Zita Swoon Group: Wait for me

A vivid encounter with African griots
Singer-songwriter Stef Kamil Carlens, front man of Zita Swoon, went to Burkina Faso to realize his new project, where he started composing music for the griots, the musical wordsmiths who preserve oral tradition. They are the custodians of musical memory in West Africa.

Stef Kamil Carlens’ roots are in American and European blues. The Burkinese Mamadou Diabaté (balafon) and Awa Démé (vocals) are steeped in mandingo culture, the traditional music of which is primarily found in the The Gambia, Mali and Burkina Faso. This new project revolves around improvisation and intuition; through making music, melodies and lyrics emerge. This project is a collaboration between musicians from various cultures who take great joy in working with each other and paying tribute to each others’ work.