Joey le Soldat ()

Joey le Soldat is the grandson of a sharpshooter and the son of an independence militant fighter, raised with American rap in one ear and the words of traditional African storytelling musicians in the other. In 2010 he graduated in Modern Letters from the University of Ouagadougou, and won the Improvised Clash rap battle at the Waga Hip Hop Festival. He worked as a gardener and taught the children in his neighbourhood, while running sound systems and block parties on Saturday nights. After the release of his first album “Burkin Bâ” in 2014, Joey’s popularity grew in Europe, while his fame exploded in Burkina Faso as he joined a massive youth uprising overthrowing President Campaoré, a ruler who had held power for 27 years. Joey continued to bring the fight with his activism as an official Ambassador of the March Against Monsanto in 2015. With his deep, powerful flow and unique style that mixes ‘90s hip hop and electro melded with African samples, Joey le Soldat returns today with “BARKA”, a spectacular new album cut for the stage.