海角大神

Tiguidank茅 Diallo still hasn鈥檛 played her new songs to the person who most influenced the feminist outlook of the lyrics: her mother.聽

Ms. Diallo, who records under the name Niariu, recently joined the African female collective Les Amazones d鈥橝frique. Her sassy staccato propels 鈥淗eavy,鈥� the first single from the group鈥檚 new record, 鈥淎mazones Power.鈥� She鈥檚 also the sole figure on the album cover. Sporting the golden arm cuffs and headdress of an Amazon warrior, she stares at the camera with a formidable gaze.

鈥淢y mom is kind of my strength,鈥� says Niariu during a phone call from Paris. 鈥淢y determination, I get it from her.鈥�

Niariu is 鈥渞eally shy鈥� about unveiling the finished project to her mother. But on Jan. 24, the world will have the opportunity to hear the second album by the multilingual group whose lyrics focus on women鈥檚 rights. Its fluid, evolving lineup includes lead singers from Mali, Algeria, Benin, and Burkina Faso. The glue of the project isn鈥檛 just producer Liam Farrell, aka Doctor L. It鈥檚 the founding principle of Les Amazones d鈥橝frique to be a vessel to empower women against spousal abuse, second-class status, and female genital mutilation. 聽

鈥淭he first album was to talk [about] and fight against the violence against women,鈥� says Niariu. 鈥淭his album is really about empowerment, sisterhood, and love.鈥澛�

The genesis of Les Amazones d鈥橝frique dates back to 2014. Val茅rie Malot, head of the booking, publishing, and management firm 3dFamily, encouraged several star singers to take a united stand against violence against women in Africa and beyond. The consequent 2017 album, 鈥淩茅publique Amazone,鈥� featured notable Malian artists such as Oumou Sangar茅, Mamani Ke茂ta,聽Ange矛lique Kidjo,聽and Mariam Doumbia. It garnered plaudits from NPR (鈥淭here鈥檚 no mistaking the talent and vision these spectacular vocalists share鈥�) and Rolling Stone (鈥淸a] hard-funking, future-minded collaboration鈥�). Barack Obama named 鈥淟a Dame et Ses Valises鈥� (鈥淭he Woman and Her Suitcases鈥�) one of his favorite songs of 2017.聽聽

Les Amazones d鈥橝frique鈥檚 dub-influenced electronica, twined with Afrobeat rhythm and West African guitar, is currently anchored by Fafa Ruffino, Kandy Guira, Rokia Kon茅,聽Niariu,聽and Ms. Ke茂ta. Niariu had been performing in an underground Parisian group when she was invited to come to the studio to write and sing.

鈥淸On] the second album, the emphasis was more in talking about the violence on the women, but that can also be perpetrated by women,鈥� says Niariu, noting that female circumcision is often performed by women. 鈥淪o it was also a way of, first of all, uplifting women again, but also make us realize the strength that we have and how we can change things together.鈥�

This time out, several songs pair male and female vocalists. Their inclusion isn鈥檛 just artistic; it鈥檚 also symbolic. Men have their part to play in feminism, says Niariu.聽

鈥淔emininity is in everyone 鈥� male and female,鈥� she says, praising Jon Grace and Boy-Fall from the group Nyoko Bokbae for their emotional sensitivity on their shared song. 鈥淭hat doesn鈥檛 mean that I鈥檓 not masculine enough. That means today I embrace my feminine side. And that鈥檚 something that I think males have to understand, society has to understand, because there鈥檚 a lot of pressure of what we call masculinity.鈥�

The singer also sees a role for women to embrace masculine qualities, such as strength. 鈥淗eavy鈥� is a tribute to female entrepreneurs such as Boy-Fall鈥檚 Senegalese grandmother, an immigrant who launched a successful hair salon in Paris. Niariu cites single mothers as another example of women who embody both masculinity and femininity. Her own mother is among them.聽

鈥淲hen she was young, she was that cool kid, a rebel,鈥� Niariu says, shaving her head, piercing her nose, and wearing leather. 鈥淎nd then she got married and then her life changed and she didn鈥檛 have the tools to be able to follow her dreams.鈥�

The singer demurs on providing details of her mother鈥檚 marital experience as an immigrant from Guinea. There were 鈥渁 lot of really desperate moments,鈥� she allows. The aunts who helped raise Niariu inspired the song 鈥淪mile.鈥澛�

鈥淭his message is a way to speak for my mom, who needed and still needs this sisterhood,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a message ... to everyone that had the same story or is going through the same things and also trying to break this cycle.鈥澛�

The final track on the album, 鈥淧ower,鈥� gathers 16 vocalists to reiterate a similar message. It鈥檚 a universal rallying cry for ending violence against women and ushering in equality and respect.聽

鈥淲ithout women holding this world together, we wouldn鈥檛 be at peace,鈥� she says. 鈥淲omen are the glue that sticks people together as a society.鈥�

Niariu says she鈥檚 going to sit her mother down to listen to the album soon.聽

鈥淚 know she鈥檚 going to tell the whole world about it,鈥� she says, laughing.