Rabat - Ivorian reggae singer Alpha Blondy will perform at the 2017 Mawazine Festival: Rhythms of the World, announced Maroc Cultures, the festival's organizers, on Saturday.
Rabat – Ivorian reggae singer Alpha Blondy will perform at the 2017 Mawazine Festival: Rhythms of the World, announced Maroc Cultures, the festival’s organizers, on Saturday.
Blondy will perform at the closing ceremony of the 16th annual edition of the festival at the Bouregreg stage on Saturday, May 20, 2017.
Born as Seydou Koné in 1953 in Dimbrokro, Cote d’Ivoire’s Dimbrokro, Blondy sings in Dioula, French, and English.
In his songs, Blondy tackles political issues and advocates for freedom, unity and love. His passion for reggae emerged after he attended a performance of Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear in 1977 in New York, where he was studying English-language business administration at Columbia University.
Since his debut in the 1980s with the pan-African hit Brigadier Sabari, Blondy has mesmerized his fans. His 1982 debut album, “Glory”, sold more than a million copies in Africa. In “Jerusalem” recorded in 1986 in Jamaica with Bob Marley’s band, Blondy calls for peace, starting the song with a prayer in Hebrew.
Blondy’s career was jumpstarted when Fulgence Kassi, a schoolmate who worked for Ivory Coast television, helped him appear on a talent contest show called “Premiere Chance,” allowing Blondy’s voice to be heard by a record producer
The 16th annual Mawazine Festival is scheduled to take place in Rabat May 12 to 20. The festival will also include performances by the American R&B singer Lauryn Hill, the French chanson singer Charles Aznavou and Angolan semba singer Bonga.
