The Africa Association's 9th "World's Most Enriching Africa Lecture Series”

A Collaboration Between Japanese and African Traditions, Djembe Meets Taiko and A Prayer for Peace

On July 27, 2025, the Africa Association hosted the 9^th "World's Most Enriching Africa Lecture Series" at JICA Global Plaza. The lecturer was renowned djembe player Latyr Sy, born and raised on the Island of Gorée in Senegal. Through his lecture and performance, he shared the tragic history of his homeland and offered a stirring musical collaboration with Japanese taiko drummer Takeshi Chiyozono.

Mr. Sy first came to Japan in 1995, where he encountered Okura Masayoshi, a master of the Okura-ryu taiko style for Noh theater and a designated Important Intangible Cultural Property holder. That meeting sparked numerous cross-cultural performances on traditional Japanese stages, inspiring Sy to dedicate his career to building a cultural bridge between Japan and Africa. Over the years, he has collaborated with world-renowned artists such as Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yo-Yo Ma, and performed at international events including the Tokyo International Conference on African Development and the Nagano Olympics.

During his lecture, Sy introduced the history of the Island of Gorée, with UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Once one of the largest slave trade bases in history, the island was used by Portugal, the Netherlands, Britain, and France from the 15th century until slavery was abolished in 1848. The island's "House of Slaves" became a museum in 1962, bearing the motto "Forgive but not forget." Sy explained how Nelson Mandela stayed for five minutes in the infamous "Room of Punishment," and how Pope John Paul II referred to it as the "forgotten Holocaust."

Latyr Sy talks about the Island of Gorée

"The drum is a tool of communication,” Sy remarked. “I want to share the message of the Island of Gorée through the drum. Music has no borders, and peace in Africa means peace for the world." He emphasized the universal importance of peace and cultural unity, drawing connections between Hiroshima, Nagasaki, the Island of Gorée, and Auschwitz as reminders of humanity's shared responsibility to remember and to strive for peace.

On stage, Sy wore a light blue Senegalese kaftan suit. Performing barefoot with a golden-decorated djembe woven with light green strings, he filled the hall with deep, resonant tones. In duet with a Noh drum, his singing merged with solemn rhythms, culminating in a powerful wave of sound punctuated by the Noh chant "Yo-i." Later, in collaboration with five Japanese taiko drums, the rhythms of Japan and Africa fused into one, enveloping the entire venue in profound emotion.

Djembe Meets Taiko: Latyr Sy and Takeshi Chiyozono

2025 marks the 80th year since the end of World War II, the event offered a rare and precious opportunity to reflect on today's conflict-ridden world, to celebrate the joy of human creativity, and to pray for peace through music. True to its title, this was indeed "The World's Most Enriching Africa Lecture Series."

Photo credit: Africa Association Secretariat