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Co-founder of Senegal’s Toure Kounda band, Ismaila Toure, dies at 73

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The co-founder of popular Senegalese musical group, Toure Kunda, Ismaila Touré, has died at the age of 73 following a long battle with illness.

A statement by his family on Wednesday, said Touré died, his on Monday, February 27, after battling health issues for several years.

“Ismaïla died this morning, at the age of 73, following a long illness in Paris,” one his daughters wrote in a press release.

“He left an indelible mark on the world of music and culture. We are proud of his legacy and all the contributions he made throughout his life,” the statement said, adding that “guneral details will be communicated in due course.”

The Touré Kunda musical group, which Ismaila found with his brother, Touré Kunda, co-founded with his brother Sixu Tidiane, was an “emblematic group of the world-music, a laboratory of interbreeding between traditional African music and more rock or jazz tones,” local media describes the group.

Touré Kunda was a pioneer of African music in the French speaking colonies of West Africa at the end of the 1970s, helped to revolutionise the music industry in Senegal.”

Formed in the late 1970s, the group launched its first album, “E’Mma” in  1980, which became an instant hit and shot the group to international limelight.

“In total, Touré Kunda released over a dozen albums during their career and performed at festivals and concerts around the world,” the media wrote.

“They were regular invitees to France to celebrate with their music, major events, such as the re-election of President François Mitterrand.”

Senegal President Macky Sall who expressed his sadness at the demise of the music icon, said on Twitter:

“Beyond his musical career, Ismaïla Touré, worked to promote cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, and was a strong advocate for peace, social justice and equal opportunity.

“I am saddened to learn of the death of Touré, a member of the legendary Touré Kunda group. It’s a huge loss for Senegalese and African music.”

Culture

South African Jazz great Abdullah Ibrahim to embark on world tour at age 90

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Renowned South African jazz master and pianist, Abdullah Ibrahim, is set to embark on an unprecedented world tour to celebrate his extraordinary career which has spanned more than seven decades, as well as celebrate his 90th birthday which comes up on October 9.

Ibrahim’s management team which announced the planned tour on Wednesday, said the tour will also be marked with Ibrahim’s 90th birthday which will also showcase his dexterity as a jazz musician.

Music writer, Christine Lucia, who has followed Ibrahim’s career for more than 30 years and has studied the iconic star’s work as well as published research articlesabout him, said the planned tour was a way of letting the world have a feel of him in his twilight years.

A profile of the distinguished pianist reveals that he was born on 9 October 1934 in Cape Town.

Ibrahim grew up in Cape Town’s District Six and his compositions are characterized by his upbringing and his experiences with racism and political upheaval.

His music has evolved over seven decades, reflecting social change and personal introspection.

Ibrahim is the finest jazz pianist-composer that South Africa has ever produced and has been described as the country’s equivalent of the US jazz star, Duke Ellington, because his “legacy lies not only in his live performances or multiple recordings but also in his large number of compositions.”

“He was brought up going by the name Dollar Brand and was shaped personally by his mixed-race parentage and by growing up in the mixed-race area of central Cape Town formerly known as District Six,” Lucia wrote about the star.

“He was shaped by the violent political landscape of racism and oppression. As a young man he was also shaped by his conversion to Islam in 1968, which is when he took the name Abdullah Ibrahim, and by his practice of martial arts and Zen, a form of Buddhism.”

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Culture

Wizkid, Davido’s online battle gets nasty as they exchange ‘dirty’ tweets

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The online battle between two of Nigeria’s biggest music stars, Ayodeji Balogun, aka Wizkid, and David Adedeji, popularly known as Davido, has continued to generate more controversies as the two have refused to back down, going as far as exchanging insulting tweets.

The fight between the two superstars was reignited on Monday when Wizkid threw a shade at Davido while responding to a fan’s request on X for a new music.

Wizkid reportedly posted a leaked video of Davido begging someone believed to be a female associate.

While on it, the Grammy award-winning singer also dissed the successful music producer and label owner, Don Jazzy, calling him a social media ‘influencer’.

The post generated serious uproar on the micro-blogging platform, with fans of both music stars taking up sides and attacking one another.

In response, Davido, on Monday night, dropped a series of cryptic tweets believed to be responses to the “Ojuelegba” crooner.

In one of the tweets, Davido said:

“Dem no know your Gbedu”, which many believed was aimed at Wizkid who said he had earlier hinted that he would drop his much anticipated ‘Morayo’ album in May.

Davido followed up with another tweet:

“When light comes, darkness vanishes. Let get active.”

He went further by posting a video of his wife, Chioma, with the caption, “They were trying to distract us, baby no mind dem”.

Wizkid took up the challenge with his own tweet which came with a dig:

“U and all ur crew plus ur pant washer songwriter go to sleep at night thinking you got anything on me in music 🤣😂 wish u all well ✌️”

He followed it up with another tweet:

“U know what..no point. delusional niggas 😇 pray for y’all.”

Davido quickly responded with another tweet:

“WE NOT DELUSIONAL YOU’RE A SICK MAN,” which was a confirmation that there is no love lost between both Afrobeat stars.

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