This Saturday, January 4, the new hip-hop figure in Kolda, Falaye Diop aka Flow from Kolda, invites rap lovers to a unique concert, at the Réveil field. During this event, the Flow Up finalist in 2020, author of the mixtape “Fly” and the Album “Séttu” intends to pay tribute to his wife and bring joy to his audience, in his region.
In Sinthian Tountourung (Bouna district), in a house facing the cemetery, a group of men are seated under a mango tree around a pot of tea and breakfast. It’s at the artist’s house who is about to give a free concert, the one most awaited by the Koldois. This is Flow from Kolda, whose real name is Falaye Diop, a young artist who studied the humanities in his native land. On the eve of the concert, he looks more like an imam than a rapper. In fact, relaxed on his chair, he wears a white jalaba, leather sandals matching his famous red cap with which he identifies.
Born in Saré Kémo, a district located at the entrance to the city, on national road no. 5, Flow attended the William Ponty primary school in Kolda. It was at the beginning of the 2000s. He then attended the Gadapara Middle School before finishing his secondary cycle at Alpha Molo Baldé high school, with the baccalaureate, in 2013. It was a year before that that he got involved in music with the group “Kaddù Mag”, created in 2012. But, after a few months at the faculty of legal and political sciences at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Falaye Diop passes the student teacher recruitment competition (Crem). Following this training, Falaye was sent to his native region but in the north, to Medina Yoro Foulah, where he acquired his first experience with chalk, as a teacher. Five years later, he joined the National School of Arts (Ena) in Dakar and specialized in visual arts for 4 years. Finally, it is in his Cem (Gadapara) that he is assigned.
Stage beast
However, joining Ena coincides with the start of Flow’s solo career. To take off in the game, he released a mixtape called Fly. It is a 6-track project launched in 2019. It develops themes such as discretion, love, etc… and recalls the culture of Fouladou. It was a success which marked Flow’s rise in the rap game. Indeed, the following year, he was a finalist in one of the most prestigious rap competitions dedicated to young talents: Flow up. The latter has, moreover, launched rap artists who are the pride of this music at the national level, notably Ngaaka BlinD and One Lyrical. For his part, Falaye continues on his merry way. Also in 2020, he was selected by the jury of the Galsen hip-hop awards (Ghha), one of the most recognized rap “institutions” in Senegal to participate in a cypher (freestyle session). He doesn’t stop there because three years ago, he published his first album, Séttu (mirror), which was also nominated among the 8 best of the year at the Ghha (2022). In this project, he claims to have collaborated with big names in the Rap Game such as Leuz Diwane G or By Mic and renowned beatmakers including Pape Laye and Tamsir. Towards the end of that same year, the icon of Koldish rap won the Illa Qatar competition, a freestyle rap competition organized by Rap 221 in collaboration with Rts.
Addicted to the studios, Flow is also a beast on stage. “I have participated in many festivals and artistic events,” confides the person concerned. Moreover, he is organizing a big concert, this January 4 at the Réveil de Kolda ground, a few stones throw from governance. “This is the fifth edition in a row,” he explains. But, unlike previous editions which took place at the regional stadium, this one is quite special because Flow intends to pay tribute to a person dear to him, recalled to God almost a year ago. Indeed, it is his wife, Fatoumata Diallo, “carried away by heart problems”. “That’s why this concert is so close to my heart,” he says. Moreover, this period marked by illness and then mourning is a hard blow which has kept Falaye Diop away from the musical scene over the last two years. “Now, I have found the energy to pay a vibrant tribute to this good wife and please my audience,” he admits.
The event, this Saturday, January 4, is a celebration for Casamance people who love music in general, but especially rap in particular. According to Flow, guests from several corners of the country are expected to attend this concert. The latter can, moreover, be considered as a trailer for a promising year since Flow, at the age of thirty, plans to release a project shortly. “In five months, inshaAllah, I will unveil my new project. We are currently at the registration stage. But we are starting the year with this unique show that is the concert on Saturday,” concludes the figure of Koldo rap.
Tidiane SOW (correspondent)
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