, especially those that promote gender equality and support women of African descent.
"One is born a griot, but one becomes an artist." – Djely Tapa.
https://www.youtube.com/djelytapa
https://www.facebook.com/djelytapa
https://www.instagram.com/djelytapa/
activities
Artist
participating in
- WOMEX 2022
