Mayotte

Ahmed ‘Babadi’ Mohamed was originally a native of the tiny island of Comoros. For the last 34 years he has lived & played his music on Mayotte, another island near Comoros. Since he was very young, Babadi was interested in music. He was inspired by his idols Manu Dibango & Alpha Blondy, & so took up a career in reggae.

Babadi came on the scene in 1997 with socially conscious lyrics & a staunch defense of modern M'godro traditional songs of the Comoros. His third album, "Resistance" made him a permanent fixture on the scene Mahoran. His music combines M'godro with a African reggae. It is propelled by an insistent percussion inspired by Central African kwassa, tinted with Seggae Mauritius (seggae is a fusion genre of sega, the traditional music of the Mascarene Islands, & reggae) & filled with lyrical melodies typical of Mahoran.

On his first release, Chigoma Ya Léo, the music lies somewhere between tradition (chigoma or traditional wedding ceremony songs) & modernity (Ya Léo).

On Résistance, the brass instruments, the voices, & the percussion invite us to a festive Mgodro while mixing with the warm rhythms of African reggae music. Babadi’s desire is to contribute to the resistance against political hypocrisy that deceives the people, whether in Mayotte or anywhere else where the negative effects of ‘globalization’ are imposed.

“The situation in society is degrading day after day and the politicians are there, like the cat, to frighten the mouse, in order to quiet their voices and instill submissiveness,” says Babadi, a singer & guitarist of the new generation of African reggae.

 Babadi - Chigoma Ya Léo, 1997. 

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Tracklist -       

Freedom

Maore

Mr Boina

Coco

Diya

Africa

Chigoma

Fight

Oumani

 Babadi -  Résistance, Tamamuzak, 2000. 

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Tracklist –

Résistance

Duwa

Sa Devise

Taxi Brousse

Mnafiqui

Maraguissi

Ribanga

Anti-Fachos

Fulani

Nissuriya

Vola Mena

Gourmand

Jah Love

  Babadi – Le Chat et la Souris (The Cat & the Mouse), Tamamuzak 2002.

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Tracklist –

Comores Unit

Rikiya Ar Ari

Happy Days

Kaya Survive

Reggae Vibration

Ali Baba et les 7 Voleurs

Reggae Aspirine

Tranga

Code Noir

L'Appel

Oeil pour Oeil

Le Chat et la Souris

Mlozi 

Enjoy,

NØ