Between the rain-swept streets of Paris and the swirling sands of the Sahara, there lies a voice that is neither and both of these music-soaked places. Musician Daby Touré, son of the African desert and child of a Parisian musical upbringing, has created new boundaries and categories that go beyond territory, ethnicity or birthright. He is simply, Daby.

This musician’s life started out in Mauritania, where the Sahara, the world’s largest hot desert, divides northern Arabic Africa with southern black Africa. There, in the village of Djeole on the banks of the verdant River Senegal, he grew up surrounded by music and a feast of languages and cultures; Toucouleur, Fulbe, Soninke and Wolof mingled together, helping to give Daby the richest memories of his life.

From this rural childhood Daby found himself at the age of 18 living in one of Europe’s most culturally diverse cities when his father- a musician - was invited by the Afro-pop group Touré Kunda to join them in Paris.  Already an aspiring musician, Daby thrived on the vibrant, urban music scene of late 80s Paris.

After a successful album release with his cousin Omar, with whom he formed the band Touré Touré, Daby immersed himself in the Paris jazz scene. Daby has relentlessly pursued the grail of a new Afro-centric pop sound. After disbanding Toure Toure, he locked himself away for several years to work on his first solo album 'Diam'. 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 blends the sounds of Africa, Paris and international pop in equal measure.  Peter Gabriel was one of the first people to recognise his talent and potential when he invited Daby to support him on his ‘Still Growing Up’ European stadium tour in 2004. Real World also snapped up the chance to release ‘Diam’ worldwide.

“This album sits in a comfortable cranny astride all borders …only those who have an intrinsic sense of musical excellence can take inspiration from culturally distinct sources and make something brilliantly new with it.”
fROOTS

“An enjoyably mainstream world-pop album in which each track has a distinct character."
The Guardian

“A sound of pastel colours - flowing guitar patterns, drifting percussion, sweet melodies”
Songlines

“It’s all done without compromising the authenticity of Touré’s African origins to create a crossover album of classy Afro-pop.”
The Times

"Traditional motifs have been adapted into well-structured, memorable songs suffused with tenderness and a heart-warming campfire intimacy."
Daily Telegraph

This remarkably sensitive but energized and engaging performer has sine emerged with full force onto the European music scene, as a musician both rooted in his own cultures as well as freely exploring the spaces between, creating something entirely new and breathtakingly fresh. No wonder ‘Diam’ earned Daby a nomination for Best Newcomer at the BBC Awards for World Music in 2006.

Stereo Spirit is Daby’s second release on Real World Records. “My songs are about giving people an emotion, making them feel good, just for a few moments. What I’m trying to do is to give people the best moment possible whilst listening to this album, even if they don’t understand what I am talking about because I’m not speaking a language they understand.”

Daby’s lyrics are a complex interplay between languages, both European and African. As well as French and English, he mixes Wolof with Soninké and Pulaar, the languages of his childhood that represent the different cultures that abound on the African continent.

With his rich voice soaring through the songs that are sometimes only accompanied by the punctuated tapping of his fingers on the fret board, it is easy to see that this latest work - created at the Real World Studios over a three-month period - is a one-man work of serious personal expression. “It was also important that the music be created slowly, at its own pace, like a good soup left to simmer in its own flavours”,  explains Daby.

DOWNLOADS

PDF File

Hi Res Photo

Hi Res Photo 2

http://www.realworldrecords.com/
dabytoure/