One of Côte d’Ivoire's favorite performers joins us on SAMA for a chat about her new record, tour, and hopes for the future. She is graciously joined by our friend Jacob Edgar, label head for Cumbancha Records, to help with translation. While Africa has blessed the world with many recognized female artists, Dobet Gnahoré has proven herself to be a truly special talent. Hailing from Côte d’Ivoire, Dobet is a virtuosic singer, dancer, percussionist, and songwriter who has taken the modern Afropop sounds of her country in exciting new directions. A 2010 GRAMMY winner, Dobet Gnahoré is well - known for her jaw - dropping dance moves, powerful stage presence and richly emotional vocal style. With her sixth album Couleur, released on the Cumbancha label in 2021, Gnahoré breaks with her past acoustic styles to create a fiery album filled with danceable grooves, electronic beats, nimble electric guitar lines and catchy melodic hooks. With her latest album, Dobet explores the concept of freedom: The freedom to blend the urban energy of modern Africa with its vibrant ancestral rhythms; The freedom to sing in multiple languages, from the diverse indigenous languages of her native land as well as in French and English, to better convey her optimistic message and reach broader audiences; The freedom to pay tribute to the women of today and tomorrow, to use her words and image to empower a new generation of daring, strong and independent African women. You can catch Dobet Gnahoré along with Naomi Wachira (Kenya) & Yemi Alade (Nigeria), in Seattle on July 30 at Magnuson Park as part of Summer Stage.