Dobet Gnahoré (Ivory Coast)

Given Dobet’s upbringing, it should come as no surprise that performing comes so naturally. Dobet’s father, Boni Gnahoré, is himself a master drummer, actor, and singer who is well respected across the Ivory Coast, where Dobet was born and raised. Her father was an original member of an influential artist colony called Village Ki-Yi M’Bock, which was formed in 1985 in Abidjan, the bustling capital city of the Ivory Coast. Dobet is widely considered one of contemporary African music’s most exciting talents, Dobet Gnahoré has astounded audiences with her thrilling stage presence, appealing melodies and powerful singing. Gnahoré’s diverse music composition moves from delicate ballads to upbeat African grooves, and serves as a resounding introduction to this voice of the future.Dobet composes in a number of languages and incorporates a variety of rhythms and styles into her music. She sings in the indigenous Ivorian languages of Dida and Malinké, and in Wolof (Senegal), Fon (Benin), Lingala (Congo), and Xhosa (South Africa). “This mixture is a way to bring me back home, to the diversity that I held close there” Dobet says.