 |
  |
Ismaël Lo
The universal patriot
Paris
13/10/2006 -
RFI Musique: Your new album bears the simple title Sénégal. Is there a hint of patriotism here?
Ismaël Lo: There's obviously a patriotic side to the album title. This is a way of giving something back to my country which is a wonderful place to live, a place full of the most hospitable people. After all, it was Senegal that pushed me and encouraged me - and basically helped make me what I am today, a musician whose name is known all around the world. This is a way of showing that I haven't forgotten that it all started back home. I guess I felt the time had come to pay tribute to my homeland.
Most of the tracks on your new album are sung in Wolof and the lyrics are extremely topical. A song like Taar dusey, for instance, raises the issue of arranged marriages. Is this still common practice in Senegal?
People are still being forced into arranged marriage just about everywhere in the world, even though I have to say there are actually less and less arranged marriages in Senegal now. There are still plenty of families out there, you know, who don't want their children 'mixing' with anybody. Personally, I don't think it's normal to impose a bride on a young man that he's never laid eyes on before – imagine, he's never seen her smile or smelt her perfume. It's true that there's a tradition, particularly in Africa, where you're expected to obey your elders, but that's no reason not to choose the woman you love.
On another track, Manko, you criticise politicians, saying they should get back on track and remember their most basic duty to the people. Is President Wade in your firing line?
I'm not thinking of anyone in particular, the song's about all the presidents in the world. Manko is not actually a political song, I'd say it's more of a wake-up call to politicians. There are a lot of countries in the world right now where the situation is highly explosive. We're living with interminable wars, inter-ethnic conflicts and all the rest. The situation has come about as a result of bad leadership, statesmen who haven't managed their countries properly. Politicians hold out a lot of promises, but once they're elected most of them fail to respect those promises. In my view, heads of state should never forget that it's the people who put them where they are. They have to prove they're worthy of the people's trust.
On Le Jola, you pay homage to the victims who went down in the tragic sinking of Le Jola in 2002. Is this because you feel somewhere down the line they'd been forgotten?
This is my way of remembering the dead. This is my prayer for them. At the same time, it's my way of saying loud and clear, "Never ever again!" I believe we're all subject to divine will, but there are certain people who were responsible for this tragedy, people who were way too negligent.
Musically speaking, your 22nd album - recorded between studios in Dakar, Paris and London – comes as no surprise. Sénégal serves up your usual subtle mix of typically Senegalese mbalax and pop ballads. Listening to it, you get the impression that you're trying to keep everyone happy, appealing to fans back home in Africa as well as in the West?
Well, maybe that's true, maybe I am! But playing music is also about getting ideas across, acting as a sort of spokesperson for those whose voices would otherwise not be heard, as well as giving pleasure and enjoyment to the maximum number of people. It's no good sitting down and writing songs if no-one's listening! But, you know, I grew up listening to a lot of other stuff apart from traditional Senegalese music, like soul, blues and pop. I evolved in a world of musical fusion and that's influenced me greatly in my own work. My own sound revolves around mixing different musical styles. There's one track on my new album called Wakhal where I even mix flamenco and mbalax.
One of the highlights of your early career was playing with Dakar's Super Diamono. What was that like?
I met Super Diamono in Gambia and they suggested I should join the group to go on tour with them. Looking back on it now, I have to admit that that was an absolutely brilliant time of my life. When I started out, I was used to performing alone on stage with my guitar and then from one day to the next I found myself surrounded by all these really great musicians. And that led to me discovering new instruments such as drums, piano and bass. I also got into the group spirit and learnt how to live as part of a community. My time with Super Diamono was a great "school of life" for me. I still consider myself as part of the group, in fact, because my name's still associated with them. Honestly, it was the most amazing experience!
Ramadan (the Muslim holy month) is fully underway now. As a Muslim, belonging to a Sufi brotherhood in Senegal, what message would you like to get across at this time of high tension between Islam and the West?
Well, firstly, I'd like to wish Muslims around the world a happy Ramadan. As to the subject of ideological conflicts, I think it's time to try and calm things down. What the world needs now is a little time to smile. No good can come of people killing one another. I think today we have to learn to respect other people's religions and as the Koran, the Torah and the Bible all teach us we have to learn how to forgive and leave certain things behind. If we can't do that, human beings will be involved in a permanent state of conflict. I think we also have a duty to move beyond the current amalgam between Islam and terrorism. We need peace on this earth of ours. Inch'allah!
I'd like to end by asking you what your position is on the policy of "selective immigration" proposed by the French interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, who recently went out on an official visit to Senegal?
Personally, I don’t think it's a good idea at all. I know all leaders have to play certain cards in politics and Mr. Sarkozy has chosen the immigration card, trying to appeal to a certain fringe sector of the French population – even though this tarnishes the traditional idea of France as a country open to others. If ever his methods came into practice, we'd have to lose our African brains! If I was head of the Senegalese state, I certainly wouldn't support the French interior minister's policy, but I'm not in that position. Only time will tell whether it’s a good or bad choice.
Concert at the Olympia, in Paris (14 November)
Daniel Lieuze
Translation : Julie Street
24/08/2001 -
