On July 18, Dobet Gnahoré, one of Africa’s true stars and the voice of the continent, will be in concert at Freight and Salvage in Berkeley, California.
If you like Angelique Kidjo, Fatoumata Diawara, Oumou Sangaré or Rokia Traoré, you will definitely appreciate Dobet Gnahoré. Merging the talents of all these great singers, and on stage, Dobet unleashes a passion that wows audiences during her concerts in Africa, Brazil, the United States, Japan and Europe.
Her new album Zuzu, which means ‘Angel’ in her native language, is her seventh studio album and is a vibrant celebration of African culture and identity. The album showcases a rich tapestry of musical traditions, combining African rhythms with modern influences and lyrical depth.
I recently spoke with Dobet in Ivory Coast through Cumbancha, her label in the US. He said: “My music may explore the world but I remain African. I am inspired by what my grandparents sing. I am motivated by the struggles that the children of Africa face, which is why I dedicate this album to the youth. They are the ones who will determine the future of the continent.”
She also stated that this album marks the start of a new orphanage project she is developing in Ivory Coast as she maintains her commitment to promoting positive change and opportunities for the next generation.
I first interviewed Dobet Gnahoré in 2007 during her first American tour. She had won the Afropop Hall of Fame’s Emerging Artist award a year earlier in 2006. Daughter of master percussionist Boni Gnahoré, she was born in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, the capital which has for many years been at the crossroads of African music with its famous festival Marché des Arts du Spectacle Africain (MASA).
In 1994, at the age of 12, Dobet joined her father’s percussion and dance ensemble where she learned the performing arts. He grew into her Ki Yi M’ Bock a self-governing community of Pan-African artists led by Cameroonian writer and performer Werewere Liking, of which her father was a member in Ivory Coast. There he trained in theater, dance and especially singing.
Dobet writes and composes most of her songs and sings in various African languages such as Malinké (Mali), Lingala (Congo), Wolof (Senegal), Xhosa (South Africa), Fon (Benin), French, Haitian Creole and English . Honest, dedicated and a feminist, she conveys her messages by singing with her soft and powerful voice in music that combines different genres.
She is known for her dance moves and for a powerful and spectacular stage presence. Her concerts are an authentic journey into the heart of the African continent, with everything from pygmy songs, Mandingo tunes and Congolese rumba, to Ivorian Ziglibiti, Cameroonian Bikuchi, Ghanaian and Zulu choirs. The diversity of rhythms and the richness of African percussion are not unknown to Dobet Gnahoré, they are part of her show.