Born in Ivory Coast to Malian parents, Fatoumata Diawara was raised in Mali before moving to Paris to pursue a career in the arts. Her distinctive playing style has made her one of the essential African artists of the day. In a genre dominated by men, Fatoumata Diawara has become the first solo electric guitar player to gain international recognition.

As a Ghanaian, Juls is adamant that people realize that while Nigerian and particularly Nigerian-British Afropop artists are often the most well-known, Afropop’s influences come from all over the continent. He himself is interested in creating sounds that are pan-African, spanning the continent and diaspora, particularly Jamaican and Caribbean music.