Dakka Dembélé was born in the Ivory Coast to Malian parents.  At the age of 9, his family is struck by poverty; Dakka continues school but must then begin to work by going to shine shoes at the village station.

Witnessing the inequalities, social violence and precariousness in the city as well as in the countryside, Dakka was quickly inspired by the committed artists and protests expressed in reggae. Very quickly, he was fascinated by this music to which he began to integrate Mandingo sounds from his cultural roots. 

As a young adult, he founded his first band in Abidjan with his friend Gounga. Just as they were about to release their first album in 2002, the two musicians were forced into exile in Mali for socio-political reasons. It was there that they met Tiken Jah Fakoly, who inspired and motivated them to pursue their career. 

In 2007, Dakka decided to continue his solo journey. It lead him to Quebec where he will find the stage from 2013: International Festival Nuits d’Afrique, Syli d’or de la musique du monde, Atmosph’air, Jardins Gamelins among others. It was also during this period that he made numerous collaborations with local musicians, including Abdoulaye Koné, the Rootsteppers, David Mobio, Namori, Ons Barnat and Solid Ground. 

At the crossroads of African and Quebecois cultures, this rich and catchy opus benefits from the contribution of each of the collaborators and is a great success on both continents. A major step in the artist’s journey, thirteen years after his arrival in Quebec.

Committed musician and convinced pan-Africanist, it is quite naturally through the label DNA that Dakka Dembélé revealed his first solo album to the world, Petit Bateau in early 2020. After a single, Djinamori Politik (April 22, 2022) featuring the Jamaican King Shadrock, Dakka is currently working on his second album Le Monde à l’Envers  which is set to be released in the fall of 2022.