One poet show

Serious, measured, and deeply felt, Souleymane Diamanka’s voice tells a story: that of a child born in Senegal, raised in Bordeaux, and shaped by his parents’ Fulani proverbs and the lessons of the French public school system.

With his One Poet Show, the slam poet has created a form that blends stand-up comedy, slam poetry, and theater. In it, he weaves together his texts—drawn from his albums and his collection De la plume et de l’épée—to create a dialogue between oral tradition and literature. A bridge between griot art and hip-hop, between the French language and the Fulani language, between heritage and creation.

Souleymane Diamanka reflects on his early days in rap, his travels, pays tribute to his mentors, and celebrates those who instilled in him a love of words. Each text is finely crafted, rhythmic, and carried by a rich language where imagery strikes and thought unfolds. A celebration of literature, of words, but also of memory, brought to life by an artist for whom poetry is spoken, breathed, and lived in the present.