The jury presided by Richard Bona has elected Sia Tolno from Guinea-Conakry as the winner of this year’s RFI Découvertes Award. The artist topped the final selection, ahead of Bongeziwe Mabandla (South Africa) and Metzo Djatah (Senegal). Djatah took the Internet public’s vote, which counted for one voice in the judging. Tune into RFI and RFI Musique over the next few days to hear Sia Tolno’s music.
South Africa is a country rich in musical talent. Bongeziwe Mabandla is one of the young artists who witnessed their country’s transformation when apartheid was abolished.
The singer Afrikkanitha’s striking feature is her velvety voice. The young Angolan offers songs full of sensitivity and vocal virtuosity with her album Ainda Sonho
For the last fifteen years the Hip-hop pioneer from the Comoros Islands, Cheikh MC, has been creating and sharing his vision of the world in his country and beyond.
Elie Kamano, whose real name is Djéliman Kamano, is a star in his homeland, Guinea, where the half-dozen albums he has released have always been well received.
The Ivoirian guitarist and band leader, Mao Otayeck, who has played alongside some of the great names in music and authored a first album entitled Yeredon
Encouraged by the warm reception to his album Ndam, Omar Pene has indulged in more acoustic creation with Ndayaan. The fifty-something Dakarois singer dug through his “attic” full of old tracks and unearthed the original spirit of Super Diamono, the band that is now an institution on the Senegalese music scene.
