Donald Dogbo - Album COUBLI

MEETING BETWEEN JAZZ AND AFRICAN TRADITIONS

The album Coubli puts forward the meeting of jazz and several traditional African rhythms resulting in a wonderful Afro-Jazz fusion; Produced with brilliance, this album brings a wind of freshness blowing on the heritages of here and elsewhere.

This work emanates from the different musical and cultural encounters to which Donald Dogbo was exposed from Africa until his arrival in Canada.

Coubli means “to go on an adventure” in his native language, Bété, in Ivory Coast. A passionate musician, he seeks to develop a marriage between the traditional rhythms of Central Africa, West Africa, and jazz and thus create an Afro-Jazz fusion alongside talented musicians of the Montreal Jazz scene.

A TRIBUTE TO ITS HERITAGE FROM HERE AND ELSEWHERE

The album, Coubli is conceived around the meeting of jazz and the fusion of several African rhythms such as the akpongbô and the gbégbé (Ivory Coast), the bikutsi (Cameroon) and the mbalax (Senegal) for a powerful and inspired musical fusion.

For this album, Donald has surrounded himself with talented musicians such as Fredy Massamba, Veeby, Laetitia Zonzambé, Noël Mpiaza, and André Désilet.

This album creates a bewitching universe, where all will be able to find themselves in a music rich of all these heritages of here and elsewhere.

The concert launching his new album Coubli will close the Rendez-Vous des Musiques Métissées (MUZ) on October 10th at l’Astral.

Track List

1. Divine                2. Fofo                                    3. Kongo                     4. Na Zamba                       5. Coubli

6. Ziya en 5           7. Souniou Djomlo            8. Sossa Nzila          9. Far away                       10. Douala

Biography

Born into a family of drummer-composers dating back to his great-grandfather, Donald Dogbo was introduced to the drums at a very young age. He joined several groups where he developed his talent and began touring all over Africa. In 2002, Dogbo further intensively trained at the Institut National Supérieur des Arts et de l’Action Culturelle in Abidjan.

In 2004, Dogbo moved to Senegal and became Didier Awadi’s drummer. While touring with Awadi for several years, Dogbo continued to independently work with and be influenced by many other renowned African artists such as Mao Otayeck, former conductor for Alpha Blondy and guitarist for Stevie Wonder. Dogbo continued to tour in Africa, Europe, and North America for the next decade.

In 2014, Dogbo immigrated to Canada, where he immediately integrated and exceled in the Montreal and larger Canadian artistic scenes.

He has had the opportunity to record with artists such as Elage Diouf, Zal Sissokho, Wesli, Djely Tapa, Just Wôan and Ilam.

In March 2020, he began his own musical project entitled “Coubli”, which means “adventurer” in his native language Bété. Through this project, Dogbo has sought to further develop the marriage between the traditional rhythms of Central Africa, West Africa, Jazz and fusion catalyzed by his various musical and cultural encounters from Africa until his arrival here in Quebec.