Abdallah Lee had a relatively short career but one that was long enough for him to become the most popular Afari singer in Djibouti. He was born Abdallah Abdoulkader Abas in Djibouti city, the capital of Djibouti, on August 7, 1963. At the age of twelve he joined Baadon, an Afari theatre company that performed regularly in the city. And as for so many other artists throughout the region, the theatre was the springboard for Abdallah's musical career. By 1979, he was a rising star of Afar music.
He toggled between several styles, from the oud and percussion 'arab' style, to what the Djiboutians call 'nomad blues', stripped down songs built on electric guitar and percussion. In 1987, Abdallah Lee co-founded Dinkara, the group that dominated Djiboutian music for the next decade with their contemporary interpretations of Afari classics. At the height of his popularity, during a time of ethnic tensions that degenerated into a civil war (1991-1994), Lee also recorded songs in Somali, using his lyrics to denounce manipulative politicians. Abdallah Lee performed throughout the Afari diaspora, with concerts in Ethiopia, France, Belgium, and Sweden.
In the fall of 2007, Abdallah Lee was evacuated to France for medical treatment. He passed away on September 18, 2007, in Poitiers, France. He was forty-four years old and left a widow and seven children behind him.
This post features a cassette I picked up in Djibouti. The cassette is, unfortunately, unlabelled. I don't know when these recordings were made or with what group. I suspect these are Dinkara recordings. With two notable exceptions, the line-up consists of guitar, percussion, and vocals.
Download Abdallah Lee
This selection includes one of Abdallah Lee's bigger 1980s hits, 'Mon Capitaine', a tribute to Captain Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, sung in French. I assume this song was recorded in the late 1980s, as a tribute to the assassinated president of Burkina--Sankara was killed in 1987. It took me a few hours to rid this track of glitches, but you will notice, nonetheless, that the track skips pretty badly at two different points. I decided to include the track, regardless, given its historical interest. Track 8 is the one I have been listening to on repeat for a few weeks. To my ears it is a perfect mix of dry guitar, spacey synth and a solid beat.
Enjoy.
He toggled between several styles, from the oud and percussion 'arab' style, to what the Djiboutians call 'nomad blues', stripped down songs built on electric guitar and percussion. In 1987, Abdallah Lee co-founded Dinkara, the group that dominated Djiboutian music for the next decade with their contemporary interpretations of Afari classics. At the height of his popularity, during a time of ethnic tensions that degenerated into a civil war (1991-1994), Lee also recorded songs in Somali, using his lyrics to denounce manipulative politicians. Abdallah Lee performed throughout the Afari diaspora, with concerts in Ethiopia, France, Belgium, and Sweden.
In the fall of 2007, Abdallah Lee was evacuated to France for medical treatment. He passed away on September 18, 2007, in Poitiers, France. He was forty-four years old and left a widow and seven children behind him.
This post features a cassette I picked up in Djibouti. The cassette is, unfortunately, unlabelled. I don't know when these recordings were made or with what group. I suspect these are Dinkara recordings. With two notable exceptions, the line-up consists of guitar, percussion, and vocals.
Download Abdallah Lee
This selection includes one of Abdallah Lee's bigger 1980s hits, 'Mon Capitaine', a tribute to Captain Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, sung in French. I assume this song was recorded in the late 1980s, as a tribute to the assassinated president of Burkina--Sankara was killed in 1987. It took me a few hours to rid this track of glitches, but you will notice, nonetheless, that the track skips pretty badly at two different points. I decided to include the track, regardless, given its historical interest. Track 8 is the one I have been listening to on repeat for a few weeks. To my ears it is a perfect mix of dry guitar, spacey synth and a solid beat.
Enjoy.
Wow. Was not familiar with him but digging the YouTube track and looking forward to hearing the tape. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWow...what a beautiful soothing music, it's a shame such artists don't have the opportunity to shine on worldmusic stage. Labels like Realworld should have taken note. Thank you for the share....just love it !!
ReplyDeletethanks as always its great to have 3 amazing treasures from you each month
ReplyDeletehelps me remember to want to be alive!!!
roberth