Juldeh Camara

Juldeh Camara (born 1966, Basse, Gambia) is a griot, as well as an internationally followed blues musician and recording artist who has appeared on 21 albums. He is known for his instrumental virtuosity and for his collaborations with European, African, and other artists.[1][2] His instrument is an African one-string fiddle, known as Nyanyero in his native Fula language or Riti in the Wolof language.[1]

He grew up in Casamance, Senegal, living with his blind father Serif.[3] His father taught him to play. There is a family or local tradition that his father had his eyesight taken by Djinn in return for learning music from one, and that the sound of the Djinn in can also be found in Juldeh's music.[3]

Growing up in upper Gambia to a legendary ritti player Sheriff Camara, it was not until age 5, Juldeh Camara began watching his father play the nyanyeru, the ritti. It came a point the young Juldeh cried whenever his father refused to give the ritti to fiddle with it. As the father, Sheriff Camara continued his musical tours in Basse sometimes with reputable politicians like the former vice president of the Gambia Assan Musa Camara, by now Camara had started to fine-tune his fingers with the rhythm of the nyanyeru[4]

In June 2014, after touring with the band since late 2012, Camara appeared as part of the Sensational Space Shifters with Robert Plant at the 2014 Glastonbury Extravaganza.[5]