ABOUT

A talented lyricist with a wide range of music and deeply religious influences, Souleymane Faye draws inspiration from spirituality to write his songs and recite with finesse the evils of Senegalese society. “In life, you have to have references. And that’s not what’s missing,” says the artist.

In 1985, while playing at the Novotel club in Dakar with French and English songs he translated into Wolof, Souleymane Faye was discovered by Magaye Niang who spoke to his younger brother Prosper Niang of the Xalam group. The latter then listened to him and, seduced by his talent, proposed to him to integrate the flagship formation of the Senegalese scene of the 1980s, of which he became the lyricist and singer.

Influenced by Fela Kuti, the father of Afro-Beat (Nigeria), but also by other African artists and bands such as Hugh Masekela (South Africa), Osibisa (Ghana) and Ifang Bondi (Gambia), Souleymane Faye recorded with the band a few albums and became known on the Senegalese scene with his Wolof texts which portray with finesse the evils of Senegalese society. Souleymane Faye will offer some other collaborations including a duo with Coumba Gawlo Seck (Gawlo & Diego).

Like his idol Jacques Brel, Souleymane Faye is a free man. He is considered the best lyricist of Senegalese music. This maverick has never locked himself in the ghetto of a particular music. Philosopher with confusing texts, this architect of words, guided by his great sensitivity, speaks with finesse of the evils of society with much love, humor, pain and beauty.

He started music as a 15-year-old teenager playing percussion and singing. He was spotted by dancers. From 1991 to 2011, he was a soloist who worked with dancers and choreographers from the Caribbean, West Africa and Central Africa. That experience with dance has pervaded his compositions.

Within the framework of anthropological fieldwork, Richard performed in bars where all kinds of communities get together and in weddings from various backgrounds (Gypsy, Caribbean, Afghan, Arab and African). By spending time with experienced musicians, he learnt the rules of orality developing spontaneity and reactivity.

He specialised in the sociology of musical practise and graduated in 1999 in social science and worked on Maghrebi musicians in France. His master’s degree was entitled “Music in exile in Lyon: a contribution to the analysis of various practises”. He participated in the creation of a CD “Musiciens du Maghreb à Lyon” produced by the CMTRA centre in 1996.

As a performer and studio musician, he has recorded a dozen of albums with world music bands (modern and traditional), jazz, improvised music, rock and electronic music.

Richard spreads his sociological and artistic research to a wide audience through communication and workshops.

He has taught percussion and the drums in music schools (Vienne, Péage du Roussillon) and in the Lyon CRR school in both “Contemporary Music” and “World Music” departments as well as sociology and anthropology in Lumière University Lyon 2. He was also an active participant in Lyon People’s University in 2011 and 2012.

Richard fully dedicates his time to composing and creating with Antiquarks band.

As a young boy growing up in a working-class household, Sébastien started getting interested in traditional French music and dance by attending music festivals, community centre and village celebrations and thanks to various internships. He discovered classical music, jazz and improvisation learning how to play the piano as a child. At the age of 11, his father encouraged him to play the hurdy-gurdy which is an intriguing instrument that was to become Antiquarks band’s “sound factory” later. He has taught how to play it for 14 years (CMTRA centre…).

In 1996, he met artist Richard Monségu with whom he discovered non-European traditional music and drums. He settled down in Lyon in 1998 to study. He was attracted to the work of the IRCAM institute multidisciplinary researchers. He studied physics (UCBL University Lyon 1) and took classes of electroacoustics and music technology (SONVS – CNSM Lyon school). Learning how to play the drums used in West Africa has influenced his music and the way he plays musical instruments (piano, synthesizer, hurdy-gurdy) today.

In 2002, he joined the Grenoble Mustradem group within the Djal group and toured numerous festivals across Europe with them. Since 2017, he has been working on the soundtrack of the comic concert “Groenland Manhattan” with accordionist Stéphane Milleret.

He develops a singular research on the textures, effects, samples and acousmatic music with Antiquarks band. He specialises in producing studio albums, sound creation and uses music technology while performing. He has worked on two video clips as an illustrator, entertainer and video editor. He is leading a digital lute workshop project around a polyphonic hurdy-gurdy project.