Tiken Jah Fakoly performs African reggae hits at The Concertgebouw
After a critically acclaimed worldwide tour and a new album, Tiken Jah Fakoly returns to the Netherlands for an acoustic performance at The Concertgebouw on July 23. Surrounded by traditional West African musicians, he plays new work and his greatest hits. Don’t miss out - get your tickets now!
Tiken Jah Fakoly
Tiken Jah Fakoly is one of the figureheads of the new African reggae scene. With his infectious reggae beats and compelling, socially and politically involved lyrics, he has become a mouthpiece for an entire generation of music lovers.
Tiken was born Doumbia Moussa Fakoly in a village in the northwest of the Ivory Coast, in a family belonging to the Griot caste. The African Griots are storytellers and musicians who safeguard the traditions of their people, region and family by telling stories and legends in music.
As a boy, Tiken Jah Fakoly developed a great love for music, but it was only after the death of his father that he really put this love into practice and with success - Tiken Jah Fakoly is one of the most successful African reggae artists of the moment.
Tiken Jah Fakoly plays music "to wake up the consciences". His music speaks about the many injustices done to the people of his country and Africans in general, as well as inciting calls for pan-Africanism and an African economic, political and cultural resurgence. As such, many African listeners feel a deep affinity with his lyrics as Fakoly speaks for oppressed people. This connection has helped make Tiken Jah Fakoly a much-listened artist throughout the world.
Image credit: Youri Lenquette Paris Dakar
Tiken Jah Fakoly’s album Braquage de pouvoir
"The issue of the people's struggle is still relevant today, and this is what I wanted to convey in this album." - Tiken Jah Fakoly
"The African Baobab", as Fakoly is called by his fans in reference (and reverence) to his strength, charisma and unapologetic vindication of his African roots, has once more created a masterpiece of powerful music and highly relevant lyrics.
The tracks of Tiken Jah Fakoly’s album Braquage de pouvoir (Robbery of Power) bring to our attention issues such as children without a home all over the world, repression, migration and the dangers of the passage of young Africans to Europe. However, there is also so much hope to be found listening to Fakoly's music. He sings about the riches of the African continent, the hope of an end to conflict and the conviction that "Africa will one day be unified" with a bright, upful Reggae beat, starting with a delicate Kora solo.
Another of the album's strengths is that throughout the new release, traditional African instruments are incorporated into its soundscape. Thus, you can hear a balafon in the almost-acoustic, Jazz-influenced Ça Va Aller, and a Ngoni, another lute-like Mandé instrument, is played in the thought-provoking Religion.
Talking drums speak to us at the end of Gouvernement 20 Ans, and the haunting voice of Grand Corps Malade, a French singer, poetry slammer and film director, adds to the intensity of the lyrics. Experience this and more when Tiken Jah Fakoly performs at The Concertgebouw. Book your tickets today!
Discover the SummerConcerts at The Concertgebouw in July and August 2024
This concert is part of the SummerConcerts in The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Throughout July and August, you can enjoy beautiful classical concerts, swinging jazz and pop, and legendary film music.
Are you feeling the summer vibes already? You can enjoy a CHANDON Garden Spritz cocktail during the interval of a concert at The Concertgebouw. The shows don’t end there, as many concerts also have a Meet & Greet or an afterparty with a DJ. The SummerConcerts are powered by VriendenLoterij.
Image credit: Govert Driessen, courtesy of Concertgebouw
Buy your tickets online
Buy your tickets in advance on The Concertgebouw website and get to experience world-famous music performed in the most iconic concert hall on the planet. Plus, drinks are included in the ticket price - so, what are you waiting for? Book your tickets today and celebrate the summer with music!
Thumb image credit: Yourie Linquette