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of Cotonou, or Herbie Hancock with Imagine project which will be awarded a Grammy. How these experiences influenced you?
It's been a lot of training, and we're actually, recording the second album; and you'll see that all these encounters have influenced me. All these experiences help me to better express traditional music. I come from a "pentatonic" region (music with 5 notes range very usual, because the limitation of notes allows its application in several genres) I keep the root of Wassoulou, a type of song and rhythm, that comes from my Region of origin, which I apply to several other musical contexts. So, it's a sharing, a musical exchange with the other genres, that allows mutual enrichment. Unconsciously we are the guardians of our culture. And all these great artists have a lot of sensitivity, and we can easily understand each other. Because they understand that this young woman is part of the family. We call her because we know she’s with us in the same court. You know we recognize ourselves, it is not always about technique, but the concordance in the vibration of styles.
In 2011, you release your first opus Fatou. How was the preparation of this album which really puts you on the map of musicians of the world.
It was done very naturally. I learned to play the guitar on that album. A naïve, fragile album, but also a very complicated music. Connoisseurs can understand the subtlety. I went calmly in this album, I said to myself I have all the time to show what I am capable to do. It was an introductory statement of my person, a presentation in fact. Full of simplicity and love.
It is true that music has a universal language, but have you ever tried to sing in a language different from your maternal tongue?
You know sometimes in Paris there are orders, and I have also done several collaborations like for example with Bobby Womack it was very interesting as experience, there are always exchanges or collaborations with artists. With Myriam Makeba, for example, I always adapted. But in fact, I think the African language needs to be worn. I like to see when I perform in China in Japan, in North America in Brazil, in India, people ask me what I tell in my song. You know sometimes in Paris there are orders, and I have also done several collaborations like for
example with Bobby Womack it was very interesting as experience, there are always exchanges or collaborations with artists. With Myriam Makeba, for example, I always adapted. But in fact, I think the African language needs to be worn. I like to see when I perform in China in Japan, in North America in Brazil, in India, people ask me what I tell in my songs. And they tell me, wow! I love this word. This allows me to talk about my Africa. To give her the attention she deserves. To love my Africa and speak with my woman's voice. I like to keep this deep side of Africa, keeping my tongue. This is very important to me. Musically I can go everywhere, I can try all genres, play pieces which are a bit jazzy, funky or reggae. But we need to wear our languages, Myriam Makeba is no longer there, who will sing in our languages if we all sing in English or French? Oumou Sangaré is there, Angélique Kidjo too, but we must continue to preserve our cultural heritage. Young people must be able to continue, what they have already accomplished. There are many young people who sing in English, it’s good but, all of us we cannot do the same thing. I think you should keep that depth. Moreover, it’s nice to listen to.
Yes, I think you’re not the only one who thinks this way, I recently heard Richard Bona, who felt that young people, were not to abandon their original languages in music, same thing in the Caribbean with Jocelyne Béroard who felt that young people, should do a zouk music