Born into an illustrious lineage of griots, Djely Tapa is the daughter of the mythical griot and dancer Djely Bouya Diarra and of Kandia Kouyaté, one of Mali’s greatest singers. Originally from the region of Kayes, in western Mali, Djely Tapa has brought to the international stage the wise words and vocal art of the griots, emblematic figures of ancient and contemporary Malian society, whose origins date back to the Mandingo Empire of the 13th century.

She won the 2020 JUNO Award for “World Music Album of the Year” with her album Barokan, produced by Chadian-Canadian, AfrotroniX.

Since then, she has given over a hundred concerts across three continents. With her powerful, wide-ranging voice, dazzling delivery and natural elegance, Djely Tapa explores a musical language that looks outward to the world and the future, synthesizing her Mandinka heritage with her Afrofuturist aspirations. Her songs, which pay tribute to women and Africanness, are rich in metaphor and wisdom. A major artist in Canada’s musical landscape, she has been hailed as one of the new global voices of Mandinka music.