As part of the 9th edition of the Galsen Hip-Hop Awards, the Ze-Africanews team met Y.DEE the initiator of this cultural project.

Y.DEE lives between Senegal and the United States, he returns every year for this program in the city of Dakar. Host, columnist and rapper, he told us about his career, his impressions at the end of the 9th edition of the Galsen Hip Hop Awards edition 2023. During this edition the 50 years of Hip Hop were celebrated.

The African continent was represented at this edition. The older generation was honoured as forerunners and elders in the field.

Rwanda was the sponsor of this edition.

The full interview is available here:

Senegalese singer Waly Seck performed this Saturday, June 12 at the Dome of Paris. This despite the sabotages. Indeed, after demonstrations of rare violence on June 1, 2 and 3, 2023, Senegal is gradually recovering from these painful events. After a day of mourning dedicated to the memory of the victims, it is not yet time to celebrate for some Senegalese in the diaspora.

For example, Waly Seck had to postpone his scheduled concert on June 3, 2023 because of the painful events that the country had experienced following Sonko’s conviction. While he reprogrammed the show, a group of Senegalese established in Paris consider it too early to celebrate and have decided to prevent Wally’s performance at the Dome of Paris on June 10. In a video posted on Facebook, they tear down barriers and swear that no one will perform in Paris while “the current regime has killed dozens of Senegalese”.

But his concert was a great success because many Senegalese from various backgrounds joined this place to attend his Show. A consecration for the artist of the people who performed in a crowded room. The singer could sympathize with his Fans in a crazy atmosphere.

Ma Sané, one of the most beautiful voices of Senegalese music is back with a new album «Mama Essamaï». Note also that through the cover of his new album, the artist Ma Sané paid a vibrant tribute to his former manager Pape Babacar Gueye affectionately called Beuz

Senegalese singer Ma Sané, from the city of Thiès, releases a new album whose themes are: Africa, the warrior mother who, according to her, has all the weapons to become a great continent strong by its wealth, by its youth, and by its women. The album was made in France, but partially recorded in France. The Senegalese singer has as guests Alune Wade bassist in the title Kassoumay and the diva Kine Lam in the title “Gnibbi”. The album is available on all platforms including deezer, apple music, YouTube.

Also according to the artist Ma Sané, we find in this album authentic instruments such as the bass, the electro-acoustic guitar, the piano, and the bougarabou that we put before. ! The projects in the meantime are first the clip “Fii fé” which is already on his YouTube channel Ma Sané Internationale. A promotional tour is being prepared throughout France, Europe, the United States, Senegal and the sub-region.

For Ma Sané, Senegalese music has evolved differently today with young people. There are some nice and very interesting things in there. But the challenge still remains how to find a place for him at the international level with afro beat nagga, folk, reggae etc.. but also that it can be played in the great festivals of the world.

She says she’s happy with her first solo album and is very proud of it. It is a mixture of work that I had started in the past at home in Senegal and others that I have done here in France. It really tells my feelings before and today on current events, on key topics such as the future of Africa, ecology, women’s rights etc.,’ she said. It happened on April 28, 2023 in Paris.

As a reminder, born in Thiès to a renowned singer mother, Ma Sané crossed the road from her teens to “Waflash”, a band of neighborhood friends gathered around their passion for music. The Senegalese public then discovered in the early 1990s their compositions mixing mbalax (popular Senegalese music), afro-beat, bougarabou (diola rhythms) and funk. Ma Sané, whose origins are at the crossroads of Wolof, Diola, Mandingo and Pulaar cultures, is at ease in this mixed music. Through these texts deemed committed, the group seeks to convey a message of social justice and peace. After having produced a dozen albums including “Bella Cas” in support of the populations of Casamance, Ma Sané and the Waflash have shot a dozen clips “Sincerity” will be a huge hit and conducted successful tours in Africa, Europe and America, at the Palais des Arts, a venue for concerts and exhibitions.

Theatre and opera – 2018
Ma Sané is invited by the Palermo Opera to play “Bintou Were”, the heroine of the Sahel opera composed by the great Senegalese musician Wasis Diop. She shared the stage with a troupe of migrant teenagers. Sensitive to this theme, she took part a year later in a theatrical and musical project that humorously depicted the life stories of refugee-seeking minors. In this ‘cabaret des flagrants délires’ performed at the Manufacture de Nancy in France, she was both an actress, composer and musical director.

New album “Mama Essamaï” – 2023
Now it is solo that Ma Sané makes his music evolve, favouring more intimate formations and authentic sounds. The artist releases her new album “Mama Essamaï” which means “The Warrior Mother” in which she invites us to travel through her tender and dancing universe between afro-folk and bougarabou rhythms, the traditional music of her dear Casamance. It evokes the great female African warriors, mothers and rebels.