2020.2.1 Elage Diouf live at Alliance Francaise, Toronto

Elage Diouf at Alliance Francaise Saturday February 1 2020

Batuki Music Society and Alliance Francaise bring some terrific African talent, artists often little known outside their community, to our community of music fans downtown.

Elage Diouf started playing as a kid, with his brother. He hid this predilection from his parents initially, but the pair became known as purveyors of music in Diouf’s native Senegal. He toured Europe before arriving in Montreal on a limited engagement that turned into a new life in Canada. His first solo album “Askil” is the Wolof word for “welcome” or “enter.” Singing in Wolof and French, with the occasional smattering of English, Diouf has become an accomplished singer – songwriter and percussionist.  

Tonight, with some expert help imported from Montreal, Diouf played two well received sets. His live sound is raw and immediate, despite the smooth production on his released songs. The drummer let Diouf meander on his hand drumming while keeping the songs on course. Diouf is an engaging performer, moving around the room and getting the audience involved. Before starting a song for Nelson Mandela, Diouf told the audience “I need your voice your participation and your energy.” That turned into a sing-along, with Diouf passing the microphone to people in the front seats.

There were a few soaring guitar leads, along with subdued, brooding songs played. There sounded like a Latin theme going on with one of the later songs played, but it was a contemplative slow building finale that wrapped up the night. Diouf thanked the audience repeatedly in French before the last song, which dissolved into a sing-along, at least for those who knew the words. Diouf addressed the crowd in French through the evening, but the salutations were fairly straightforward. At nearly 90 minutes, Elage Diouf and his band likely pushed any time or curfew constraints related to the Annex venue.