See Also: Diop, Birago Ismael(encyclopedia)

Diop, Birago Ismael (sh)




born Dec. 11, 1906, Dakar, French West Africa
died Nov. 25, 1989, Dakar

Senegalese poet and recorder of traditional Wolof folktales.

A veterinarian and diplomat, he was active in the Negritude movement in the 1930s. His output of lyric poetry is small but the poetry is beautifully composed. His books containing tales told to him by his family's griot include Tales of Amadou Koumba (1947) and Tales and Commentaries (1963).