Juldeh Camara, riti/nyanyeru artist, vocalist, composer and instrument maker was born 1966 in Basse, The Gambia, . The riti or nyanyeru is a one-string violin, originating from the Fulani people. The Fulani are originally a nomadic people and you can find various Fulani people all over the Sahel, from East to West. In Wolof the violin is called the riti, and in Fula the nyanyeru. Juldeh Camara is undoubtedly one of the leading riti players of West Africa, and one of the most prominent Fula musicians. A fine singer and a prolific composer, Juldeh's work has been very wide-ranging, from traditional Fula pieces through work with Ifang Bondi (for the past 27 years one of West Africa's leading electric bands) - all over Europe and in the USA - to recording with Norwegian guitarist Knut Reiersrud and British r'n'b artist Dee Ellington. His recording debut in 1990 was for Bill Laswell's Axiom label, produced by Laswell and Foday Musa Suso - one of the tracks was subsequently sampled by leading Senegalese rap artists Positive Black Soul.

"The djinni took his eyes and gave him the violin, the gift to play on it and the gift to see what other people cannot see." This is Juldeh's story about how his father became a musician. Juldeh's grandfather was a hunter, and he wanted his son Serif to become a great hunter as himself, but when Serif was 15 years old he disappeared in the forest. Everyone thought he was dead, killed by the hyenas. One year later his father still went every day to the forest to look for his son. Suddenly he could hear a sound from a tree. He came closer and saw his son sitting in the tree playing a golden violin. He understood that Serif was hypnotised by the djinni and after many hours he managed to drive the djinni away, but at the same time the violin was gone. Serif followed his father home, but every day he went back to the forest to learn more from the djinni. When the time came, and Serif had became a fully trained musician and Marabou, the djinni took his eyesight in return. Juldeh grew up in Sariyalla in Casamance, West Africa, with his blind jali-father as his teacher. When one listens carefully one can hear the sound of the djinni in Juldeh's music.

Juldeh is recognised as one of the finest riti/nyanyeru players in West Africa. His tours to Europe include three trips to Norway, touring with guitarist Knut Reiersrud. He has recorded with Knut, as well as musicians from other continents, including the Five Blind Boys of Alabama. In the UK he has recorded with Zubop (Hiptodisiac, 1997/8), and more recently with Batanai Marimba on Moto Moto (2000) and Mudzimu Mudzimu (2002). His tours in the UK include those with Afro Manding Sound, in 1996 and 1997, and with Ifang Bondi in 1998, 2000 and 2001. He has recorded with Ifang Bondi on their 1998 CD Gigi Gis. Since 1996 he has worked as a music teacher for ECCO, a Gambian NGO arranging courses for students of music from universities and academies in Europe (including, in recent years, students from London's Guildhall School of Music). The project is supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development - NORAD. The courses are being arranged in traditional music villages all over The Gambia. In early 2003, Juldeh toured in England with the members of Zubop and djembe player Njega, as ZubopGambia, a tour supported by the Arts Council of England. Throughout the summer of 2003 he worked at The National Theatre, London, playing music for the acclaimed play 'Elmina's Kitchen' by Kwame Kwei-Armah. The play was later adapted for TV and screened on BBC4, toured in the UK and transferred to the West End - all with Juldehs involvement. In 2004, he toured in England with kora player Seckou Keita in an acoustic quartet, appeared on BBC World Service 'Guy Barker's World Café' and continued to work with ZubopGambia, who released a live CD recorded on the 2003 tour. Since then he has been working with Boka Halat, bringing together English folk dance and musics of the world - this group includes his countryman the percussionist Musa Mboob, with whom Juldeh is also working on a new project, Joko, due to release a CD and tour in the UK towards the end of 2006 (www.jokoband.com). Juldeh Camara Discography 1990 Ancient Heart - Mandinka & Fula Music of the Gambia - Various artists -Axiom CD (produced by Foday Musa Suso and Bill Laswell) 1993 Tramp - Knut Reiersrud - Norwegian CD featuring Juldeh with other Gambian musicians, plus The Blind Boys of Alabama 1997 Hiptodisiac - Zubop - 2 tracks - UK 33 Records CD 1997 Dee Ellington - Vibe Me (UK r'n'b single -RCA) 1997 New-York Paris Dakar - Positive Black Soul - 1 track (cassette vol 1 - also released on CD) 1998 Gis Gis - Ifang Bondi - MW Records CD - Netherlands 1999 Millenium Drum Salute - Various Artists - Yellowgate CD - Serrekunda, The Gambia 1999 Kairo Sounds of the Gambia - Various Artists - Arch CD - Gambia 2000 Moto Moto - Batanai Marimba - Koni CD UK 2002 Mudzimu Mudzimu - Batanai Marimba - Koni CD UK 2003 Madirisa - Daykil Chosan Group - ECCO (ECCO The Gambia, PO Box 4666, Bakau, The Gambia, West Africa. www.ecco.gm guro@eccointernational.org) Daykil Chosan Group consists of ECCO's regular tutors, who teach groups of mainly Scandinavian undergraduate music students - recently joined by some from the London Guildhall School of Music - in The Gambia. The recording was recorded at Yellowgate Studios, Serekunda and produced by bassist/guitarist/keyboardist extraordinaire Kebba Taylor. 2004 ZubopGambia Live (Recorded at Ronnie Scotts, London, Settle and Ipswich, 2003) UK 33 Records CD Juldeh has also recorded for a forthcoming Tata Dindin Jobarteh CD. 2004 The Drummer - Boka Halat - TAPS UK