Cheikh Lô

Cheikh N’Digel Lô (born 12 September 1955) is a Senegalese musician. He was born to Senegalese parents in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, and began singing and playing drums at an early age. In 1976, Lô joined Orchestre Volta Jazz, a Bobo‑Dioulasso variety band known for performing Cuban and Congolese pop alongside traditional Burkinabé music. He moved to Senegal in 1978, where he performed with several mbalax groups. At the time, Zairean rumba, Cameroonian makossa, and reggae were all gaining popularity, and Lô absorbed these influences into his developing musical style. By 1985, he was playing guitar with musicians from Côte d’Ivoire and France, which led to recording sessions in Paris in 1987. After his band dissolved, Lô remained in Paris as a session musician, refining a personal sound that blended mbalax, reggae, and soukous. He spent much of his time in recording studios, and his informal collaborations with Zairean star Papa Wemba were especially formative. Lô recalled stepping in as a drummer when needed, noting Wemba’s connection to the musical lineage of Tabu Ley, an artist Lô admired in his youth. In 1995, Youssou N’Dour produced Lô’s debut album, Ne La Thiass, which became an international success. In 2000, Lô appeared alongside Ibrahim Ferrer on “Choco’s Guajira”, featured on Cuban pianist Rubén González’s album Chanchullo. In 2002, he contributed to two tracks on the Red Hot Organization’s tribute album to Fela Kuti, Red Hot and Riot. On one of the tracks, “Shakara / Lady (Part Two)”, he collaborated with Les Nubians and Manu Dibango.
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Sante Yalla

Degg Gui (feat. Flavia Coelho & Fixi)

Il n’est jamais trop tard

Guiss Guiss

Bourama

Ndokh

Doxandeme

Né La Thiass

Jamm

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