Additional Information
On Tuesday 15 July at Balattou club in Montreal, Senegal’s Sahad, a great friend of the city and festival Nuits d’Afrique, will be back on stage to present a concert in which we’ll have the chance to hear a preview of some of the tracks that will be on his forthcoming album, African West Station, due out this fall. I spoke to Sahad about the concert, but also about his various projects, such as running a music label and setting up an experimental eco-village.
PAN M 360: My colleague Sandra Gassana did a great interview with you last fall. In it, you talk a lot about your musical career. I won’t go over the same ground again, and will leave readers and listeners to consult the interview in question (see below). So I’ll dig elsewhere, like hearing you talk about your designation by some critics as ‘the embodiment of the revival of Senegalese music’. What are your thoughts on this? Is it a burden?
Sahad: Senegal has long had a history of musical and artistic quality. There was an explosion in the 70s and 80s, with Baaba Maal, Youssou N’Dour, Ismaël Lo, Cheikh Lo, and so on. Then, there was the period of the 90s and 2000s when hip hop was mostly being produced. At least, that’s what the labels wanted to sell. Alternative and independent music lost a bit of visibility. But the young people who are fans of it did not let themselves be erased and started creating all sorts of very diverse products, even if they had to do it without support. I joined this movement and I am happy if my success gives visibility to this generation of musicians. So, no, it’s not a burden, but rather a responsibility.
LISTEN TO SANDRA GASSANA’S INTERVIEW WITH SAHAD (in French)
PAN M 360: You even created a label, Stereo Africa 432. What are the advantages it provides, and what are the challenges for this type of business in Senegal?
Sahad: The advantage is that it allows us to tap into an exceptional pool of young artists. 75% of the population of Senegal is under 25 years old. They have things to say, these young people! They want to express themselves! The abundance is impressive, so it becomes a pleasure to take the most interesting ones and help them produce albums. And then it opens minds and removes certain blinders that exist. The challenges, of course, are financial in nature. The Senegalese state does not support artistic creation, like in Quebec. So, we have to work hard to reach an international standard and recreate optimal conditions, like in the West. But it must be done. We have a duty to offer the art we create to the whole world.
PAN M 360: You also contributed to the creation of an eco-village in the Senegalese countryside. It is based on principles of fair organic farming. Have you encountered difficulties, like Dicko Fils who also got involved socially but had to leave his native Burkina to settle in Montreal after threats to his safety?
Sahad: There are difficulties, of course. When we want to change mindsets or deeply rooted ways of doing things, some people object to it. What is most important is to decolonize economic habits and mindset. The eco-village offers alternatives based on indigenous knowledge. It is therefore a Senegalese model by Senegalese people. Thinking organic is a decolonization of the mind. In this sense, it resonates better with some minds, as it is a continuation of the struggles for independence from the 1960s.
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH DICKO FILS (in French)
PAN M 360: And what assessment do you make of it?
Sahad: The village itself is a success, but it’s especially the impact on the entire region that pleases me. Many other surrounding villages are forming a relationship with the eco-village, and all of this is becoming a much larger network. It is also a matter of the residents taking responsibility, who do not wait for government assistance, but rather take matters into their own hands and ensure their development according to biological, equitable, and cultural principles. I think it’s healthy.
PAN M 360: Who to expect for the concert on July 15th? The latest album (Lumma) dates from 2023…
Sahad: A new album is in preparation for this fall, so we will present some new tracks. The album will be called African West Station.
PAN M 360: Ah, a great opportunity then to have some privileges if we’re present at Balattou. In Montreal, you are at home, in a way. You have many friends here. Will there be some on stage with you, like Ilam for example?
Sahad: PAN M 360: It’s very possible, yes!
PAN M 360: We’ll have to be there to enjoy it. Thank you!
