Juldeh Camara (born 1966, Basse,
Gambia
The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...
) is a
griot
A griot (; ; Manding: jali or jeli (in N'Ko: , ''djeli'' or ''djéli'' in French spelling); Serer: kevel or kewel / okawul; Wolof: gewel) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician.
The griot is a repos ...
, as well as an internationally followed blues musician and recording artist who has appeared on 21 albums. He is known for his instrumental virtuosity and for his collaborations with European, African, and other artists.
[http://www.worldmusic.co.uk/juldeh_camara WorldMusic.co.uk Juldeh Camara]
His instrument is an African one-string fiddle, known as
Nyanyero in his native
Fula language
Fula ,Laurie Bauer, 2007, ''The Linguistics Student’s Handbook'', Edinburgh also known as Fulani or Fulah (, , ; Adlam: , , ), is a Senegambian language spoken by around 30 million people as a set of various dialects in a continuum that stre ...
or
Riti in the
Wolof language
Wolof (; Wolofal: ) is a language of Senegal, Mauritania, and the Gambia, and the native language of the Wolof people. Like the neighbouring languages Serer and Fula, it belongs to the Senegambian branch of the Niger–Congo language family. ...
.
[
He grew up in ]Casamance
, settlement_type = Geographical region
, image_skyline = Senegal Casamance.png
, image_caption = Casamance in Senegal
, image_flag = Flag of Casamance.svg
, image_shield =
, motto ...
, Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤠(Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤠ðž ...
, living with his blind father Serif.["Gambia: Legends - Juldeh Camara: the International Fula Musician Taking Gambian Music to the World"]
AllAfrica.com, ''The Daily Observer'' (Banjul), 17 October 2014. His father taught him to play. There is a family or local tradition that his father had his eyesight taken by Djinn
Jinn ( ar, , ') – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources)
– are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian religious systems and later in Islamic mytho ...
in return for learning music from one, and that the sound of the Djinn in can also be found in Juldeh's music.[
Growing up in upper Gambia to a legendary ritti player Sheriff Camara, it was not until age 5, Juldeh Camara began watching his father play the nyanyeru, the ritti. It came a point the young Juldeh cried whenever his father refused to give the ritti to fiddle with it. As the father, Sheriff Camara continued his musical tours in Basse sometimes with reputable politicians like the former vice president of the Gambia Assan Musa Camara, by now Camara had started to fine-tune his fingers with the rhythm of the nyanyeru
In June 2014, after touring with the band since late 2012, Camara appeared as part of the Sensational Space Shifters with ]Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the English rock band Led Zeppelin for all of its existence from 1968 until 1980, when the band broke up following the ...
at the 2014 Glastonbury Extravaganza.
Discography
Juldeh Camara has appeared on the following albums:[
*''Ancient Heart - Mandinka & Fula Music of the Gambia'' (1990)
*''Tramp'' (1993)
*''Klapp'' (1995)
*''Hiptodisiac'' (1997)
*''Dee Ellington'' (1997)
*''New-York Paris Dakar'' (1997)
*''Gis Gis'' (1998)
*''Millenium Drum Salute'' (1998)
*''Kairo Sounds of the Gambia'', various artists (Arch Entertainment, 1999)
*''Moto Moto'', Batanai Marimba (2000)
*''Mudzimu Mudzimu'', Batanai Marimba (Sterns, 2002)
*''Madirisa'', Daykil Chosan Group (2003)
*''ZubopGambia Live'', ZubopGambia (2004)
*''The Drummer'', Boka Halat (Taps, 2004)
*''Afro-Mandinka Soul'', Seckou Keita Quartet (ARC Music, 2006)
*''Soul Science'', ]Justin Adams
Justin Alexander Adams (born 22 July 1961) is an English guitarist and composer who works in blues and African styles.
Biography
Born in London, the son of a diplomat, Adams spent some of his early childhood growing up in Egypt, before return ...
and Juldeh Camara (World Village Records, 2007)
*''Kanaké'', Ebraima Tata Dindin Jobarteh (2008)
*''Tell No Lies'', Justin Adams
Justin Alexander Adams (born 22 July 1961) is an English guitarist and composer who works in blues and African styles.
Biography
Born in London, the son of a diplomat, Adams spent some of his early childhood growing up in Egypt, before return ...
and Juldeh Camara (Real World Records, 2009)
*''The Trance Sessions'', Justin Adams
Justin Alexander Adams (born 22 July 1961) is an English guitarist and composer who works in blues and African styles.
Biography
Born in London, the son of a diplomat, Adams spent some of his early childhood growing up in Egypt, before return ...
and Juldeh Camara (Real World Records, 2010)
*''In Trance'' - JuJu (band of Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara) (Real World Records, 2011)
*''Traders'', Julaba Kunda, Juldeh Camara, and Griselda Sanderson (Waulk Records, 2011)
*'' lullaby and... THE CEASELESS ROAR'', Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the English rock band Led Zeppelin for all of its existence from 1968 until 1980, when the band broke up following the ...
and The Sensational Space Shifters (Nonesuch Records Inc., 2014 - 7559-79542-1)
External links
Page about ZubopGambia and their relationship with Juldeh CamaraAnother site that talks about ZubopGambia and Juldeh Camara
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Camara, Juldeh
Living people
Gambian musicians
1960s births
Date of birth missing (living people)