Mamah Fatuma

FAMARA, civil name Thomas Nikles, grew up in the lovely Leimental on the feet of the Jura Mountains (Switzerland/BL). After the participation at a percussion workshop in 1984, his interest in african music could not be stopped again.

Only after a few solo appearances, different Afro- and Latinbands invited him to perform with them. At one of those performances with the Basler Rapgirl «Luana» he switched from percussion perfomer to a raggamuffin singer. The first single «Sunshine Blubber» (1987) could get some resonance in switzerland but only with the move to Gambia (1988) he got the appreciaton he deserved. The «Gambia Weekend Observer» wrote after a concert which was organized for the independance day of Gambia, where he played for 15'000 People; «Swiss reggae star in town».

On his second visit to Gambia he toured various venues and also recorded the album «Natural Fact» which was released in 1999. In 2000 he toured through Mali, Senegal and Gambia.

Well, after countless concerts/tours and various TV appearances at home and abroad – including with YOUSSOU N'DOUR and TIKEN JAH FAKOLY, the release of the albums «Natural Fact» 1999, «Sunlife» 2001, «Toubab Man» 2003, «Famasound» 2004, «Double Culture» 2005, «Oreba» 2008, «The Sound Of Famara» 2010, «The Cosmopolitan» 2012 and «Karibu» 2014 – the reggae old master is back in 2023 after a long creative break with the new album «Tembo Power». Once again he makes it clear where his roots lie.

His world beat reggae, rooted in Africa, is colorful, cosmopolitan and unfiltered. His energetic live show electrifies after a few bars and gets the audience boiling every time. With over 500 shows in Switzerland, including just about every major festival at home and abroad (Gampel, St. Gallen, Frauenfeld, Heitere, Summerjam, Chiemsee, Rototom Sunsplash, etc.) and over 25,000 CDs sold in stores, as well as appearances with SEEED, GENTLEMEN, and ZIGGY MARLEY, FAMARA is probably one of the most active and certainly most successful Swiss-Reggae acts!