LEK SEN

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Review written by Sébastien Jobart on Tuesday, February 12th 2013 - 10 901 views Born of the boiling, talented hip-hop scene in Senegal, Lek Sen grew up in Ngor, a fishing village a stone's throw from Dakar. He has now been living in France for almost ten years. Spotted by the late Makasound label (via his own label, Black Eye), he released his first album, "Burn", in 2010. Three years on, Makasound is no more, but its founders still believe in Lek Sen. And with good reason: moving between reggae, dancehall, hip-hop and African folk, Lek Sen shows undeniable talent and astonishing versatility. The same versatility he showed in the SSK collective (Sound Sunu Katta, "the sound is our strength", ed.), with whom he reached the final of the RFI Découvertes prize in 2007. His new album, "Tomorrow", links an older vibration (blues, reggae, folk) with another, far more modern one, rooted in urban music. This common thread running through his different worlds gives the album body and a real coherence. We move from the acoustic guitar arpeggios of Ndobine (first heard as a single) to a one-drop with Harrison Stafford (Jaam Maï Ka), taking in the dub of Rogg I Jah, before tipping into a frankly hip-hop vein on Jaam, with Blitz the Ambassador; the pulse then plunges into roots with Clinton Fearon (Maney). Lek Sen "writes to let go and sings for comfort". Grave and moving or raw with energy, Lek Sen gives "Tomorrow" an original breath. Crossed by diverse musical routes, he draws a colourful patchwork, just like his lovely sleeve.

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