Biography
Few artists embody the mission of cross-cultural collaborations more than Senegalese composer, singer and producer Wasis Diop. Since the 1970s Diop has been living in France, where he has worked with a wide range of artists of various backgrounds, including Japanese avant-garde saxophonist Yasuaki Shimizu, lengendary Jamaican dub producer Lee 'Scratch' Perry, and Tunisian chanteuse Amina. Diop has also produced a number of film sound-tracks, and his song 'Everything' was featured prominently in the 199 film 'The Thomas crown affair'. A true musical explorer, Diop blends African traditions with everything form Celtic and Arabic music to sophisticated pop and electronic textures.
'African Dream' which features British soul singer Lena Fiagbe on vocals, was a crossover hit in the UK when it was released there in 1992. Diop's rich vocals in the Wolof language provide an appealing counterpart to Fiagbe's soulful singing in English. The song warns that even if we think we are invincible, trouble can befall us. 'The monkey is nimble on the branch, but sometimes he falls from the tree'
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.