Tromsø World Festival – SOLO DIARRA & YIMENGA

Tromsø World Festival

Tromsø World Festival – SOLO DIARRA & YIMENGA – Burkina Faso

Griot traditions, jazz and rhythms without borders

 

Genres: West African groove / Afro-jazz / Griot music

Solo Diarra is a multi-instrumentalist, storyteller and griot from Burkina Faso whose music carries the deep traditions of West African oral and musical heritage into contemporary expression. Now based in Oslo, he has built a powerful musical meeting point between ancestral rhythms, jazz influences and modern groove-based music through his ensemble YIMENGA.

Born into a respected griot family, Solo Diarra grew up surrounded by music as a living form of history, identity and community. His performances are rooted in this tradition of storytelling and communication, while his virtuosic command of instruments such as djembe, ngoni, balafon and calabash gives the music both rhythmic depth and dynamic energy.

The ensemble’s album YIMENGA — meaning “Be yourself” in Bambara — reflects themes of belonging, identity and cultural connection between Burkina Faso and Norway. Traditional West African musical forms intertwine with jazz, classical piano influences and contemporary grooves to create a sound that feels both deeply rooted and globally open.

Live, Solo Diarra & YIMENGA delivers concerts full of movement, warmth and musical dialogue — performances where rhythm, storytelling and collective energy naturally bring audiences together.

At Tromsø World 2026, they bring a concert experience filled with groove, humanity and the timeless power of musical storytelling.

This concert is in collaboration with Samspill Music Network.

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