Daby Touré and Chris Velan (Mauritania / Canada)

Chris Velan and Daby Touré are kindred singer-songwriters who met through Vermont-based world music label Cumbancha and discovered an immediate musical chemistry. Velan, a Montreal-born artist known for his blend of folk, pop, and global influences, and Touré, a Mauritanian-born musician with roots in Senegal and a background in Afro-blues and desert folk, began collaborating in 2019. Their sessions outside Montreal led to the creation of Emissaire Vol. 1, an EP that fuses desert blues, Americana, and soul. Singing in multiple languages, including Wolof, Soninké, Pulaar, French, and English, they explore themes of compassion, love, and resilience, crafting songs that resonate across cultures.

Featured Songs:

“Kourou” is a gentle, lullaby-like song that offers comfort and reassurance in uncertain times. Built around interwoven guitars and soft vocal harmonies, the Café Nomadica song conveys a message of parental love and universal protection. The Wolof lyrics offer solace: “My child, don’t cry / With the blessing of the universe / Everything will be fine.” Repeating the line, “The love of a father and mother is infinite,” the song becomes a soothing mantra. With its tranquil melody and heartfelt message, “Kourou” invites listeners into a space of warmth and emotional refuge.

Their Desert Blues track “Douna,” takes its title from the Soninké word for “world” and reflects on the idea that all people share the same roots and destiny. The song evokes a collective journey from humanity’s earliest origins to the present, using references to ancestral cultures to highlight how history binds people together across time and place. Touré sings, “We are of the same mother and father / We are of the same country and origin / This world is our country / From the beginning to the end / We share the same destiny.”

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