Listen to the music

Watch the videos

In 2008, Music Crossroads will have a strong focus on empowering young female musicians in Africa, and who better to drive this cause than Manou Gallo. Manou will be leading masterclasses and music professionalism workshops with the participants of the IRF 2008 focusing on the role of young women in the music industry today.

Manou's Story

Divo. A small city in the Centre-Western region of the Ivory Coast, the cradle of the roots of the Djiboi people. This is where Manou Gallo was born on August 31st, 1972. Raised by her grand-mother who was looking after her like her own daughter, Manou was rather autonomous from early on: ‘At this time, I was living like a little savage. I was helping cultivating the fields, drawing water from the well. I wasn't going to school, but my grandmother taught me traditions, respect, and values'.

While waiting for her friends after school, Manou was already beating rhythms, banging on her legs, stomping with her feet, marking the tempo with her voice: Rhythm was her obsession: "When I was a little girl, I was already going from backyard to backyard, these places where each family comes together everyday to cook, sing, in one word to live together. I was meeting my girlfriends and sooner or later we inevitably started singing, dancing and beating on iron boxes

It was during a funeral for which Manou was the appointed drum player that she first impressed audience:s Always dragging a stool behind her, she went towards the big drums, the talking drums (‘Atombra' in Dida, the language of the Djiboi people). She climbed up to the height of the braced skin and started beating on them. Her mastery was already amazing. In the heart of Bada, the village which represents the most ancient part of Divo and where traditions have remained most alive, people were just amazed: ‘Everybody was really astonished, and a bit shocked also since women are not allowed to touch these drums. In some extent, they were taking me for a witch. My grandmother was supporting me and on this occasion, she explained to me that this was a gift, transmitted to me trough a dream her own mother had and who died the day I was born. When at the age of 8, I was getting seated to play drums during this ceremony, I could feel the power of my ancestors on my fingertips'.

Years went by and Manou grew up. Still living in Divo, she sold oranges and developed her ability to master the rhythm on a daily basis: ‘My whole life was already written in Divo: It seemed that there was no need for me to go off the tracks. However,...'. Each summer in the Ivory Coast, meetings are organised during which participants from all over the country get together. The objective is to create a sort of an artistic competition amongst the young: This event is called Vacances-Culture (Cultural Holidays). In 1984, at the age of 12, Manou took part in her first show. It was also the first time she left Divo. This theatrical performance, which is now organised for other children coming from all around, is inspired by Manou's story. It describes the life of a little witch who receives the power to play drums. The play is always a big success.

‘In 1985, I was invited to join the group ‘Woya': I was the little one who was opening the concert with the talking drums. During the rest of the show I would just beat on a bell. This, however, is when I discovered modern instruments: The drums, the bass, and the guitar along with the person who became my spiritual father and who played a major role in my life. This person was Marcelin Yacé, musician and conductor of the band.'

Very soon, Woya became famous in the whole Western African region. From 1985 to 1989, the band toured intensively in Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo and Bénin and recorded four CD's. In the meantime, Manou was acquiring experience. When the band Woya dissolved, Manou followed Marcelin Yacé in Abidjan. He took her under his wing, and gave her her very first bass and taught her how to record sounds in his studio for three years: ‘I was only thinking about music. I only had one objective: To become a full-fledged musician and I was investing all my energy in this'.

From 1993 to 1996, Marcelin sent her to hone her artistic skills in the pan-African village of Ki-Yi-Mbock, where she joined a theatre troupe, learned dancing and took part in the recording of a new CD produced by Ray Lema. In 1992, during the MASA event in Abdijan, an international market presenting art creations from all over Africa, Manou met Michel De Bock, tour manager and lighting engineer for Zap Mama. They met again several times in the Ki-Yi village and got along very well.

Manou and Michel got along so well, that when Michel heard that Marie Daulne, leader of Zap Mama was looking for a bassist for her band, he immediately thought of the young girl from Ivory Coast and had her come to Belgium. Manou Gallo landed on January 3rd, 1997, at 8 am in Zaventem airport with her bass and djembé. Well, she hadn't yet won the game since Marie Daulne had just returned from Indonesia and had views on another musician... For three days Manou played bass, drums and djembé in an immensely intense audition. She sang and danced to warm up and after these three days she won the bet: Marie and the other members of the band welcomed her in Zap Mama.

For over six years since Manou was on all the tours, travelling the world over performing with Zap Mama. In 1999, she joined, the Tambours de Brazza for a few concerts where she was the only woman: ‘Here in Europe, I have learned to know the openness of mind, the mix of cultures and music'. Based in Brussels, Manou appreciates the diversity of this mixed city, but deep inside of her, she keeps a little melody in her head, straight from Divo: ‘When I go back to my country, I rediscover the colours of the sounds and the rhythms which have roared in my ears during my childhood'. This has certainly encouraged her to write her own lyrics, mixing French, English and Dida languages to say things as they come, to rebel or to keep Marcelin Yace's beacon alive.

Her lyrics follow the music she grew up with, but she added to it the influences she has acquired: ‘The music I wanted to create is a mix of all the steps of my life: my story and my background have inspired me'. To shape her music, Manou goes over one more step in 2001: She starts her own band with musicians who are also friends. This is a bit like when, as a little girl, she was getting all her girlfriends together and distributing roles during improvised concerts in the backyards of her childhood city, and today, along with her band ‘The Djiboi', Manou intends to spread the music of Divo on radio waves and stages worldwide.

In late 2002, Manou co-produced "DIDA", her first CD, with Michel Seba, Bilou Doneux, Patrick Dorcéan and Poney Gross from Zig Zag World. Recorded at the Dada Studio in Brussels, with special guests such as Marie Daulne, Sabine Kabongo, Lene Christensen and DJ Grazzhopa, "DIDA" received unanimous international critical acclaim.

The years 2003 and 2004 saw her projected onto the international scene with Manou Gallo & Le Djiboi, giving notable showcases in some major music events such as : WOMEX in Seville (Spain) in October 2003,
the MIDEM in Cannes (France) at the "Voices of the World" evening, in January 2004, sharing the stage with guests like Mariza, Ilenes Barnes and Stacey Kent, and the MERCAT DE MUSICA in Vic (Spain) in September 2004.

In the 3 years that followed, Manou has given well over 100 concerts in the greatest festivals around European and the UK. 2005 was the year of her first tour of the United States with a concert at the Hot House in Chicago and two concerts at the International Festival of Louisiana.
In May 2005, Manou performed two concerts at the Ollin Kan World Music Festival in Mexico City, Mexico. On September 2, 2005, she gave a concert at the Arts Life Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In November the same year, Manou created and interpreted all the musical settings for the play "The Bogus Woman" written by the English author Kay Adshead and directed by the Scot Michael Batz. Comedian Carole Karemera was the Manou Gallo's partner on stage. This work was a great hit during its run at the "Théâtre de Poche" in Brussels.

In 2006 MANOU composed her second album "MANOU GALLO" in collaboration with Patrick Dorceau. Overcoming her shyness, transgressing her cultural barriers, her education, her roots, MANOU has been exploring inside herself the necessary resources to create this very personal opus.

Since then Manu has only grown from strength to strength and is now sharing her knowledge and experience with the musicians of tomorrow, through Music Crossroads she takes a new direction in her musical journey, one which shall surely prove fruitful for all involved

Websites:
www.myspace.com/manougallo
www.zigzagworld.be

Band on Tour