Jim Kamson
Kamagate Issouf grew up in the Kamagaya district of Bondoukou, a town in
northeastern Côte d'Ivoire. Arriving in Abidjan at the age of 14, he trained as
a dancer and was gradually introduced to music. Taking the stage name Jim
Kamson, he embarked on a musical career in 1989, recording the album Djakabo.
Released in 1989, this first album was a commercial success, selling 80,000
copies, boosted by the hit "Yileba". The artist deals with major social issues -
war, hunger, peace - and combines Ivorian yagba and calypso to renew the
Jamaican reggae aesthetic. The singer followed this...
