He may not descend from a line of Scandinavian warriors, but his fight is a worthy one: to live and breathe by his art! Idrissa Sidibé aka Tonton Idriss is a real phenomenon. His initiation to performing on stage came in the early 2000s in his native Ivory Coast, where his fairy godmother had showered him with a gift for the arts—theatre, music, dance, singing and storytelling.

Pillar of the band Tassouma Woyo in Mali, for which the legendary Toumani Diabaté played the kora on the song “Seliba,” Idrissa also went solo in 2009. What makes him special? He has a conqueror’s appetite and the kind of zaniness that can take on any audience and rock them to their core, with a voice that packs a punch. He’s someone who gives his all.

Already well known in West African countries, Morocco, France and to our American neighbours to the south, Iridissa rides all the currents of African music. Calling Canada home since 2019, this singer graced with the typical Abidjan cheerfulness cultivates soul with charm and sensitivity in tribute to Hawa, working his way up his vocal range. Recently, he has given himself over to reggae, proclaiming his affection for the great Koko Dembélé, while the song “M’mah Koumba” from Toton Idriss’s album Keyzit (2024) celebrates a mother’s sensitivity. Warm up those ankles, because this Ebony Viking is determined to teach you his dance moves…