At a scientific symposium held at the Faculty of Science and Technology of Education and Training (FASTEF) of Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, the work and career of the artist Souleymane Faye were celebrated. This significant academic recognition honors an iconoclastic musician, a major figure on the Senegalese music scene, whose fifty-year career has explored questions of society, democracy, and freedom.

On behalf of the Dean of FASTEF, Professor Moustapha Sokhna, Hady Ba, in charge of scientific and cultural activities at UCAD, opened the proceedings. He emphasized the profound significance of this tribute to an artist often perceived as rebellious. "Many are surprised to see this quintessential institution of normalcy celebrating an artist of Dionysian exuberance," he noted, before clarifying that this initiative is fully aligned with FASTEF's mission: to cultivate free, critical minds rooted in their society. For Hady Ba, this symposium is not a contradiction, but a self-evident truth: "Without freedom and creativity, no republic can be truly democratic."

An artist who defies categorization, Souleymane Faye is far more than a mere "rebel." His trajectory embodies a fundamental freedom, liberated from social norms and guided by a single compass: music. This demanding nature has led him to explore, without compromise, the most audacious artistic territories. His journey is inextricably linked to the adventure of the group Xalam, a legendary ensemble of African ethno-jazz, of which he was one of the architects. But, as the speaker reminded us, even such an emblematic collective could not contain such an independent spirit. Souleymane Faye's path remains profoundly solitary, driven by a perpetual artistic quest.

Professor Mamadou Dramé, coordinator of the Research Group on Contemporary Cultural Expressions and assessor at FASTEF, is the driving force behind this symposium, the fourth of its kind after those dedicated to John Seck, Baaba Maal, and Kiné Lam. For him, the objective is clear: to recognize artists as intellectuals in their own right. "Music is not just made up of melodies; it also carries lyrics, thought, and intelligence," he explained.

Studying the work of Souleymane Faye means examining Senegalese society through the lenses of linguistics, history, sociology, and political science. Having lived through Senegal from the 1970s to the 2020s, the artist offers, through his songs, a valuable perspective on the country's cultural and political transformations. Singing, as Professor Dramé reminds us, is also about educating, transmitting values, and sparking debate.

Beyond scientific analysis, the symposium makes a powerful statement: celebrating creators while they are still alive. "We mustn't wait until they are no longer with us to recognize their contribution," insists Mamadou Dramé. Fifty years of presence on the national and international stage have given Souleymane Faye undeniable academic and cultural legitimacy.

Over several days, researchers, academics, and students share their perspectives on the work of an artist who is at once a thinker, a showman, and a self-proclaimed outsider. A creator who, precisely because he refused to conform to the rules, profoundly marked and renewed Senegalese music.