Ouza

Senegalese artist Ouza, whose real name is Ousmane Diallo, was born in 1947. He quickly developed a passion for music, an art for which he showed a predisposition, so much so that he attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Côte d'Ivoire. While he immediately devoted himself to a career as a singer, to carry the voice of the unheard, he gradually familiarized himself with instrumental practice, first learning guitar and bass, then saxophone and keyboards. An artisan of a music that combines tradition and modernity, he established himself as a major figure of mbalax tinged with pop, soul, blues, jazz, funk, gospel and rap, and expressed his political commitment by opposing the Senegalese regime in the 1960s and 1970s. Founder of the groups 4 Femmes dans le vent, Ouza et les Filles Branchées and Ouza et ses Ouzettes, Ouza was also one of the first Senegalese artists, along with Xalam, to integrate female backing dancers into a modern orchestra. His extensive discography includes such classics as Mbaana and Wethe (Solitude), as well as Le Vote and Le Peuple.

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