Jah will protect us

Ivory Coast singer Tiken Jah Fakoly is currently the most popular reggae performer in Africa, although his tendency to speak out against political corruption across the continent has meant that his message has not always been greatly received by the authorities. As Tiken explains, he experienced some of that corruption first hand during a recent African tour to raise money to build schools.

“We played three concerts, but we didn’t get any money,” he says. “People came to see the shows, but we didn’t get the proceeds. In some stadiums, we had 20,000 people and no money! Security took it, and that was it. So I’ve decided to do some gigs in Europe next year instead. I’ve done that before. I’ve previously helped to build two schools in Africa, in Mali and the Ivory Coast, after doing shows in Europe.”
Tiken first became politically engaged following the fraught elections in the Ivory Coast in 1995, which ushered in a period of instability in the country. His anti-corruption message proved hugely popular with young audiences, who felt that the singer was speaking out on their behalf.
“I started singing the kind of songs that no African reggae singer had really done before,” reckons Tiken. “I was saying things that people wanted to say, but they didn’t have the right, and that’s why they came to love my music. Sometimes radio didn’t want to play my music, but people bought it anyway. In the past, reggae has been political; Bob Marley used it to fight during his life. We are fighting against injustice, and fighting to bring the message to African people generally.
“We are a people who are growing. We’re coming from the times of slavery and colonisation, so we’re still on the road of development. There are people out there who need spokesmen, because we can’t believe politicians.”
The political instability in the Ivory Coast meant that Tiken was forced to live in exile in Bamako, the capital of Mali, where he continues to be based (although he feels that the situation in the Ivory Coast is improving, and he is now free to go back there). The singer was given political asylum in Mali after a number of people close to him were killed. Later, in December 2007, Tiken also became persona non grata in Senegal, after speaking out against president Abdoulaye Wade.
“I was onstage in Senegal,” he recalls, “and I said that in Africa, we will not accept leaders handing on power to their children, because it should not belong exclusively to one family. I also said that there are people fighting for democracy in Senegal, and that their voices should be heard. Technically, I can go back there, because there isn’t a law forbidding me to return, but I have to be careful because they are still in power. However, I am sure that one day I shall return to Senegal through the front door!”
Tiken first took an interest in reggae during his youth in the Ivory Coast, when he became a fan of Bob Marley. He was particularly excited when he eventually got the chance to collaborate with Sly and Robbie, two of the key figures in the development of reggae.
“It was an honour for me to play with them,” enthuses Tiken. “I was very young when I started listening to reggae, so I couldn’t imagine that one day I would be playing with them. I also recorded in Bob Marley’s studio, which was a great experience. In addition, it was a meeting between the African language and Jamaican musicians, and I think that was a very interesting mix of styles.”
In August of 2008, Tiken was presented with the Freemuse Award in Dublin, in recognition of his courageous stance against corruption.
“That was great, because sometimes when artists are politically engaged, they don’t receive awards,” he comments. “I was very happy to receive that award, and when you are acknowledged in that way, it gives you the energy to continue your fight.”

www.myspace.com/tikenjah