Daara J
Encyclopedia
Daara J are a Senegalese rap
trio
that consists of N'Dongo D, Aladji Man, and Faada Freddy. Their music takes influence from hip hop
, Afro-Cuban
rhythms, and reggae
and is performed in English, French, Spanish, and Wolof.
Daara J was formed in 1997 and quickly became popular in Senegal
from the release of their first cassette album, Daara J. They followed in 1999 with a more politically themed recording, Xalima, which integrated numerous musical ideas and instruments from Senegal and other African countries. 2003's Boomerang was critically acclaimed and furthered the combination of various musical and lyrical influences of the previous two recordings. Activism
has also been an important aspect of the group's philosophy since it was founded.
and Afrika Bambaataa
but also listened to their parents' music, which included artists such as Sly & the Family Stone
and Aretha Franklin
, and musical styles which included Cuban music
. Faada Freddy cites the group's major inspiration as Das EFX
. Originally, the members took instrumentals of hip hop tracks from the United States and France to rap over. Later they purchased a drum machine
, but even with this equipment, a member of the group would have to imitate the other instruments in the song with his voice. Positive Black Soul
, another Senegalese rap group, encouraged Daara J to record and perform.
ous debut album was produced by the reggae musician Mad Professor
and was successful locally, selling 15,000 copies. Their next album was released in 1999 and titled Xalima (Quill and Ink). The album was politically themed and included guest performances from other Senegalese artists playing instruments such as the kora
and balafon
.
to release Boomerang in 2003. It featured performances by guests including Rokia Traoré
. The album's title is based on the idea that hip hop music was born in Africa, spread around the world, then returned to the continent. Daara J note similarities between rap
and tassou—a traditional African verbal performance technique used to discuss the social and political environment, daily life, and future aspirations. They believe it traveled from Africa by way of the United States slave trade. A year after the release of the album, Daara J won the Best African Act award from BBC Radio 3
.
The album itself was described as "one of the hip hop albums of the century" by the British newspaper The Observer
and was successful on European music charts. Other reviews have been positive; Matthew Pollesel of Splendid Magazine praised the album for its lyrical content: "...as Daara J show throughout Boomerang, it's possible to get the meaning of those words just by listening to the things that surround them—the intensity of the rappers' delivery, the quality of the beats, and how well all those other factors coalesce around the words. And on that score, Daara J's message comes through loud and clear." However, Katharina Lobeck of BBC Music
noted that one of the tracks, the R&B
-influenced "Hip Hop Civilization" is "too generically soppy for even the most hardened R&B fans", but went on to say that the album is "a successful sonic adventure which thrives on its defiance of the margins of established sales categories".
The group has made appearances at various WOMAD festivals around the world, the Live 8 concert in Eden Project
, and Africa Calling. Daara J has also performed with other hip hop artists and groups including Public Enemy, Wyclef Jean
, and Mos Def
.
, Daara J were involved in editing speeches for political leaders and the promotion of that year's campaign against corruption
.
Senegalese hip hop
- Brief history of hip hop in Africa : The year was 1982 when the birth of hip hop took place in the country of Senegal. In the early 1980s when hip hop first hit the scene in Africa, it went from merely being a fad, to a more social and political movement. Amongst the most influential leaders of...
trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
that consists of N'Dongo D, Aladji Man, and Faada Freddy. Their music takes influence from hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, Afro-Cuban
Music of Cuba
The Caribbean island of Cuba has developed a wide range of creolized musical styles, based on its cultural origins in Europe and Africa. Since the 19th century its music has been hugely popular and influential throughout the world...
rhythms, and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and is performed in English, French, Spanish, and Wolof.
Daara J was formed in 1997 and quickly became popular in Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
from the release of their first cassette album, Daara J. They followed in 1999 with a more politically themed recording, Xalima, which integrated numerous musical ideas and instruments from Senegal and other African countries. 2003's Boomerang was critically acclaimed and furthered the combination of various musical and lyrical influences of the previous two recordings. Activism
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
has also been an important aspect of the group's philosophy since it was founded.
Formation
Daara J formed in 1997 when all of its members were in high school, where they were studying accounting. The rappers were influenced by American hip hop artists such as Grandmaster Flash and The Furious FiveGrandmaster Flash and The Furious Five
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was an influential American hip-hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1978. Composed of one DJ and five rappers Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was an influential American hip-hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in...
and Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal...
but also listened to their parents' music, which included artists such as Sly & the Family Stone
Sly & the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...
and Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, and musical styles which included Cuban music
Music of Cuba
The Caribbean island of Cuba has developed a wide range of creolized musical styles, based on its cultural origins in Europe and Africa. Since the 19th century its music has been hugely popular and influential throughout the world...
. Faada Freddy cites the group's major inspiration as Das EFX
Das EFX
Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Skoob and Dray...
. Originally, the members took instrumentals of hip hop tracks from the United States and France to rap over. Later they purchased a drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
, but even with this equipment, a member of the group would have to imitate the other instruments in the song with his voice. Positive Black Soul
Positive Black Soul
Positive Black Soul is a hip hop group based in Dakar, Senegal, one of the first such collectives in the country. Founded in 1989, the group is composed of Didier Sourou Awadi and Amadou Barry , both of whom had previously been in other hip hop groups...
, another Senegalese rap group, encouraged Daara J to record and perform.
Daara J and Xalima
Daara J and Xalima were both released on the label Déclic. The group's 1998 eponymEponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous debut album was produced by the reggae musician Mad Professor
Mad Professor
Mad Professor is a dub music producer and engineer known for his original productions and remix work. He is considered one of the leading producers of dub music’s second generation and was instrumental in transitioning dub into the digital age. He is a prolific producer, contributing to or...
and was successful locally, selling 15,000 copies. Their next album was released in 1999 and titled Xalima (Quill and Ink). The album was politically themed and included guest performances from other Senegalese artists playing instruments such as the kora
Kora (instrument)
The kora is a 21-string bridge-harp used extensively in West Africa.-Description:A kora is built from a large calabash cut in half and covered with cow skin to make a resonator, and has a notched bridge. It does not fit well into any one category of western instruments and would have to be...
and balafon
Balafon
The balafon is a resonated frame, wooden keyed percussion idiophone of West Africa; part of the idiophone family of tuned percussion instruments that includes the xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, and the vibraphone...
.
Boomerang
The group moved to Wrasse RecordsWrasse Records
Wrasse Records is a British record label. It was started in 1998 by Ian and Jo Ashbridge. Both had been involved in the music industry prior to them starting up their own company. Its offices are based in the UK, but it distributes its CDs all around the world...
to release Boomerang in 2003. It featured performances by guests including Rokia Traoré
Rokia Traoré
Rokia Traoré is a Victoires de la Musique award-winning Malian singer, songwriter and guitarist. Born in Mali as a member of the Bambara ethnic group, her father was a diplomat and she travelled widely in her youth. She visited such countries as Algeria, Saudi Arabia, France and Belgium and was...
. The album's title is based on the idea that hip hop music was born in Africa, spread around the world, then returned to the continent. Daara J note similarities between rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
and tassou—a traditional African verbal performance technique used to discuss the social and political environment, daily life, and future aspirations. They believe it traveled from Africa by way of the United States slave trade. A year after the release of the album, Daara J won the Best African Act award from BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
.
The album itself was described as "one of the hip hop albums of the century" by the British newspaper The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
and was successful on European music charts. Other reviews have been positive; Matthew Pollesel of Splendid Magazine praised the album for its lyrical content: "...as Daara J show throughout Boomerang, it's possible to get the meaning of those words just by listening to the things that surround them—the intensity of the rappers' delivery, the quality of the beats, and how well all those other factors coalesce around the words. And on that score, Daara J's message comes through loud and clear." However, Katharina Lobeck of BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
noted that one of the tracks, the R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
-influenced "Hip Hop Civilization" is "too generically soppy for even the most hardened R&B fans", but went on to say that the album is "a successful sonic adventure which thrives on its defiance of the margins of established sales categories".
The group has made appearances at various WOMAD festivals around the world, the Live 8 concert in Eden Project
Live 8 concert, Eden Project
On July 2, 2005, a Live 8 concert was held at the Eden Project, Cornwall, England. The event was dubbed "Africa Calling", but was also known as "LIVE 8: Africa Calling" or "Africa Calling: LIVE 8 at the Eden Project"....
, and Africa Calling. Daara J has also performed with other hip hop artists and groups including Public Enemy, Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
, and Mos Def
Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
.
Activism
Like many other African hip hop groups including Positive Black Soul, Daara J takes an activist stance. Faada Freddy states: "We tell of peace and how we can live together because there are lots of conflicts going on nowadays. We're here on behalf of the Africans to remind everybody that it shouldn't be like that. There's always a solution. Rather than fussing and fighting we should we'd better learn to live in peace and live together, because that's the only way to survive." The group is especially focused on educating the world about Africa. Faada Freddy has also stressed the importance of understanding life on the continent: "Nowadays people are tending to show the negative part of Africa but Africa is not only about AIDS, heartache, corruption and all that even though it exists just like everywhere else. But Africa has a lot to provide." In the Senegalese election of 2000Senegalese presidential election, 2000
Presidential elections were held in Senegal on 27 February 2000, with a second round taking place on 19 March after no candidate won over 50% of votes in the first round...
, Daara J were involved in editing speeches for political leaders and the promotion of that year's campaign against corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
.
Discography
- Daara J (1998)
- Xalima (1999)
- BoomerangBoomerang (Daara J album)Boomerang is an album by Daara J. It was released in 2003 on Wrasse Records. It features musicians such as Rokia Traore, China, Sergeant García, and Desiz LaPeste.-Track listing:...
(2003)