French world fusion band Alif was founded by percussionist Hamid Gribi. The lineup in 2017 included five members with roots in North Africa and Europe. The band combines three main influences: Indian music, West African Manding traditions and Maghreb sounds from northwestern Africa.
Band members include:
Songwriter Flo Comment on Hindustani and Swahili vocals, harmonium, and guitar. She studied Hindustani music in Mumbai (Bombay) with Kishori Amonkar, Dhanashree Pandit and Tulika Ghosh. She also leads the musical project called Paris-Bombay.
Malik Ziad on North African vocals, mandol (lute), and guimbri. He’s a self-taught Algerian musician. He uses the traditional string instruments of his native land: guimbri and Berber mandolin. He’s also influenced by Gnawa rhythms and shaabi.
Hamid Gribi on percussion and backing vocals. Hamid learned African percussion from Miloud Achir and Koungbana Condé. He combines percussion from India, Maghreb and West Africa.
Colin Laroche De Féline on guitar and backing vocals. Colin is a composer and arranger. He lived in Ivory Coast several years. There, he met vocalist Dobet Gnahoré who became his stage partner for fifteen years. Colin recorded four albums with Dobet.
Djely Sory Diabaté on Manding vocals and kora. A native of Guinea, Sory Diabaté is a jeli (griot), singer, composer and a multi-instrumentalist. He has released several albums.
Discography:
Alif (2017)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.