Singer, songwriter and producer Akon was born Alium Damal Badara in Akon Thiam, St. Louis, Missouri on April 16, 1973, to African parents. His family returned to Senegalese docker in West Africa when Akon was young and lived there until he was 7 years old, when he returned to the United States. Akon's mother, Kain Thiam, is a dancer; His father, Mary Thiam, is a well-known jazz Percussionist. Thanks to their influence, Akon has heard and liked music from the very beginning.
