Daby Touré, or just ‘Daby’ as he’s known in the world of music, grew up in southern Mauritania, an arid land where the sands of the Sahara mingle with the grasses and stunted trees of the sahel, and where the Arabic and Moorish cultures of North Africa blend into the many distinct cultures of black west Africa. Like all young Africans, Daby soaked up the melodies and rhythms of his Soninke people without thought or effort. But from an early age, after falling in love with bands like The Police and Michael Jackson, he knew that he wanted to create his own music and move beyond the cosy limits of his people’s musical traditions.
In 1989 Daby’s father Hamidou Toure, a doctor and amateur musician, was called to Paris to join Toure Kunda, a seminal group in the history of world music and the African scene in Paris. Hamidou sold his house to pay for his son’s ticket. The young Daby was intoxicated by the musical riches he found in the French capital, especially the leftfield jazz scene, and he soon became involved in several groups, eventually teaming up with his cousin Omar to form Toure Toure. Despite objections from his father, who feared the hardships that a musical career might heap on his son, Daby relentlessly pursued the grail of a new Afro-centric pop sound. After disbanding Toure Toure, Daby locked himself away for several years to work on his first solo album ‘Diam’, collaborating with electronic musician and digital wizard Cyrille Dufay. Daby may be proud of his African roots but he values creative freedom above all else, and shuns any obligation to be more ‘African’ than his heart and soul tell him to be. ‘Diam’ is a superbly-crafted contemporary pop record, that blend the sounds of Africa, Paris and international pop in equal measure. After being touted to almost every single record label in France, ‘Diam’ eventually found its way to the offices of Real World Records, who are releasing it worldwide.
The new album ‘Diam’ will be released on Real World Records, distributed by Virgin/EMI
www.realworldrecords.com/dabytoure (coming Soon)
Daby is seen here giving an intimate performance at Real World Studios.