Thaïs Diarra is a Swiss born musician who went back to her roots, travelling from Mali to Senegal which became her second home. Her music combines African instruments such as kora and balafon, with American soul vibes. Her songs, performed in English, French, Wolof and Bambara speak about hope and self-confidence, a celebration of women, femininity and sisterhood.
Concert in the La Pietra Garden
As a young writer, composer and Afrosoul singer Thaïs Diarra has always raised questions with her texts, whilst carrying a message of positivity. In 2002, Thaïs Diarra went back to her roots, travelling from Mali to Senegal which became her second home. Here, she met renowned rapper Didier Awadi and in 2004 she was welcomed as a member to the PBS Radical group. Together they toured Africa and Europe where Thaïs did recordings and collaborations. In 2005 she met Swiss musician and producer Fred Hirschy (Tumi Molekane, Fredy Massamba), with whom she collaborated on a regular basis. The results of this musical cross-pollination are evident in Métisse – Thaïs Diarra’s first solo album that came out in 2013. Recorded in Switzerland and Senegal, the essence of Métisse is in its mixture of African instruments such as kora and balafon, with new American soul vibes. Several prominent musicians participated on Métisse, including Didier Awadi, Fredy Massamba and Noumoucounda Cissoko. The texts are in English, French, Wolof and Bambara. 2015 was the perfect time for the second album. She worked with a bigger production for her new music including horns and the inclusion of more reggae to her recipe of African traditional sounds and soul. This album was produced by Fred Hirschy as well as composed by him and Thaïs Diarra. It speaks about hope and self-confidence, it`s a celebration of Women, femininity and sisterhood. Her experience in music made her proudly realize how much women are starting to embrace themselves. When women rise, the whole nation rises with her. She wants to dedicate this album to these women of ambition that are still fighting for respect and equality, especially in Africa.
