Rokia Traore
Rokia Traore
Rokia Traoréis a Victoires de la Musique award-winning Malian singer, songwriter and guitarist, born in Mali as a member of the Bambara ethnic group. Her father was a diplomat and she travelled widely in her youth. She visited such countries as Algeria, Saudi Arabia, France and Belgium and was exposed to a wide variety of influences. Her hometown of Kolokani is in the northwestern part of Mali's Koulikoro region...
NationalityMalian
ProfessionMusician
Date of Birth26 January 1974
father careers able
My father was not able to get all the vinyl he used to listen to with me. He couldn't travel as he did it because of his profession as a diplomatic career.
father years skills
I've been in contact with music since I was four or five years old through my father, because of the interest he had in music and all his musical skills. I finally managed to make that my profession.
thinking musical important
I think about all these influences and musical cultures, then the opinion of the audience is of course important, but when I'm working on an album or a new project, I'm not all the time thinking about what the audience will think about it.
important important-things
The most important thing is to be happy myself with what I am doing.
successful thinking stressed
Of course I am stressed after I finish working on an album about what an audience will think, if it will be successful or not.
thinking people able
I can introduce new parts because when you are on stage in front of a very happy audience or people who love what you are doing, you are able to do extraordinary things that you yourself didn't think you could do before.
albums shows venues
At the beginning of the tour, I arrange the live show exactly like the album, but of course from one audience to another, from one venue to another, it can become longer.
important well-known great-experiences
It's a great experience just to understand that finally being well known is not the most important thing.
stars europe united-states
You can be a star here in Europe and not be known at all in the United States.
thinking festivals way
American audiences don't react in the same way as European ones to African music because, I think, Europeans listen to this music through all the festivals that exist here.
country cities different
The audiences are really different in general. Even in the same country or in the same city, from one venue to another, the audiences can be totally different.
dream believe albums
For me, each time I'm on stage, each time I'm working on a new album, it's like a dream. I can't believe it's happening.
writing guitar play
I used to play guitar for myself and write lyrics and listen to different styles of music.
jobs mean artist
When you are able to make a living with your job as an artist, that means you have an audience and you have to thank this audience.