Ismaël Lô (also Ismaël Lo; born 1956) is a Senegalese musician and actor.
Life
Lô was born in
Dogondoutchi,
Niger
Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...
on 30 August 1956, to a Senegalese father from wolof ethnic group and a Nigerian mother. Shortly after Lo's birth the family returned to Senegal where they settled in the town of Rufisque, near the capital
Dakar
Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The Departments of Senegal, department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 mill ...
. He plays guitar and harmonica, and has been called "the Bob Dylan of Africa".
In the 1970s, Lo studied at the School of Art in Dakar. He later joined the popular group
Super Diamono, but left in 1984 to start a solo career. Over the next four years Lo recorded five popular solo albums.
In 1988, he composes the soundtrack for
Ousmane Sembene's ''
Camp de Thiaroye'' and plays in it. He would also star in
Moussa Sene Absa's film ''
Tableau Ferraille'' (Iron Landscape), in 1996, and compose more soundtracks.
In 1990, Lo signed a recording deal with Barclay and recorded in France his seventh solo album, ''Ismael Lo''. Thanks to the success of the single "Tajabone" the album became a hit in the European charts. The album launched Lo's international career.
''Iso'' was recorded and released in 1994, and also became a success. The album contains soft guitar melodies and traditional Senegalese
mbalax. The following year Lo toured in Africa. The compilation album ''Jammu Africa'' was released in 1996. The song "Without Blame" is a duet with
Marianne Faithfull.
Lo's song "Tajabone" was featured in
Pedro Almodóvar's film ''
All About My Mother''.
In 2002, he was made a Knight of the
Legion of Honor.
His 2006 album ''Sénégal'' was recorded in Dakar, Paris and London. Lo says of it, "Giving this album the title Sénégal was my way of paying tribute to my own country, in recognition of all its gifts to me".
The film ''
Shake Hands with the Devil'' (2007), about the Rwandan genocide, starts with Lo's song "Jammu Africa".
Discography
Albums
*''Gor Sayina'' (1981)
:*
Yaye Boye Balalma / Gor Saay Na / Ale Lo/ Woudje Yaye –
Tiedo / N'daxami / Sey / Adou Calpe
*''Xalat'' (1984)
[Xalat Album – SYLLART 8314, Record Sleeve & Vinyl Record itself]
:*
Xalat / Tali Be (Talibe) / Lote Lo –
Xamul Dara / Mariama / Fa Diallo
*Xiif (1986)
:*
Alal / Bode Gor / Xiif (Ethiopie Sahel) –
Tiedo / Diouma / Marie Lo
*''Natt'' (1986)
:*
Ataya / Natt / Djola Kele –
Samag La / Mougneul / Tadieu Bone
*''Diawar'' (1988)
:*
Jele Bi/ Sophia / Taar Dousey –
Diawar / Jalia / Adou Calpe
*''Wadiour'' (1990)
:*
Wadiour / Diabar / Souleymane –
Mbarawath / Nene / Tariha
*''Ismael Lo'' (1990)
:*Tajabone / Raciste / Ale Lo / Jiggeny Ndakaru / Fa Diallo / Souleymane / M'barawath / Nene
*''
Iso
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO ; ; ) is an independent, non-governmental, international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries.
Me ...
'' (1994)
:*Dibi Dibi Rek / Nafantav / La Femme sans haine / Rero / Senegambie / Baol Baol / Naboou / Nassarane / Wassalia / Setsinala / Khar / Samayaye
*''Jammu Africa'' (compilation, 1996)
:*Jammu Africa / Nafantav / Sofia / Tajabone / Raciste / Nabou / Without Blame / Dibi Dibi Rek / Lotte Lo / Souleymane / Samba Et Leuk / Takou Deneu / Khar
*''Dabah'' (2001)
:*Aiwa / L'amour a tous les droits / Biguisse / Amoul Solo / Dabah / Boulfale / Faut qu'on s'aime / Africa Democratie / Diour Sani / Badara / Ma dame / N'Dally / Xalas / Mam
*''Sénégal'' (2 October 2006)
# "Baykat"
# "Incha Allah"
# "Tass Yakar"
# "Jola"
# "Taar Dusey"
# "Manko"
# "Yaye Boye"
# "Plus je fais ci, plus je fais ça"
# "Mbindane"
# "Wakhal"
# "Ouvriers"
# "Jiguen"
# "Ma fille"
# "Tajabone"
Singles
* ''Rero'' (1994)
Guest singles
*''Africa Nossa'' (2006) (with
Cesaria Evora)
Music videos
References
External links
RFI Musique biography*
Allmusic linkbr>
Lo discography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lo, Ismael
1956 births
Living people
21st-century Senegalese male singers
Wrasse Records artists
Senegalese guitarists
Senegalese people of Nigerien descent
Knights of the Legion of Honour
Chewa
20th-century Senegalese male singers