Woodcraft

For his woodcraft, he sources the ebony wood from fallen trees which can be found in the religious centre of Touba, Senegal, and outside Dakar. The wood, traditionally used by the Baye Falls for their prayer necklaces and other jewellery, has a dark nucleus and light outer layers. Papa Ibrahima Diallo works the wood smooth by using traditional tools making the products all hand-made. He often picks motives for his sculptures from the nature, such as the sacred baobab tree, animals from the delta in southern Senegal and enters his interpretation of traditional mystic features in the nature. His jewellery include Baye Fall symbols such as the bowl for begging and the ‘club’ but also abstract modern forms.

Batik and njaxas patchwork

Papa uses wax printing for his batiks, a method which requires detailed planning and a process in many stages. The inspiration for the designs comes from daily Senegalese life but he also creates abstract patterns for clothes, wall painting and bed sheets. He works with traditional Baye Fall patchwork design too, including using basin and traditional wax textiles from Senegal and West Africa. Working from his backyard in Dakar, he collaborates with traditional tailors and other craftspeople, some of which are members of the Baye Fall brotherhood. He creates textile works in a studio in Hökarängen, southern Stockholm, together with Baye Fall disciple Elhadji Biteye.

Music

He started playing the djembe in 1987, teaching himself and practicing after work. Now he masters traditional West African djembe, and blends that with jazz, blues. He also accompanies the spiritual prayer-singing sikhar. He is one of the few selected percussionists playing with the Baye Fall troupe of Chiek Ndiguel Fall; he plays the unique and spiritual music during the grand ceremonies in Touba and throughout Senegal. He has also performed during the Swedish celebration of the spiritual leader Sam Fall in Old Town, Stockholm. He has played with Moudou Sissoko, Salif Keita and Oumou Sangare’s guitarist, in Bamako, Afrika Djembe in Senegal, and Dounia Ballet in Gambia and has his own group in Dakar, Family Ka. He plays jazz and rhytm and blues regularly with Derek Walter Band in Gamla Stan, Stockholm.


March 2008 Djembe performance at Tostan Sweden's annual general meeting, Kulturhuset, Stockholm
July 2008 Djembe performance at Vintervikens trädgård, Stockholm
March 2009 Djembe performance at Tostan Sweden's annual general meeting, ABF huset, Stockholm
May 2009 Djembe performance during family and child outing, Förskolan Pysslingen, Stockholm
June 2009 Djembe performance during African pub evening, Dunker, Sweden
August 2009 Djembe performance during seasonal opening at music school, Stockholm

Courses

He frequently teaches his art and craft, including playing the djembe to local children in Dakar, and making batiks in his backgarden, and has collected a large group of students throughout the world and continues to give courses wherever he moves. Places have included Goree island, Dakar, Saly, and Bakau in the Gambia.

Every Sunday from May to August 2008, Papa held a drumming school for children in the Vintervikens trädgårdsförening (vintervikens garden association) in southern Stockholm. For more information see www.vinterviken.com

Exhibitions

http://www.gallerinet.se/galleri/234
Träsmycken från Senegal, Galleri Stallet, Edsvik Konsthall, Stockholm, 14 - 19 juni 2014
Kulturföreningen Tellus, Vattenledningsvägen 46, Midsommarkransen, Stockholm, 11 oktober - 14 november 2008
Galleri Ivenholt, Läcköstugan, Läckö, Juni - Augusti 2008 -
BTS Silver och Guldatelje, Sickla, Stockholm, May 2008 -
Xeweul Baye Fall, Galleri Burkina Faso, Gamla Stan, Stockholm, Sweden, 5-30 April 2008
Ebony and silver jewellery, Boutique Lilla Huset, Lidköping, Sweden, Nov 2007 - Mar 2008
Batik artwork and clothes exhibition, ViaVia youth hostel, Yoff, Dakar Nov 2006 – July 2007
Ebony and silver jewellery exhibition, Soxnassy, Dakar Nov 2006 – May 2007
Ebony and silver jewellery exhibition, Polyglotte bookshop, Dakar Feb 2007