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Established in Montreal since 1998, where he discovered a rich cultural diversity, Ivorian multi-instrumentalist Gotta Lago received the 2016 Cultural Diversity Award, a prize that rewards years of efforts to bring Africa and America together through the magic of music. He has been leading the Gotta Lago Project since 2004, bringing the warmth of Africa to North America with his band by fusing traditional African music with blues and modern world music trends. 

 

Always wearing a pan-African scarf, he also wears many hats: guitarist, pianist, percussionist, singer, and storyteller. He uses all of these talents to share his culture with his listeners, such as in his African Guitar Spirit show where he tells the story of the guitar in African music. The show even includes a rapped version in Wolof of Moi, mes souliers by Félix Leclerc.

 

In 2011, he got involved in the Arométis collective and participated in the composition of 13 tracks with a group of 17 musicians from all walks of life. The project, supported by the organization Vision Diversité, allows to make known new talents thanks to the diffusion of a collective album highlighting mixed music.

 

Gotta Lago also participates in the project of Symphonie du Nouveau Monde, a famous work by Antonin Dvořák revisited by the musical director Luc Boivin on the occasion of the Sommet de la Francophonie to represent the cultural mosaic of Quebec.

 

Very involved in teaching, Gotta Lago leads percussion workshops in schools and teaches African singing. In addition to his musical activities, he hosts storytelling evenings and collaborates with painters, actors and dancers, notably as a choreographer for contemporary dance shows.

 

In 2009, he participated in the musical project “Carnets de route Montréal-Soweto-n Marrakech”, which brought together more than eight artists of diverse origins. Following this extraordinary experience, Gotta Lago released in 2014 his solo album “Carnets de route Soweto- Marrakech”, a musical journey that takes its source in South Africa and ends on the shores of Morocco. He continues his exploration of the African continent in January 2019 during a tour in Mauritania and is currently preparing his second album. No matter the destination, the journey is always fascinating with Gotta Lago! 

GOTTA LAGO
Ivory Coast
35 years of Nuits d'Afrique