West-African dream-pop with a universal message
Social distancing, lockdowns and closed borders across the world are changing how we interact.
Music, however, remains the one force able to make our minds wander when our bodies are stuck at home. And it’s also through music that people are articulating what it feels like to be alive in these strangely connected but solitary times - so close yet so far.
This is why we bring you today ‘Confinement’ (French for lockdown) – a new song by our friends at Pulo NDJ and a living testimony of how the lockdown is seen in West Africa.
When West African countries began shutting their borders, Pulo NDJ's band members were in Nigeria, upon invitation form the French Institute, to present their debut album ‘Desert to Douala’ [LINK] and facilitate a series of workshops for young music makers. Left with no chance to return to their home in N’djamena, Chad, they made their way to Lomé, Togo, where they found shelter at Luc's (aka Lord Kossivi) place, an old friend from HAPE Collective. Here they set up a small home studio and started to write music.
Lead singer Samy says “the whole world suddenly felt like paralysed. In the face of uncertainty and disbelief, we were all the same.”
Check out confinement on Bandcamp [LINK]. All proceeds of digital sales will go entirely to the band members to help them sustain themselves throughout this difficult time until they are able to return to N’djamena.
The song comes with a dreamy clip directed and produced by Marion Poizeau who also contributed guest vocals on the song alongside Lord Kossivi. [LINK to YouTube video]
Lomé / Caracas / Vienna / Milan / N’Djamena
Know more on
https://www.facebook.com/pulo.ndj/