Curiculum Vitae

KHALY N’Diaye was born on the 22nd of February 1950 in Rufisque (near Dakar), a town which has an important historical heritage.
His family was part of a group of craftsmen who were mainly jewellers, weavers, ironsmiths, musicians etc. They were of considerable importance in the local arena and sharpened his artistic sensitivity from a very early age. His father, a recognised musician who played the TAMA and was also a painter, was his reference and guide in both of these areas. KHALY N’Diaye took them on with the same passion and talent. 
It goes without saying that he spent the formative years before his independence bathed in a permanent creative atmosphere.
Following studies at the Ecole Francaise he chose Beninese music training at his home village of Rufisque with ‘Las ondas Del Sabadas’. He quickly became autonomous and started his own pop band. Music tours followed – all this at the same time as Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Johnny Hallyday, The Beatles, The Rolling Stone, etc.
At the beginning of the 70s he was a founder member of ‘Le Rail Band de Bamako’ whose musicians included Salif Keita, Mory Kante and many others. During this period the band toured throughout West Africa.
Other encounters included many talented musicians such as his compatriots Pape Seck, King Meissa, Sada Ly and Laba Sosseh. He would meet up again with them some years later in the ‘Star Band de Dakar’, sharing the passion of superimposing Cuban rhythms on Senegalese folklore.

• In 1975 he turns toward painting, he takes up lessons at the ‘Ecole des Arts de Dakar’ in the area of research. Quickly he affranchises with academia in order to allow his creativity to wander freely as one of his lecturers Pierre Lodds suggests.
• He leaves for Gambia for two years in 1977 to train in the use of Batik techniques with Queen AMY who owned an Arts and Crafts Workshop in BAKAU. He decides to specialise in Batik at this point.
• 1980 is the year he creates the cloth dying workshop in Rufisque. He uses Batik techniques and continues painting to which he still consecrates a great deal of time.
• In 1981 he leaves the ‘front line’ in order to seek the peace and solitude required for his artistic creation which also enables him to resolve the duality question between painting and music. He holds a first single painter exhibition of some importance in the Keur Damel rooms of the hotel TERNGUA, presenting at the same time a collection of robes and uniforms worn by the staff at the hotel.
• In 1981 he opens a new workshop with outlet in the centre of Rufisque which lasts through to 1990. This would enable him to carry on his work as an artist while teaching young local people the Batik technique.