Agooo

The warrior's breath
Elias K. Damawou is a young prodigy, a self-taught trumpeter, percussionist and singer-songwriter who has been
creating his legend for over ten years. Regarded by many as the Togo-jazz music creator, this young artist has an
amazing career path.
" When I was young, I almost drowned. I stayed in a coma for several days. Since then, I've suffered from severe
emphysema. I wasn't supposed to be able to play the trumpet!" says Elias looking up to the sky with bright eyes.
"When I play, it brings back this last image under the water, the soft dim rays of light. And even if I'm still short of
breath sometimes or truly often, I want to know where it will take me, how high I will go if I keep blowing."
Elias draws upon Togolese traditional rhythms that he eloquently mixes with the tones of wind instruments to
make up his flourishing and unique Togo-jazz style.
With no financial means, he recorded his first album in 2008, ALODE (mutual aid) with his band ABLAFO
(“warriors” of the Ewe tradition of Togo). He was then spotted by the festival des Nuits Atypiques of Langon
(France). In 2009 Elias represented Togo at the 6th edition of the Jeux de la Francophonie (Games for
Francophone countries) in Beirut, Lebanon. It is now up the time to the world to discover him.


Elko

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