By Firmain Éric Mbadinga
When it comes to getting the crowds dancing, Big Row has more than one note in his vocal chords.
The rock-voiced Gabonese rapper, real name Ivan Koumba, has chosen a style that combines traditional Gabonese rhythms with current trends, resulting in what he calls "Tradigansta Flow".
''Going back to our roots is a subject I talk about a lot because it's vital to get to know ourselves. And for my country, Gabon, appropriating our cultural values is essential if I am to be a well-balanced man who knows himself and the world. My rap style is the result of my need to assert myself as I am," he tells TRT Afrika.
And if the number of views and comments generated by his clips on online platforms is anything to go by, Big Row has fans across the continent and beyond.
For his clip "LA FINITION" on YouTube, subscriber @Kyoko973 left this comment: "Greetings from Guyana! Although there's an ocean separating us, the landscapes, the rhythms and the theme are so close to us. This work is touching!"
To date, the quality of the sounds offered by Big Row have earned him, among other distinctions, the second place at the 17th edition of the Stars Festival of African Cultural Integration Sica in Cameroon, where representatives of some 30 African countries gathered last month.
Messages
In his lyrics, rapped in the local Guisir language spoken by his Éshira ethnic group, Big Row talks about life in society, love, African cultural values and being proud of African identity.
“Basically, I'm a defender of traditional cultural and moral values," Big Row tells TRT Afrika.
“I exhort and motivate, as on tracks like “Chasser le Nguembe” and “L'étoile de la famille”, and advise. This is also the case on the track "Boy a Change", where I talk about the notion of responsibility in the face of life's temptations," the singer, who is currently on tour, says.
His love for African identity and tradition is evident in most of the artist's video clips, in which the cast wear outfits woven from raffia or African loincloths.
“My aim is to travel the world and spread the word about Gabonese culture and African culture in general," says the rapper.
He adds: “I'm able to make money thanks to my music."
The man now regarded as a role model and ambassador of Bantu culture began his artistic career in 1998.
He made a high-profile debut in Port-Gentil, Gabon's economic capital, when he was still a secondary school student.
Despite his early success, Big Row took the time to complete his secondary and university education. So it was in 2007 that the private law graduate, specialising in corporate law, released his first five-track EP, Syphonie D'Afrique.
In 2013, he attracted the attention of the Nigerian star Wizkid with whom he collaborated on the remix of the track "Ole".
In June of the same year, his stage performance at the Fête de la Musique celebrations earned him a listing in Gabon's official gazette, enough to give him the courage to dream even bigger.
"I'm an African. An older brother listened to French and American hip-hop, and I decided to do it while remaining myself," the rapper tells TRT Afrika.
Now the head of his own production label, Big Row is almost the only rapper expressing himself in a local language in a country where the national and official language is French.
In other French-speaking countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal, Big Row might not feel so alone because rappers like Dip doudou guiss and RJ Kanierra are racking up millions of hits on music platforms by singing in their own local languages.
