Biography of Gokh-Bi System (a.k.a. GBS)
Gokh-bi, which means Neighborhood, was created in March of 1994 in Pikine, Guinaw Rail ("The other side of the track"), a suburb of Dakar, Senegal. Before starting the band, GBS grew up as friends and brot [+]Biography of Gokh-Bi System (a.k.a. GBS)
Gokh-bi, which means Neighborhood, was created in March of 1994 in Pikine, Guinaw Rail ("The other side of the track"), a suburb of Dakar, Senegal. Before starting the band, GBS grew up as friends and brothers sharing an understanding of the meaning of a hard life in poverty. In the early 1990's, Mamadou Ndiaye, a member of the band, introduced GBS to the culture of hip-hop. GBS instantly fell in love with hip-hop because it was a form of music that represented life in the ghetto and spoke for people without a voice. At the time GBS discovered hip-hop, they felt they had a message to share that spoke to the issues of poverty, inequality and injustice. This new form of music gave a voice to our messages of peace, love, justice and community with a powerful sound.
"We believe that we were all born to be good, but some of us forget their mission and others forget that they forget. We all need to remind each other. This is the mission of our music!" GBS
Started as a rap group backed by synthetic beats, the band's music evolved into a spirited blend of traditional Senegal music, rap, funk and soul. The group was founded by Mamadou Ndiaye, Pape Bathie Pouye and Diasse Pouye who all grew up in the same neighborhood (practically in the same house). Shortly thereafter, GBS added traditional musical elements including the ekonting (an obscure southern Senegal stringed instrument) played by Sana Ndiaye, and traditional drums and vocals by Backa Niang. Not long after, the group invited dancer Abdou Sarr to bring additional energy to the music through local dance styles. These additions created a new unique hip-hop sound that would distinguish GBS from the current movement of hip-hop around the world.
GBS has been performing internationally since 1999, in Senegal, Guinea, Gambia, and the United States. Currently, GBS is the most well known African hip-hop group in the United States. Over the last five years, GBS has completed 8 US tours in 22 states including performances at a number of major festivals including the International Festival in Louisiana, and World Music Festival in Indiana and Chicago, Celebrate Brooklyn in New York. GBS has shared the stage with a number of notable performers including Ange
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