Tiken Jah Fakoly at Vienne Jazz Festival

The charismatic Ivorian artist Tiken Jah Fakoly brings the spiritual depth of African reggae to the historic Jazz à Vienne festival with a powerful acoustic performance. Known for his politically charged lyrics and refined production style, Fakoly strips back his iconic sound to blend traditional instruments like the kora, ngoni, and balafon with deep, acoustic reggae rhythms. The set features beautiful, acoustic rearrangements of his biggest hits, including a brilliant adaptation of Sting's English in New York titled Africain à Paris, and a moving rendition of Ouvrez Les Frontières. Interspersed with signature warmth and humor, the performance carries the energy of a Mandinka rite, culminating in a hypnotic, dub-inspired finale of Les Martyrs, where Fakoly pays tribute to historic global political figures like Patrice Lumumba, Thomas Sankara, and Marcus Garvey.