carosika

We were delighted to meet Marvin, an accomplished artist who incidentally grew a passion for Zouk music, a hugely popular Caribbean sound from Guadeloupe and Martinique, for close to two decades now and made it his own. Over his 16 years career span, he had the opportunity to tour the world and collaborate with many international artists such as Priscilla, Phylissia Ross from Haiti and Yasmine from Portugal. If you have ever listened or danced to Zouk music, then you are familiar with Marvin's music. That's how popular he is.

However, it's with great humility and simplicity that he converses in the lobby of his hotel in Farringdon on Sunday 2nd July whilst talking to two Caribbean bloggers asking him a wide range of questions on Zouk music. His manager is equally as humble. That night, Marvin will be performing at a Zouk Love event in a nearby venue called The Piano Works amongst the London Caribbean community. It's a huge night for the London Caribbean community since it is the first time in over 10 years that Marvin will perform in London and he is eager to reconnect with his fanbase and public over here.

Marvin has got a very interesting background. It was really interesting for us to discover that he actually is of mixed heritage, his dad being Ivorian and his mother from Brittany, France; which means that unlike most Zouk artists, he is not of Caribbean descent. Yet, from the day Marvin toured for the very first time in the French West Indies in 2006, he was warmly welcome and his music appreciated by all. His first album was called "Corps et Âme" which means Body and Soul. Followed 4 albums and hits, one of the most recent being 'Je serais là', in 2018 with Yasmine. Click below to watch the clip.

However, for the last couple of years, Marvin took some time out during the lockdown, spending time with his loved ones and recharging for what is to come. In 2022, Marvin resumed touring and is back in the studio working on some fresh sounds and diverse collaborations. From the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Sea across to the Atlantic and the Channel for those of us in the UK, Marvin tirelessly shares his passion of music, gives love and receive it from his fanbase all over the world.

So without further ado, make sure to check Marvin's music on all different platforms.

Flashback to a special interview with Soul singer, songwriter and musician Noel McKoy where he shares with Caro Sika his earliest memories of Black British Music talking about Lovers Rock, Reggae, Soul artists and more.

Click below to watch the interview.

Noel McKoy is a British-based soul music singer. His music is a collection of soul, R&B, gospel, funk and Northern soul. Born in South London, he fronted the James Taylor Quartet in the early 1990s and has worked and duetted with several artists such as Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Cliff Richard, Lenny Henry, Jessie J, Mica Paris, Beverley Knight and his favourite - Stevie Wonder, as well as being known as the Dutch Pot owner, a nightclub located in London. He is currently part of the British Collective and also continues to tour and collaborate on a number of musical projects, one of the most recent being an international production with EEDB in collaboration with artists from Brazil and the US called "What are we gonna do? "

 Click below to watch the video clip

Tiramagan Traoré was a general of the great Soundjata Keïta, founder of the Mandinka empire, also referred to as the Mali Empire at the end of the twelfth century through to the sixteenth century.

The story goes that Tiramagan Traoré went to the heights of Kabul (present-day Guinea-Bissau which was formerly a territory of Gambia) with his griot Djelimadou Woulen Diabate and two hunters. During this expedition, Tiramagan spotted a Jinn, in front of a cave, which is a spirit in a form of a woman, living in the mountains. When she saw the expedition, the Jinn became frightened and took refuge in the cave.

Back home, Tiramagan told Waligelenjan, a descendant of Kamisoko, about his adventure. All decided to leave the next morning with a fishing net in order to catch this famous Jinn. When they arrived on the scene, the spirit woman was sitting in front of the cave. Immediately, the hunters launched the net on her to capture her. She, once more, took refuge in the cave and came out with a Kora. Tiramagan married this very beautiful woman and gave the Kora to his griot since he was a nobleman and wasn't permitted to play it. Djelimadou Woulen then exclaimed: "Nobleman, that's an instrument of ours, which belongs to the Mandika people".

It is from this story that the Kora, a stringed instrument of twenty-two strings with crystal sounds, draws its feminine gender. The first person to play it was this griot. When he died, in his honour, a string was removed. Since this time, the Kora has twenty-one leather strings. From the time of the first griot Djélimadou Woulen Diabaté, the Kora has been transmitted from Father to Son and has known more than 70 generations of griots.

Here is below an interview that took place at the Jazz Cafe couple of years back with a griot from the Cissokho family "Diabel Cissokho" by Caro Sika. Enjoy :)

Cette semaine, dans la rubrique 'Patrimoine Culturel', nous vous invitons à explorer avec nous les origines africaines des Champs Elysées de par des faits anthropologiques et culturels.

Avant de rentrer dans le vif du sujet, vous avez probablement tous entendu parler de Stonehenge, une des structures mégalithiques les plus célèbres au monde, située en Angleterre. Elle date du IIIème millénaire avant J.C et pour ceux qui aiment l’anthropologie, elle nous renseigne sur l’ancestralité africaine des peuples 'européens'. Je choisis de mettre l’Europe entre guillemets dans ce contexte puisqu'elle est née d'une volonté politique et non d'une séparation continentale puisque, strictement parlant, le territoire qu'on appelle Europe n'est pas un continent au sens propre puisqu'il partage la même surface émergée du globe que l'Asie (souvent référé à mineur) sans frontières naturelles terrestres, telles la mer ou l’océan. Le continent africain est également le continent le plus proche du territoire européen ce qui, bien naturellement, nous renseigne sur les échanges culturels de ces peuples depuis la génèse des temps. À cet effet, une des plus belles découvertes est le site archéologique de Nabta Playa, en Egypte du sud, à environ 1000km de Khartoum, Soudan. Nabta Playa date du 9^ème millénaire avant notre ère et on y a découvert les premiers alignements mégalithiques témoignant de la connaissance astronomique des sociétés africaines de l’époque, précédant de 6000 ans Stonehenge ou des sites semblables en Bretagne par exemple. Les mégalithes étaient majoritairement des arrangements funéraires qui renvoient à la continuité et l’éternité et qui nous rendent une belle image de la conception africaine de l’au-delà. Mais de manière plus évidente, c'est la preuve incontestable que ce savoir-faire et la croyance qui l'accompagne ont voyagé et inspiré d'autres civilisations au cours des siècles et millénaires.

Pour en découvrir plus sur l'histoire du Balafon et de la culture Sambla, ainsi que sur le parcours de Mamadou Diabaté, cliquez sur l'interview ci-dessous réalisée au Jazz Café, à Londres, lors de son dernier passage.

Our cultural mediator, Caro Sika, showcasing Walk with Wings by Tene Edwards:

Understandably, FUSE ODG has been instrumental in promoting 'the Year of Return', a 2019 initiative of the Ghanaian government, along with the U.S. based Adinkra Group, that is intended to encourage African diasporans to come to Africa (specifically Ghana) to settle and invest in the continent. In support of the year of Return Campaign, he launched Nana Dolls in December 2018, a black doll line for young African girls on the continent. In his announcement, the singer stated that the doll line was an important addition to the cultural representation of the true African girl. He went on to address the problem Africa is facing as Black dolls in Africa only represent 1% of the market. 99% of the toys being sold in Africa are white dolls which condition children to believe that being white is better. His contributions were recognised the same year at The African Diaspora Awards, which celebrates the accomplishments of exemplary individuals from the African Diaspora who excel in various spheres of life, as well as individuals in society working towards the advancement of Africans in the Diaspora and Africa as a whole.

FUSE ODG has now embarked on the new mission of building a high school in Akosombo, Ghana and refurbishing a secondary school in Jamaica with Reggae artist Chronixx, fitness entrepreneur Chakabars  and artist Donisha (who also happens to be Bob Marley's granddaughter). Students will be equipped with various vocational skills to find work, upon graduation, in industries such as construction, or health and beauty for instance.

For more info, watch one of his latest interview below:

Takine Camara est une entrepreneure malienne talentueuse et ambitieuse. Elle est créatrice et fondatrice de la marque de mode 'Beauté Charismatik'.

Alors que sa passion pour la mode remonte à sa tendre enfance, Takine Camara la matérialise adulte par le lancement de sa marque 'Beauté Charismatik'. Afin de faire écho à ses origines maliennes et pour se distinguer de la tendance de la mode africaine associée, très et trop souvent, au wax, elle décide de se spécialiser dans la confection de tenues en bazin, une étoffe synonyme de luxe et de richesse portée, notamment en Afrique de l'Ouest, lors des festivités. Le bazin devient donc la signature de marque de Beauté Charismatik, qui confectionne des tenues à la fois modernes et traditionnelles.

Depuis, sa marque fait l'unanimité en Afrique de l'Ouest et dans la diaspora et s'associe au luxe et au prestige. De par ce fait, Takine Camara est conviée à participer à de nombreux évènements de renom tels Miss Mali ou Miss Afrique de l'Ouest où les prétendantes aux titres défilent portant des créations de Beauté Charismatik. Takine Camara a également eu l'opportunité de collaborer avec la marque WATI B pour la Nuit du Mali en habillant son directeur artistique, ainsi que l'artiste Cheick Tidiane Seck. Plus récemment, ce sera l'artiste Mokobe, qui parrainera le premier Fashion Show de Takine Camara au Sénégal ou la grande Diva Internationale Oumou Sangaré qui sera habillée par Beauté Charismatik pour son premier concert à Dubaï.

Bref, 'the sky is the limit' pour cette créatrice et entrepreneure africaine qui n'hésite pas à voyager, à s'inspirer de cultures et expressions artistiques aux quatre coins du monde et à y travailler.

Découvrez-là ci-dessous dans un de ses interviews en compagnie du présentateur et entrepreneur Mohamadou Deme sur KWABO TV.

Serge Aimé Coulibaly est né à Bobo Dioulasso le 12 mars 1972. Depuis 2002, il travaille en Europe et dans le monde entier par le biais de la compagnie de danse Faso Danse Théâtre, dont il est le fondateur et directeur artistique . Il fondera également ANKATA, un laboratoire de recherche, création et production des arts de la scène situé à Bobo Dioulasso.

Serge Aimé Coulibaly fait ses débuts au sein de la compagnie Feeren au Burkina Faso, sous la direction d'Amadou Bourou, en tant que comédien, danseur et musicien. Cette première expérience lui permettra de partir en tournée en Afrique et en Europe. En 1998, il est choisi pour chorégraphier le spectacle d’ouverture de la Coupe d'Afrique des Nations, et en 1999 celle de l'ouverture du Festival panafricain du cinéma et de la télévision de Ouagadougou (FESPACO).

Depuis la création de sa compagnie Faso Danse en 2002, Serge Aimé travaille sur des thèmes complexes et tente de donner une véritable impulsion positive aux jeunes générations Son africanité est la source de son inspiration et avec son art, il veut créer une danse contemporaine puissante qui part du sentiment mais qui porte aussi réflexion et espoir. La puissance de son expressivité rend son travail universel et compréhensible sur tous les continents. Les pièces en date, produites sur différentes scènes européennes et africaines (festivals), en commençant par la plus récente sont Kirina (2018), Kalakuta Republik (2016), Nuit Blanche à Ouagadougou (2014), Fadjiri (2013), Khokuma 7° Sud (2011), Babemba (2008), Solitude d'un Homme Intègre (2007), A Benguer (2006), Minimini (2002).

Cliquez ci-dessous pour l'interview complet de Serge Aimé Coulibaly sur son parcours et son engagement politique lors de la 100ème représentation de sa pièce Kalakuta Republik, au Barbican Center, à Londres.

Omar Christopher Lye-Fook, known professionally as Omar, is an internationally acclaimed and exceptional soul singer, songwriter and musician, who has been praised by the likes of  Maxwell, Erykah Badu and Stevie Wonder. Stevie Wonder actually wrote him a song which they recorded together as a duet 15 years later.

Omar was born on 14th October 1968 in London. His father, Byron Lye-Fook was a studio musician and drummer who worked with reggae legends Bob Marley and Horace Andy, as well as the Rolling Stones. At age five, Omar was already learning how to play the drums. During his school years, he completed formal training in piano, trumpet/coronet, and other percussion instruments. He also spent two years at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, and the Guildhall School of Music in London. Recording for his father's Kongo label, Omar debuted in 1985 with the single "Mr. Postman" at age 16. He shot to fame in 1991 with his single "There’s Nothing Like This". It reached number 14 in the UK Singles Chart.

In the 1990s, He recorded the albums There's Nothig Like This, Music, For Pleasure and This is Not a Love Song in and towards the end of that decade moved on to major-label RCA. When he parted ways with the label, Omar constructed his own studio and established the record label Blunt Music. He released Sing (If you want it) in 2006. Omar received the Best Neo-soul Act and Outstanding Achievement Awards at the Urban Music Awards, which acknowledges urban music artists around the globe. He was also appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2012. The next year, he released The Man and in 2017 Love In Beats on the Freestyle label, which took three years to make with the collaboration of his baby brother, known professionaly as Scratch Professor (aka Roland). Roland is a Grammy Winning producer, remixer and DJ.

Omar's voice is extra soulful and distinctive although he hated the sound of his voice when he first started performing. He is now described by some as the father of British Neo soul. However, Omar knows no musical boundaries.His influences are wide and varied, including ragga, hip-hop, funk, jazz-pop, rock, and Latin/Caribbean music. 

More recently, before the pandemic, Omar was awarded the Music Honour at the Black Magic Awards 2019 at the Criterion Theatre in the heart of London.

Watch his interview and his word of advice for upcoming artists.