CULTURE
GUINEA – Black M presents “yèkè yèkè” by Mory Kanté in the era of time: a beautiful tribute
For his new album “La Légende Black”, Alpha Diallo, aka Black M, intends to go down in history. He drew from the repertoire of Guinean music the fabulous rhythmic-dancing classical of Mory Kanté: “yèkè yèkè”. With this song, he rakes wide. He remixed with remarkable brilliance this stainless tube with rap sauce. A delight. It’s clear: Black M has, at first glance, “Eyes bigger than the world” (2014). A ban for “The Black Legend”!
Yèkè Yèkè: a musical feast
Do we know Yèkè Yèkè? I think so. Isn’t it that irresistibly dancing tube from the late ’80s that sold five million copies? Apparently, our parents were serious about this song. He rocked our childhood. Acoustics: n’goni, kora, African percussions. The sound: Mory Kanté’s warm, powerful and well-stamped voice, which, when raised, provokes legitimate enthusiasm in the audience. And when the singers take up the chorus, a miracle happens. A deep emotion fills the whole room. We press, we push, we bump, we move our feet, we snap our fingers and a powerful force, almost demonic, makes us guincher. I have a great memory of all that. But, time passes and it has become so sad to see this beautiful prodigy of the mind sleeping in the discotheque of oblivion and taking dust.
We’re going to be artistic
I wondered what a young French rapper woke could gain by exhuming a Mandingo song from three decades ago. Lack of inspiration? Maybe so. Challenge? Or want to reconnect to its origins? It could be. This title, moreover, was sung three years before the birth of the artist – He was born in 1984 in Paris. It was to misunderstand Black M. On this title, an ode to love, he devoted himself to a real work of musical “deconstruction-reconstruction”. He tried with some success to put an old song back on the page. Black M gave bite and a dancing look to yèkè yèkè. While maintaining the framework of this song, he brings new voices, those of two mezzo-soprani like Amaya and Maysha. Each of its two singers each bring a particular color to this title.
‘On va yèkè’: a wonderfully rhythmic melody
If we believe the stats on online download platforms, and mainly on Youtube (639 K views! in one day), success will not be long in coming. The remix has gained in power and modernity. This tube is about to become the tube of summer 2022. I myself have tasted the rhythms of this classical music, and even if my opinion is nothing prophetic, I say, this remix has something special: it has lost nothing of its nostalgic attraction, of this festive air that we savored in the first melodies. Black M has proposed to condiment this pasteurized tube with sweet spice rap. The former of the assault sexion group has concocted a beautiful tribute to the old dinosaur of Guinean music. He added the varnish of a modern rhythm while keeping the African sounds of the song. When we hear Black M’s first notes “On va yèkè”, we feel, from the first seconds, a need to externalize, to let go of all the heaviness that stifles us. Let’s hope that this excellent remix will allow Black M to enter the legend.
CULTURE
IVORY COAST – Ninwlou will be in Concert Slam on next Saturday
On Saturday, September 14, 2024, at 7:30 pm, at the Wafou in Biétri, Nin’wlou, the slammer poet, will be in Concert Slam. When I talk about him, many will say it’s “something else”. And they’ll be right, because it’s going to be “Something Else” than a concert.
Around the slam
Even if the slam is now highly publicized “Le slam va bien, comme le disent les slameurs eux-mêmes”, it remains that it still hesitates to submit easily to attempts of definition, classification. It is a concept that could be described as polysemic since it is quite fluffy. Poetry? What poetry? A form of poetry? Singing? Rap?… A kind of African orality? Or a form of expression that is an intersection of several forms of artistic expression… Also, to be established in this environment (as elsewhere), any slameur must be original, that is to say, stand out from the crowd and draw crowds. And that’s Nin’wlou! Do not always recite the same texts without breath and avoid to invoke to pull-larigot common places devoid of charm. To be at the top, the slameur must always surprise himself. Ninwlou has understood this so well that he is now one of the essential voices of slam in West Africa.
Something else, like a maieutic
One thing is certain: “Autre Chose” will be “Of lightning and lightning: song of embers for a freedom in flames” – Thank you to the Muses with winged breasts for inspiring me this phrase: incruster Jean-Marie Adiaffi in this Autre Chose that Nin’wlou is about to offer. This association of poets prophesies what will happen. In this slam concert, the speech will be sometimes fire, sometimes embers; in any case, it will be something different than everything you have seen or heard on the slam. Artistic magic is using everyday words to breathe their own breath. Today and for eternity, the slam will remember that Nin’wlou did something else.
When the crisis gives rise to a vocation
Yet Nin’wlou’s love of words only began in 2010, the year of the post-election crisis in Côte d’Ivoire. As what, some brains only come to boil when bullets whistle over their heads. Since then, he has been constantly receiving awards and honours, both in the music scene “Man Tchè”, “Niehi, “Pour ces mômes” and in literature (Marche du Feu, 2022).
A voice for the future
With his voice a little nastily, Nin’wlou slame like a stand-upper. Donel Jack’sman sums up the artist’s art perfectly with this phrase: “… it is when a guy has the grace to make you believe that everything he tells is not written, that it is totally impro.” Nin’wlou energizes words, even those that are outdated, with an elegant panache. Go see Nin’wlou on stage unrolling his great lyric poetry. The slam of Nin’wlou, metaphors that trap and dazzle: the poetic panenka.
CULTURE
SENEGAL – Mia Guissé sets fire to Casino of Paris: an anthology concert
On Saturday, September 7, 2024, it was in the midst of the greatest success, quite enthusiastically, and in the presence of a large audience that a brilliant evening took place at the Casino de Paris. An exceptional event was on the program: the first major concert of Mia Guissé, organized by Boss +, the company for broadcasting and production of live shows. The Senegalese diaspora, as well as many music lovers, have experienced a magnificent concert, punctuated by the appearances of renowned artists such as Axel Merryl, Waly Seck or JAHMAN X-PRESS… For those who could not attend the event for reasons beyond their control, here are the highlights of this memorable evening where Senegal was celebrated in the heart of Paris.
A lively atmosphere and a captivated audience
When we talk about a musical show, it is often the artist who is put forward; we don’t talk much about the orchestra. Before Mia’s arrival, the audience was enthralled by the skillful one who heated up the room with the energetic performance of Angie la Showkine. Then, come the friendly Seny Diop, star of mbalax, and the group Serigne Mor, who take the public with breath with its unmatched percussions. Congratulations to Boss +, who did not skimp on the means to make this concert a success.
Mia Guissé: a royal entrance and unforgettable duets
It is around 9 pm that Mia Guissé enters the room. The applause is thunderous, and the light plays sublimate his arrival. Wearing a glittering outfit, she begins with “IDDA”, the famous title that made her fame. The audience loves it. The cheers are running. With each of his songs, drawn from his repertoire, the brilliant star of the Casino, with the sharpest brightness of his voice, raises the thunder of applause. Throughout the evening, the singer never stopped surprising, chaining the songs with impeccable control. The show gains crescendo in intensity as guest artists take turns to take their place on the podium. The moving moment is when guest artist Axel Merryl joins her on stage. Together, they perform “Titulaire”, an already cult piece. The chemistry between the two artists is palpable. The duo inflames the room. But that’s not all: Mia also shares the stage with Waly Ballago Seck on the hit «Confuse». There are also artists like Jahman X-PRESS who, with his singular style, contributed to the show.
Spectacular outfits
Mia Guissé is dazzled not only by her talent, but also by her breathtaking outfits. As soon as she enters, she attracts all eyes with a white dress illuminated by garlands. As the show goes on, she follows with a bold denim outfit, composed of a corset and trousers with original details. Not forgetting her origins, she winks at the Peulh culture by wearing a traditional white boubou, embellished with jewelry and accessories.
A promising career
Mia Guissé has once again proved that she is a complete artist, both in her musical talent and her stage presence. This concert at the Casino de Paris, we hope, is just a new stage in a promising career. And hats to Boss + who always manages to make good African music heard in Paris by the African diaspora.
CULTURE
SENEGAL – MIA GUISSÉ, AN ARTIST WHO ROCKS
See you on Saturday, September 7, 2024 at 8 pm at the Casino de Paris. But it will not be to play blackjack, baccarat or even poker. The venue will be the stage of a large-scale musical show, organized by Boss Plus & Co, where Mia Guissé intends to make you go through all kinds of emotions. You will be warned!
Origins
Her real name is Aïssata Guissé, and she comes from Tambacounda, Senegal. She is not a novice who entered the music on a whim. At a very young age, she began performing at events in her home region. Then, after joining a group for a few years, she decides to go it alone. However, it is her title “Idda” that will reveal her to the world and make her enter the hearts of music lovers.
Career is a blast
The heart of music lovers conquered, this lovely singer with a sultry aura chases the tubes, starting with “Life is beautiful”, followed by “GLP” (2023), a *ndeweneul* with a frenetic rhythm and high in color. She then wins her ticket to skim the catwalks. She is not going to rest on her laurels and starts a tour of Senegal with “Éclosion”, as if to say that now the caterpillar has become a butterfly. Everywhere she goes, it’s sold out. There’s no one in the arts community but her. Obviously, it gets the title of «Tsunami de la musique sénégalaise» as it attracts crowds.
Haunting music
Her songs, with effervescent rhythms, are tinged with hip-hop. But when you listen closely, it is clearly afropop that she makes. Mia borrows a lot from the mbalax, with a sublime voice that gives the wolof a unique sound. Even if her flow is similar to that of Nigerian artists, Mia manages to retain this characteristic touch of mbalax. It’s true that her stage outfits don’t appeal to everyone, but it’s her personality. We’ll say she is like this! Let’s take it that way.
From success to success
In November 2023, it is the consecration when she releases a breathtaking single: “Lonkotina”. The video reaches one million views in less than 48 hours, an artistic feat. It means only one thing: the audience loves it. She multiplies collaborations with artists from different backgrounds. In May 2024, she released a new single whose clip, shot on the shores of the Ébrié lagoon in Abidjan, captivates music lovers. In an afropop style, she shows herself comfortable on mbalax.
A multi-talented artist
This rising star of Senegalese music has more than a string to its bow. In addition to being a great singer, Mia Guissé is also an accomplished designer. She designs and creates her own stage outfits, as well as those of her dancers and all the other members of her orchestra. All her clothing is branded with the brand “Miaguissestyle”, a brand that embodies a modern and authentic African vision of fashion.
A concert not to be missed
Mia Guissé will perform on September 7 at the Casino de Paris, and the atmosphere promises to be an unforgettable moment for her fans. This concert will start at 8 p.m. You are all invited. We have reserved our seats. You are the only ones missing! At the Casino de Paris, we’re gonna blow up the bank.
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