HOLDING SWAY: No one in the audience just sat back, they all danced on his tunes. LEFT: Iso Lo is often called the ‘African Bob Dylan’.
By Umer Nangiana
It was an ideal start for the Francophone week in Qatar. The Doha audience, particularly the French speaking, could not have anything better than this music performance. Yes, it was ‘Africa’s Bob Dylan’, Ismael Lo, popularly known as Iso Lo, with his band of musicians.
Lo started with slow tempo and by the time he picked up high-energy Mbalax songs, the audience were up and grooving with the singer. Some even scaled the stage. The environment was electric.
The Senegalese singer started with two popular numbers MBindane and Yaye Boye from his 2006 album Senegal. And he ended with Dibi Dibi Rek and Raciste besides Souleymane. And in between were all his all-time hits including Jammu Africa and Tajabone; and the audience in Katara Opera House went ecstatic.
At least three times, he was requested to sing some of his popular songs every time he intended to finish the performance with a standing ovation. With his harmonica and guitar, Iso Lo has given the music of Mbalax, the popular dance of Senegal, a slower tempo and more melodic sound which is similar occasionally to rhythm and blues.
“I played just two Mbalax music numbers. My music is a very Sengalese music. I started on music with acoustic guitar and harmonica. In the beginning you heard the slow-rhythm songs but Mbalax is all about high energy and dancing,” Lo told Community in a backstage chat post his performance.
“You know, people like high energy. My music is according to the taste of the people, whatever they want to listen to. People come to my concert to be happy. When it is so many people coming to your concert and to listen to your music, you have to give it back to them and make them happy,” added the singer.
It seems the audience’s response elated Lo. He was still smiling while obliging his fans by posing with them for selfies.
“It was a very nice audience. We had many ambassadors from different African countries and the French ambassador even asked me to continue (once we had ended). I felt very proud. I was happy that there were so many people who loved my music and thoroughly enjoyed it. For me, it is a pleasure,” said Lo.
He said he was told before the concert that it is very hard to make people stand in applause here, to which he had said, “We shall see.” And at one point he saw almost the entire packed house singing and dance in unison with his music.
With his endearing personality, he has travelled the world since he signed with Polygram. He is often called the ‘African Bob Dylan’.
“It is a mistake. Bob Dylan is actually the Iso Lo of America. (Laughs) I am joking. No, Bob Dylan is a very big name and when people compare me with him, I feel happy. I think my music is very close to Dylan’s music. He is very big on international scene,” said the Senegalese music sensation.
“It is a matter of pride for me if they compare me with him, it is done mostly by people like you, the journalists (chuckles) but my name is Iso Lo,” he adds.
Lo said he never knew about Bob Dylan’s music before coming into music himself. But once people started comparing him with Dylan, he asked one of his friends, who was Bob Dylan? “My friend told me that he (Dylan) is a very big singer in America, so I started listening to his music and I absolutely loved it,” recalled Lo.
He said he gets inspiration from the African traditional music but he mostly plays modern music. However, he believes “music is music”, whatever it is and wherever it is from.
All kinds of music are good whether traditional, folkloric or acoustic. “You can take inspiration from any one and my inspiration comes from traditional music but now we try to mix traditional with more modern music. The rhythm is the same in the basis of all music, only the lyrics are different may be,” said the Senegalese music legend.
Lo’s single Tajabone was his breakout hit and allowed him to reach a wider audience. Building on his international recognition, Lo worked with international artists such as Jeanne Birkin, Stephan Eicher, and Pedro Almodovar who used his music as soundtrack for the movie All About My Mother.
Besides community members from French-speaking African, Arab and American nations, ambassadors from these countries, including the ambassador of France to Qatar Eric Chevallier and Ambassador of Senegal to Qatar Cheikh Tijan Sy, attended the performance.
HE the Minister for Culture, Arts and Heritage, Dr Hamad bin Abdul Aziz al-Kuwari was also present at the occasion. In his message, he said that for the second consecutive year, Doha is celebrating Francophonie Week with a diverse set of countries.
“It is an opportunity for different countries with different cultures to gather under the banner of the Francophonie and to share their varied heritage,” said al-Kuwari.
The Francophone Week ends on 27th of this month and will feature different music concerts and performance by renowned artists besides a set of related films to be shown by Doha Film Institute (DFI).
