Yawo

A native of Togo, West Africa, Yawo started his musical career at the “Ecole Experimentale de musique” of Lome, where he studied flute, classical guitar, and electric bass. As the leader of the high school band he formed with his brother and sister, Yawo Attivor developed a talent for composing and arranging music that embraces both the traditions of the Ewe tribe and the influences of the western civilization. This multicultural approach to songwriting led to the creation of the MIMI-Togo (International Movement for Innovative music-Togo branch) which Yawo directed until he left Togo in 1992 as a result of political turmoil in his motherland. In 1993, Yawo joined the international organization Up With People, traveling the U.S. and Europe, promoting peace and understanding among the citizens of the world. After Up with People, Yawo, his cousin Ro Attivor (aka Ro Bezz), Sarah Agbeto and guitarist Matt Hupton created Doliho, an afropop project that rocked the Midwest with a unique album in the late 90s. In 2002, after he moved to Minneapolis a year earlier, Yawo launched a solo career with the album “Celebrate” (Mia du agbe) followed in October 2004 by “Take out the fences”, a “refreshingly upbeat” (Minneapolis Star tribune) album that breaks musical barriers with an explosion of afro-beat, afro-funk and reggae.