With a much anticipated second album on the way and expected before year end, Togolese singing sensation Valentine Alvares sat down wi...
With a much anticipated second album on the way and expected before year end, Togolese singing sensation Valentine Alvares sat down with one Alain Mouaka (Pensées Noires Magazine) for a wide-ranging interview in which she touched upon quite a number of issues, among those being: women in music, collaborations, humanitarian work and her motherland itself, africa.
Below are excerpts from an insightful chat with the gorgeous singer/songwriter…..and what a captivating read it turned out to be…
Women in Music:
“I really like the fact that women can emancipate themselves through music. It's worth all the feminist rhetoric to see girls on stage speaking out.
That says, the scene is for me a result, a reward after working in the shadows in the composition of the songs, then in the cozy atmosphere of a studio to record them, here you are in full glory, facing the public, to deliver your message! It's great and it's for those moments that I chose this job”.
Collaborations:
“I want to be a musical explorer and discover the music of others. At the beginning of my career I set myself a principle that I would always respect and that is to 'make the music you want, that comes out of you and gives you happiness, with the most sincerity and naturalness possible without ever worrying about the laws of the market'. This is how I am able to interact with my audience and the many artists I would like to collaborate with while remaining myself”
Refugees:
“We are all refugees. Be it economic, climatic, political or otherwise. On a fragile continent like ours, we are not immune to one day having to leave everything behind us in search of a better life. Those who have already taken the step deserve our full attention, our compassion and our help. I am surprised by the lack of interest in refugees and displaced people in Africa, while on the other side, the subject is the headline of all newspapers and is a major political issue”
Humanitarian Work:
“Noukou is an association based in Limoges, France, which works for children in Togo. https://www.noukou.org.
For the moment I did what I could do best, I wrote them a song that will be recorded soon with the children. When it comes to issues to do with child welfare in Africa, we need to be mobilized. No society can leave children in need. Health and education must be the top priority, and I do not know how we can not leave such a serious subject in the hands of politicians, we all need to play our part".
Excerpts of the interview courtesy of Alain Mouaka (Pensées Noires Magazine)
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