Floby is Burkina Faso’s biggest pop star. He has been recording hits for over a decade, and he has managed to stay on top.
His most recent album Wend’so dropped last year, and both singles from it – Méditation and Batterie Kouda – have done well.
Over the years, Floby has picked up quite a few nicknames:
- “Le Baaba” refers to the fact that he holds a chieftaincy in his village.
- “Le Papa des Orphelins” – meaning father of the orphans – is perhaps most revealing.
Floby’s is a remarkable story of rags to riches: he spent six years living destitute on the streets of Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, after the urban wing of his family threw him out because he was determined to be a musician.
He does not forget the many young people who still face the hardship he suffered.
His nickname when he was on the streets was “Weedo”, which means “from the bush”, and in each album he has done a Weedo song – either recounting parts of his life story or giving inspirational messages to his more unfortunate young fans.
He told me:Quote Message: I can’t help everyone, but I encourage children who have difficult lives to take hope. If I, Floby, could get off the street so can everyone.”
I can’t help everyone, but I encourage children who have difficult lives to take hope. If I, Floby, could get off the street so can everyone.”
Floby did have one big advantage though. Before moving to Ouagadougou he was brought up by his grandmother in the village. She was a griot, and she taught him to sing and introduced him to the traditional rhythms of his Mossi culture.Quote Message: She gave me everything, God rest her soul. Lying in bed at night I often wonder what would have become of me if she hadn’t been there. There was no money for me to go to school, I had no training in anything. How would I have managed to feed my family if I didn’t have music?
She gave me everything, God rest her soul. Lying in bed at night I often wonder what would have become of me if she hadn’t been there. There was no money for me to go to school, I had no training in anything. How would I have managed to feed my family if I didn’t have music?Quote Message: But I didn’t get into music to be a millionaire. I didn’t really know it could even feed me. I did it because I wanted to sing, I wanted to express everything that was in me, and because it was a gift in me given by a dear person in my life.”
But I didn’t get into music to be a millionaire. I didn’t really know it could even feed me. I did it because I wanted to sing, I wanted to express everything that was in me, and because it was a gift in me given by a dear person in my life.”
In one way the influence of Floby’s grandmother has grown stronger. Whereas his early songs, like his breakthrough hit Rosine, were in an imported genre – as he puts it – his recent work emphasises the Warba, a traditional Mossi rhythm.Quote Message: For me it’s a way of creating a Burkinabé musical identity. I want it to be like Mbalax from Senegal or Zouglou from Ivory Coast
For me it’s a way of creating a Burkinabé musical identity. I want it to be like Mbalax from Senegal or Zouglou from Ivory CoastQuote Message: It’s a dream, but I’m making steps towards it, and other artists are catching on to the idea. One person can’t do it alone.”
It’s a dream, but I’m making steps towards it, and other artists are catching on to the idea. One person can’t do it alone.”
Source: BBC
