Biography
Vieux Diop, whose name is pronounced “Via Jo,” commands the kora, the 21-stringed harp-lute native to West Africa. He once belonged to Youssou N’Dour’s ensemble and has shared stages with percussionist Babatunde Olatunji as well as jazz players Jean Paul Borelli and Roy Brooks. After settling in the United States in 1984, Diop began presenting lectures and concerts at campuses across the country, among them New York’s Julliard School of Music, where in 1996 he curated the weekly program West African Journey. He also anchors the biweekly world-music broadcast Musical Conversations on WBAI-FM. Although his work stays anchored in West African heritage, Diop has steadily absorbed elements of contemporary roots music; Cash Box noted that he “serves up bobbing, weaving, grooves that are undeniable to the human pulse.” Beyond the kora he performs on the dissunguni, or bass kora, and the djembe, while his vocals move among Wolof, Mandigo, Bambara, French, and English. His American discography opened with the self-titled 1995 debut and continued through the following decade.
Albums
