Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique: Pape & Cheikh

Frank Bessem's
Musiques d'Afrique:

Pape & Cheikh
(Senegal)

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Pape & Cheikh are making music since about 10 years. After years of struggling, an international record deal in 2002 and a tour with Tracey Chapman early 2003 seem to announce a breakthrough.
Both grew up in Kaolack, and were close friends since their childhood. After he had left school, Pape Amadou Fall went to Dakar to work as a tailor, but returned to Kaolack to work in a batik-printing project. In the meantime, Cheikh Coulibaly pursued his law study. Pape stayed seven years on the batik project in a sérèr village and got interested in the sérèr culture and music.
Cheikh, frustrated about his law studies joinded him in his research on traditional sérèr music.
After a period at the Dakar conversatory, Cheikh played bass in Ouza's band, and Pape joined Santamuma, a group making traditional sérèr music combined with western hits, performing for tourists in hotels.

In 1997, Pape & Cheikh started to perform together as a duo, two years later they signed up with Jololi, Yousou N'Dour's label, although only in 2001, a first cassette came out.

Born: Pape (Papa Amadou Fall) is born in 1965, Cheikh (Cheikhou Coulibaly) in 1961, in Kaolack.
Style: folkoric music based on Serer traditions

Discography:

Title	Year	Label	Remarks
Mariama	2002	Real World CDRW 108
Yaakar	2001	Jololi