Alpha Blondy was born on January 1, 1953 by a small name Seydou Kone in Dimbokro, Ivory Coast. Alpha is a reggae singer who is quite famous in the world of music Reggae. He often sings mainly in Dioula original language, as well as French and English, and sometimes in Arabic or Hebrew. Most of the lyrics convey serious political stance and also inserted humor. In particular, he coined the term democrature France (the English equivalent is "democratatorship") to scrutinize some of the leaders of African countries.
Seydou Kone first child of nine siblings, he was raised by his grandmother, grew up in what he described as "among the elders", who then have a big impact on his career. In 1962, Alpha Blondy went to join his father in Odienné, Liberia. where he spent ten years, attending the Sainte Elisabeth high school, and was involved in the student movement Ivory Coast. Here he formed the band. But, this hobby affect schools and Alpha Blondy was expelled because of poor attendance. then his parents sent him to study English in Monrovia in neighboring Liberia in 1973. He spent thirteen months there and then moved to the United States to improve his English.
In 1973 Seydou moved to New York (and about 6 months in Texas), where he attended college and majored in English, because he wanted to become an English teacher. He had to work part-time, and sometimes at night, and because it is often ill.
In New York, he met Rastafarians for the first time, and also can see a concert by Jamaican artists like Burning Spear.
At the beginning of New York he recorded Christian music but never stopped writing his own songs. Eventually he got into various scrapes in New York and returned to the Ivory Coast, where he went to his village even more trouble until he met with one of his childhood friend, Fulgence Kassi, who has become a television producer noted. This is the real beginning of his career as a singer, and she began using the name 'Alpha Blondy'.
After the success and performing various TV shows Kassi, Blondy recorded his first solo album in 1982, entitled 'Jah Glory'. The album was a huge success and then it will become a symbol of resistance for the song 'Brigadier Sabari', where Alpha criticized the harassment by the police. Some of this is based on personal experience, such as Alpha itself has seen police violence. Alpha Blondy became a big star in Abidjan with an anti-Africa alone about Reggae music, became in the eyes of his fans 'Bob Marley of Africa'. Alpha Blondy is spiritual, political and positive like Marley himself, and even recorded a cover of Bob Marley's song 'War'. And he does not stop growing, in order to reach more people with the message, he chose to sing in many languages: English, French, Baoule, and his own native language - Dioula. Then he also brings a new instrumentation for brands such as reggae like violin and cello.
Alpha Blondy fame quickly spread to Europe. Following the success of an EP entitled "Rasta Poué" he went to Paris in 1984 to make a second album, 'Cocody Rock' with the label Pathe Marconi. The Bob Marley of Africa 'trip to the island of Jamaica and recorded the title track of this album with Marley's support group: The Wailers.
In 1985 returned to the house, Alpha record 'Apartheid is Nazism'. This album is more political than ever. It is a call to end apartheid and freedom for all. In 1986 Blondy recorded "Jerusalem" at the legendary Tuff Gong studios in Jamaica, again with The Wailers featuring legendary Bob Marley Bass Aston "Family Man" Barrett. Blondy tried to promote unity between Islam, Judaism and Christianity. He draws inspiration from a variety of arguments and his own knowledge of the Bible, the Koran and the Torah. In the same year, Blondy sang in Hebrew during a concert in Morocco. At this point he tours constantly. her new album 'Revolution' has a soft, mild voice, this is an album with cellos in the instrumentation, and the line-up included veteran Ivory Coast singer Aicha Kone. The album also included "Jah Houphouët Parle", a long speech by the president of Ivory Coast with only the most minimal beat behind it.
Blondy spent the years 1987-1989 giving concerts and recording 'SOS Guerre tribale' in Abidjan. It was promoted by Blondy himself before he distanced himself from Pathe Marconi at this stage. This is not a real success, but this will not stop Blondy and in 1991 he returned to Europe for a concert tour and to record a famous album: 'Masada' with the help of music legends such as Bocana Maïga and UK reggae producer Denis Bovell. The album, with its hit single 'Rendez Vous' great success, and then, Blondy was to receive his first Gold Disc in Paris.
In early 1993, worn out from a world tour, Blondy succumbed to the depression and taken to an institution for psychiatric help. But as his health recovered he recorded the album 'Dieu' ('God'), in which he appears more spiritual and religious, on tracks such as 'Heal Me', about his illness and recovery.
psychiatric treatment's Blondy continued but, on December 10, 1994, Blondy returned to the festival in memory of late President Houphouet, and then he made a European comeback in a storming concert at Le Zenith in Paris. In 1996, Blondy released a compilation of hits and returned to the studio to record the album 'Grand Bassam Zion', singing in six languages; Malinke, Arabic, French, English, Ashanti and Wolof.
After two years in Paris, Blondy returned to his homeland in 1998, with the new album 'Prophet'. Convinced his label too much focused on the international market, he decided to create his own label. Since then, Alpha has recorded albums and singles, such as: 'Yitzhak Rabin' in memory of the Israeli prime minister who was assassinated in 1995 (this was accompanied again tiring tour in Europe), single 'Journaliste en Danger' from her album 'Elohim' in 2000.
Alpha Blondy celebrate Ophelie Winter and Saian Supa Crew, which earned him a 2003 Grammy Award Nomination for "BEST REGGAE ALBUM". But due to the political situation in his home country of Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), he can not personally attend the prestigious awards ceremony in New York City. In an unprecedented step, Grammy Awards allow it to send a representative at the place of honor. [4] In 2005 'Akwaba' has been released. His last CD, entitled "Jah Victory" and was released in July 2007. It is supported by Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare and Tyrone Downie former music player for Bob Marley and The Wailers. "Victory" is to honor the peace agreement reached and implemented in the country in March 2007. One of the most popular and successful songs are God ratanya sebe Y'é.
Alpha Blondy was born of a Muslim mother and a Christian father, and was raised by a grandmother who taught him to love all people. Alpha Blondy respect for all religions and spirituality he derived from them can be heard on the song "God is One" or "Jerusalem" where she sang for unity among all religions in 1986.
Alpha Blondy (Seydou Kone) was once a UN Peace Ambassador to the Ivory Coast in 2005. He made great efforts to bring a peaceful solution to his country's political and physical divisions that are the result of the coup tried in 2001. In March 2007 a peace agreement was signed and implemented, due to the hard work of many people, including Alpha Blondy. Alpha is now reaching even further by creating a new Not-Profit, Non-Government, Non-Political, Charitable Foundation, Alpha Blondy Jah Glory Foundation, which is deliberately and intentionally work to end social injustice and poverty of people generations by providing the tools they need to help themselves. He strongly believes in helping the poor (Jah Glory), and also that there should be no harm to the child. The Foundation strives to create and implement a grassroots program at the village level as Women's Self-Sufficiency Micro Loan Program, to teach the women who care for orphans some how to start and manage their own business, to better provide for their families, as well as other ongoing projects , as Tafari-Genesis Retreat Camp for Kids (Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso). This is especially hopes to bring joy and hope to children who have been affected by the civil war, Former Child entara, and those suffering from chronic life-threatening diseases, such as sickle cell anemia, malaria, asthma, etc.
Talking about Alpha Blondy, usually people think of music and indeed since 1980 he has written at least 17 albums and 194 titles. This in itself shows the great value it represents for the fans. Alpha no longer the Ivory Coast star but a Star International Mega because of his struggle for peace and unity throughout the world. One example is the single "Who Are You" by Ophelie Winter against antipersonnel mines. He also participated in many humanitarian and charity concerts, such as concerts in Senegal in March 2006 for the eradication of Malaria in Africa (where he appeared along with other celebrities). He has done much, much more of this type of work in Ivory Coast alone, especially at the annual free concert on the beach Bassam called "festa".
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