ake two Balafons, an African Doum and a Djembé, add a Roulèr, a Sati and a Kayamb from Maloya — the traditional music of Reunion Island — mix them with bass guitars, drums and a saxophone and you get a highly explosive and festive mix! Dogo Fara’s tunes are all about a message of peace and love.
* Does the cultural makeup present in the band, affect its sonic amalgamation?
The music of Dogo Fara is a mixture of jazz, traditional music of Reunion, Maloya and African music. It’s music that represents this cultural mix that is the strength of our island. Fans will hear music that will take them on a journey through several universes. Our soundscapes will include American aspects for the jazzy side. But, we promise to take them through Africa and our island. Our biggest advantage lies in our openness: No barriers in our musical style. As long as the music makes us groove, we are ready to share it!
* There are several native instruments on your tech rider. How did this come about?
The flagship instruments of Dogo Fara are the Balafons, which belong to the percussions from the xylophone family. It is a wooden percussion played with mallets (balafon sticks) and which produces melodic tunes. The discovery of the Balafon during their musical training was a revelation for bandmates, Anas and Loran. but it was the encounters with musicians like Aly Keïta and then Sory Diabaté that catalysed the desire to share their music with the public.
* World music is often a reflection of personal expression and a sign of the times. Do you agree?
Music has always been the expression of society, whether for entertainment or for conveying messages. The protest music is present all over the world, even with us on the island of Reunion, with the Maloya, which is the sound whose origin can be traced back to slavery. Back in the day, it allowed slaves to communicate with each other without the "masters" understanding them due to the rhythms and lyrics. Each country has its own way of speaking politically. In Europe, it is quite common to use music for this. Our leitmotif is sharing and humanity.
This Reunion Island-based act was in Chennai recently for Global Isai Festival