Takana Zion

Born in Conakry, Guinea, in 1986, Takana Zion, real name Mohamed Mouctar Soumah, has since the early 2000s built a career situated between roots reggae, ragga and dancehall, with lyrics anchored in West African social and political realities. After beginnings on Guinean rap and dancehall scenes, Takana Zion moves through Bamako, where his meeting with Manjul and Tiken Jah Fakoly accompanies his more definite entry into reggae. His first album Zion Prophet was released in 2007, followed by Rappel à l’ordre in 2009, then Rasta Gouvernement in 2011, recorded as a continuation of a Kingston experience. Takana Zion then alternates international productions with more locally oriented projects, notably Black Mafia, while continuing to circulate regularly between West Africa, France and other reggae scenes. His music blends melodic singing and singjay phrasing, with rhythms inherited from Jamaican roots, dancehall and more direct African inflections. Takana Zion sings in English and French, but also in Soussou, Peul and Malinké, giving his repertoire a strongly marked linguistic identity. Among his albums are Kakilambe (2012), Good Life (2016) and Human Supremacy (2021).