A supergroup of West African women singers who campaign for gender equality through their songs, Les Amazones d’Afrique’s progressive intent is matched by their forward-thinking Afro-futurist sound.
One needn’t know a thing about the social and cultural environment that gave birth to Les Amazones d’Afrique — what indeed made them necessary — to enjoy their music, but their backstory only adds to the power of their presence. Formed in 2014 by three Malian music stars and self-described social change activists, the group has expanded to include women from across Africa and the diaspora, a living embodiment of female liberation and pan-African unity.
Supporting the group’s enchantingly entwined voices is music that pulls together elements of low-slung R&B, vintage synth and drum machine flourishes, and intense Congotronix-style electronica into an eclectic, catchy, and groove-heavy sound that quickly banishes any thoughts of dusty traditional African folk music — this is the sound of the future. In an intriguing connection, much of their music is concocted by the artist known as Doctor L, an accomplished Parisian producer in the modern Afro-pop crossover world (Tony Allen, Mbongwana Star, Antibalas) who just happens to have been born in Dublin.
With a powerful stage presence garbed in elaborate fashion-forward attire, Les Amazones promise to leave audiences on a dance-induced high, made all the more satisfying by their creation of a space that all can enter and enjoy.
