Les Amazones d'Afrique - Amazones Power
De West-Afrikaanse vrouwensupergroep Les Amazones d'Afrique is terug met een opvolger voor hun in 2017 verschenen debuut République Amazone. Sterkhouders van het project blijven Mamani Keita en Rokia Kone, maar de rest van de line-up op deze 'Amazones Power' bestaat grotendeels uit jonge leeuwinnen als Fafa Ruffino uit Benin, Niariu uit Guinée, Ami Yerewolo uit Mali, Kandy Guira uit Ivoorkust en Nacera Ouali Mesbah uit Algerije, deze maal zelfs aangevuld met de mannenstemmen van Douranne 'Boy-Fall' Fall (opener Heavy) en Amadou Denbélé (Timbuktu, Dogon). De Beninse Fafa Ruffino is alvast zeer duidelijk wat haar motivatie om deel te nemen aan het project betreft: "The first thing was the concept… I mean, asking different female singers to team up and fight for women's rights, by using music as the ultimate force, is just amazing. I came running because I felt this was a duty call, and even more than that… We come from different countries, yet we're facing the same issues in our home towns. We need to show the world that there are no boundaries when it comes to standing for our rights… It felt like the universe put us together. We were fighting alone, and something pushed our energy to meet.". Ook de Guinese muzikante, danseres en zangeres Niariu is meer dan enthousiast: "To me particularly, the biggest message would be to say that there are voices that really need to be heard and we have to make space for all women to express themselves and take part in solutions. We can't make feminism only about gender equality in western countries when a lot of women don't have access to basic human rights. If we're not all free, then some become the oppressors while others stay oppressed. This project is called Les Amazones d'Afrique, but I think it's important not to put it in a "box". People need to start realizing that the African continent is a significant part of the world. Everything is international about this project, from the people that worked on it to the languages and the sounds we're using, to the message we're sharing, and I hope everyone will embrace it as a whole.".
In de nummers op deze tweede langspeler, 'Amazones Power', schuwen de dames gevoelige thema's als misogynie (vrouwenhaat), partnergeweld ('Queens'), vrouwelijke seksualiteit, gedwongen huwelijken en zelfs vrouwenbesnijdenis niet. Ook deze keer stond Liam Farrel aka. Doctor L achter de knoppen en die zorgt voor de perfecte balans tussen Westerse elektronica en West- en deze keer dankzij de bijdrage van de Algerijnse Nacera Ouali Mesbah in Rebels ook Noord-Afrikaanse muziek. Niariu: "The musical fusion that we find in this album is unique. We are singers with different voices, and our own unique styles. We sing in many different languages, as well. I think the challenge was to go out of our comfort zone by writing on instrumentals we were not necessarily used to, for instance, fusions of electronic sounds, African traditional sounds, reggae elements, and hip-hop elements, and bring to it a message, a melody, a language that sounds like us. I think this is what allows our project to transcend cultures, generations and backgrounds. It's more than just words or just sound, it's a deeper experience.". Wat Niariu betreft is Amazones Power dan ook de perfecte titel voor dit nieuwe opus: "Power means everything; we are all coming together to change the rules that have been established for centuries. Women are taking over the world, you know! With this album, we are breaking the code, by talking about violence against women and young girls, genital mutilation, forced marriage, gender equality. We want to make our sisters and mothers understand that it's up to us what makes us happy and fulfilled. Older generations of women did they best to survive and change things, by making sure the next generations would have even more tools to evolve as women, now the new generations refuse to be sacrificed; they're here to break the cycle of pain and of the image of the strong woman who has to be quiet and carry all the burdens. We are amazing and powerful, and every time that society tries to make us feel otherwise, we will be loud and unapologetic. It's a way of saying that we have the power within us. Once we're fully conscious of this, deep transformations can happen!". Die krachtige feministische boodschap wordt op het album nog eens gekristalliseerd in afsluiter en titelnummer Power waarin maar de stemmen van maar liefst 16 (!) vocalistes uit Afrika, Europa en Latijns-Amerika te horen zijn, dromend van een gezamenlijke toekomst waar echte gendergelijkheid geldt!
www.lesamazonesdafrique.com | www.realworldrecords.com