Smarty
Born in Dimbokro, Côte d'Ivoire, in 1978, Salif Louis Kiekieta grew up with a
father from Burkina Faso and a mother from Côte d'Ivoire. He returned to
Burkina-Faso in 1993, where he gradually joined the hip-hop scene, influenced by
French-language rap and MC Solaar in particular. After trying his hand at a few
freestyles, he met Mawndoé Célestin, with whom he founded the group Yeleen in
2000. Renamed Smarty, he and his duo released their first album in 2001, Juste
un peu de lumière, and began to make a name for themselves nationally. After ten
years, which saw the duo become an e...
