Njacko Backo

Njacko Backo is a musician, poet, writer, composer, performer, and choreographer from Cameroon. He was born in 1958 and raised in a very musical family.[1] He spent most of his childhood in a village called Bazou in western Cameroon where he was introduced to music. Like most children in his village, he began playing percussion and making instruments. However, with his Grandmother's assistance, Njacko met with the elders of the village who taught him to play music. He studied drumming (toum and kak), kalimba (also called the thumb piano, however, he plays with his fingers), percussion (various instruments), and an African harp called zaa koua.

Early life

Njacko left Cameroon at the age of 17[2] and continued his study of contemporary and traditional African music while he travelled in various Central and West African countries some of which include Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Niger and Mali. During his travels, he resorted to doing various jobs during the day and working in clubs with different musicians at night. He eventually made his way to Paris by the time he was 21 years old.[2] While living in Europe, Njacko continued to work as a musician, dancer, and choreographer and worked with groups like Africa Salimata, Ernest Cissé, Sosoba, Vinjama, and Mioso Mika. He also began his recording career with his first two albums in Amsterdam: Le Destin and Bamileké Reggae.

Career

Njacko currently lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but he first arrived in Montréal, Quebec in 1989. He worked with other African artists, including the late Boubacar Diabaté, Oumar Diayé, and dancer Zab Maboungo. He formed his band Njacko Backo and Kalimba Kalimba in 1990 and has independently released a total of 11 full-length albums to date. Njacko has performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Louisiana Folk Festival (Lafayette, LA) and the Houston International Jazz Festival (Houston, TX), among countless other events. He has also composed music for films including To Walk with Lions, Born Free, and Spirit in the Tree.[3] In addition to music, Njacko also teaches extensively in the Greater Toronto Area through an organization called Mariposa in the Schools.[4] He has produced three instructional African drumming CDs and instructional DVDs.

Albums

Bamileke Reggae (1986)

Le Destin (1988)

Aventure au Desert (1989-1992)

Resurrection (1987-1992)

Nkoni (1996)

Lode Yeuk (1999)

Kakoua (2000)

The Conscience of Africa (2003)

Ba Ba Oh (2006)

Ou est l’Amour [Where is the Love] (2011)

Ici Bas Rien Nest Impossible (2013)

CDs and DVDs

J'aime mon école (2019)

À Tous Les Enfants De La Terre (2019)

Awards, Nominations, and Honorary mentions
  • Fiati Memorial Award for Best Traditional Performance from Toronto-based Music Africa (1999)
  • First prize in the 17th Annual Billboard World Song Contest for his song "Afrique Réveille Toi."
  • Nominated for a 2013 Canadian Folk Music Award (World Group of the Year) for album "Ici Bas, Rien N’est Impossible"
  • Honorable mention in the World Music category of the 2006 International Songwriting Competition and 15th Annual Billboard World Song Contest for his song "Mama Oh".

References
  1. "Njacko Backo Biography". Black In Canada. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
  2. "Artist Profiles: Njacko Backo | World Music Central.org". Retrieved 2019-11-21.
  3. "Njacko Backo, Musician". www.tanzaniaweb.com. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
  4. "Our Artists". Mariposa in the School. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
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