Heavily championed by BBC 6 Music, the Guinea-born, now Margate-based, singer and multi instrumentalist Falle Nioke has captivated audiences across the world with his addictive brand of mercurial afro-pop. 

Raised in the city of Conakry in Guinea, Nioke is a member of the Coniagui tribe, one of the smallest ethnic groups in Guinea. As a child, Nioke was saddened to realise he could not find music from fellow Coniagui artists and vowed to change things. His confidence grew when he began performing at 11 years old and was buoyed by the support he received from older, established musicians who told him, “you were sent to sing”.

Inspired by artists including Oumou Sangaré, Bob Marley and Sory Kandia Kouyaté, Nioke sings in French, English, Fulani, Coniagui and Susu, accompanying his voice with traditional instruments including the gongoma, bolon and cassi. In additions to collaborations with Barry Can’t Swim and Joe Goddard of Hot Chip, he has released a series of records through PRAH Recordings before releasing his debut album, Love From The Sea, on Eat Your Own Ears Recordings.

Alongside his solo work, Nioke fronts Pigeon, a five-piece whose sound moves between Afro-disco, grunge, no wave, jazz and experimental electronics. Bringing together musicians whose credits include Little Simz, Michael Kiwanuka, SAULT and Saul Williams, the band creates immersive, rhythm-led music driven by collaboration, improvisation and a fearless approach to genre. Their debut album, OUTTANATIONAL, brings these influences together in a bold fusion of traditional rhythmic influences and boundary-pushing contemporary sounds.