After school, the young Dobet went to study with the Abidjan-based Ki-Yi Mbock Company, directed by Werewere Liking. This was where her musical apprenticeship would begin. Surrounded by her family and supported in particular by her father Boni Gnahoré (a master percussionist), Dobet showed great promise as a dancer. It was here also that her debut album would start to take shape as she switched from one art form to another with ease.

I’m attentive to any feelings or melodies that come to me. I write to avoid forgetting my ideas

“In the Kiyi school, I learned that to be on stage you must have a lot of artistic skills and be good at all of them so the audience is not bored. The Kiyi’s motto is to approach all the branches of culture. I’ve always liked ideas that make me dream, so it’s those dreams that I wanted to bring to life for the audience. I really like to mix up all the arts (dance, song, percussion, theatre) to stay loyal to my initial training.”

Dobet is quick to single out her father’s support as being crucial, “He always listens to my ideas. I wanted to be like my father, he transmitted to me the desire to go on stage. My father has always given me advice to help me on my way, and he has always been there for me.”

So, young but clearly talented, Dobet was developing some of the ideas that we can hear on her album today and see in her stage performance. Crucially, the atmosphere of her training was pan African in nature helping her to draw on a range of musical ideas from around the continent, “Because I evolved in a pan African band composed of lots of different styles of music, I want to continue in that way and open my music to the Western world and other feelings of life: injustice, joy, fear but also feelings from other people. I’m attentive to any feelings or melodies that come to me. I write to avoid forgetting my ideas or I record the melodies.”

I believe in the people’s struggle. I’m dreaming of peace and that life will begin again and hope will return to the youth

In 1999, Dobet would meet French guitarist Colin Laroche de Féline and an exchange was struck up that would see him developing his fascination with African music and ensure her horizons would continue to expand likewise. The band they formed, spent the next few years touring France, while at home the Ivory Coast descended into war. “I feel sorry about these last few years because now, my country is in the shadows. In 1999 I was happy to see the evolution of my country, more precisely the cultural evolution; some courses even began to take place for the young.

“I just want to talk in the name of my country. I’m sad when I think about the actual situation there and when I remember the people living there. I believe in a War without weapons. I believe in the people’s struggle. I’m dreaming of peace and that life will begin again and hope will return to the youth.”

I’m talking to the nation, I’m telling the politicians that I’m tired of seeing the blood pouring, tired of seeing people disappear

Like Dobet, the Ivory Coast has always been open to different cultures, “It’s the only country that admitted foreigners and we all became family. If you seek, there is no pure 100 per cent Ivorian. Ultimately, we all are foreigners.”

The album Ano Neke, whose title means let’s create together’, is defiantly diverse musically and liguistically. “I sing in different languages [Bété, Fon, Baoule, Lingala, Malinke, Mina and Bambara] for multiple reasons. First of all, because I was trained in a Pan African Centre, which meant using several languages, but also because the Ivory Coast is made up of 62 languages. I wanted to be understood by all the tribes and also to prove that in culture there are no barriers. I like to be open to the world.”

With one of the best songs from the album being picked up by the Putumayo label for a recent compilation, ‘Abiani’ word of mouth is already kicking in and ‘Kakou’ is another cracking track — and my favourite — off Ano Neke but Dobet picks two other songs for special attention. “My favourite songs are ‘N’sielle’ and ‘Pillage’ for the lyrics and for the music too. I like both songs because they reveal an unknown, rebellious part of myself. In ‘N’sielle’ (which means, “I’m tired”) it’s my own feelings regarding the crisis of my country. In that song, I’m talking to the nation, I’m telling the politicians that I’m tired of seeing the blood pouring, tired of seeing people disappear and the same in ‘Pillage’ (the “oil thief”) it’s my feeling of anger.”

While critical, of events at home, as an artist she seems happy to have one foot on each continent, “I spend most of my time in Marseille or on tour and once or twice a year I go to Abidjan. When I go back to Abidjan, I’m happy to go and join my own people and when I come back to France, I’m also happy. I love to be out of my element, I like change: it opens me up to different kinds of music and new ideas of composition.”

I ask Dobet if she wants to add anything at the end of the interview. Her answer is simple: “I’m praying for peace in my country.”

See our review of Dobet’s debut album, Ano Neke

Upcoming Gigs 2005
January 2 L’eden - Charleroi (Belgium)
January 23 Tbc - Bonn (Germany)
February 25 Centre Culturel - Arlon (Belgium)
March 18 Tbc - Issoudun
April 19 Tbc - Fontenay Sous Bois
April 29 Tbc - Poitiers
May 5 Tbc - Montbrisson
August 4 Tbc - Albi

Links: Contre-Jour record label and Dobet’s own site.

Thanks to Michel de Bock of Contre-Jour