Dakar native Karim Diouf learned to play the djembé at an early age. He moved to Canada in 1996 to further his career, and brought a little bit of Senegal along with him. Soon after arriving in Quebec, he and his brother Élage formed the group Fakhass Sico, playing the traditional music of their homeland and celebrating the Wolof culture.

The year 1997 marked an important turning point for the group. While recording a demo with Fakhass Sico, Karim met the sound technician, André (Dédé) Fortin, an engaging fellow who was also the frontman of a group Karim had never heard of: Les Colocs. Impressed by the Diouf brothers’ talent and charisma, Dédé invited them to join Les Colocs. No sooner said than done: a deal was quickly struck, and the Dioufs appeared on Les Colocs’ 1998 album Dehors Novembre and in the shows that followed.

It was the beginning of a fruitful partnership. In 1999 the Diouf brothers received the SOCAN Award for Song of the Year as co-authors of Les Colocs’ classic “Tassez-vous de d’là,” and in 2001, following the tragic death of their friend André, they participated in the album Suite 2116.

2003 was a pivotal year for the group, now called simply Diouf. They recorded their first album, Dund (“to live” in the Wolof language), which earned them the CBC’s Galaxie Rising Stars Award at the “Exposed Roots / Sons neufs comme le monde” music showcase. They were also nominated in the “Cosmopolitan” category at the Montreal International Music Initiative (MiMi) gala, and received three nominations at the 2004 ADISQ gala.

Over the years the Diouf brothers worked with many renowned Quebec artists, including Dubmatique. They toured for over two years with the Cirque du Soleil show Delirium (2006). As well, Karim collaborated with Ariane Moffat on her second album, Le Cœur dans la tête, particularly on the song “Se perdre.”

In the summer of 2011, Karim Diouf launched his solo career and began work on a new album. The process began with a return to his native Senegal, for which he had become an important cultural ambassador—and indeed, some of the project sessions took place there. Released in mid-2013, Adouna is a deeply personal album that reflects Karim Diouf’s artistic journey and his concern with our disregard for nature, our obsession with material gain, and the challenge faced by Africa, “the mother of us all,” in making its voice heard in the global community.