Pamela Badjogo

The Bantu Afro-pop princess Pamela Badjogo returns with a new album featuring prestigious guests including Pat Thomas, and arranged by Kwame Yeboah. After touring the four corners of the globe with her previous opus, she unveils the single “Letondo”, a foretaste of her forthcoming album, soberly entitled “YIEH”.

On this album, the Gabonese singer sings in her mother tongue, bakaningui, and in the ancestral rhythmic traditions of her country and West Africa (where she spent over 10 years as a backing singer for Salif Keita, Rokia Traoré and OUmou Sangaré). On this album, Bwiti, Pygmy and Mandingo sounds mingle with today's new-highlife and afrobeats, the Nigerian and Ghanaian styles that are booming all over the African continent and the world. The orchestration is meticulous, punctuated by bewitching guitar cocottes. She owes her meticulous arrangements to the artistic director of her records, highlife guitarist Kwame Yeboah (guitarist and arranger for Pat Thomas and Ebo Taylor).

This resolutely danceable track echoes the ambient evenings of Accra or Libreville, but is no less meaningful for that. Once again, the singer takes us on a deep, introspective musical journey, exploring the personal dramas, triumphs and daily challenges of contemporary African women, while celebrating the soul of her cultural heritage.

The video for “Letondo” is a work of art in which Pamela Badjogo metamorphoses into a water queen in search of rebirth. Inspired by Bantu rituals surrounding mourning, she is covered in palm oil, dressed simply in a cloth. Symbolizing transition, this quest plunges her into the mystical depths of the ocean, a poignant metaphor for personal rebirth.

Despite the darker moments evoked, Pamela Badjogo's message of positivity remains unwavering. Love and resilience remain the pillars of her inspiration, instilling a light of hope.

With “Letondo”, Pamela Badjogo confirms her status as a princess of Bantu sounds and traditions, promising us a musical masterpiece: a soulful Afropop track that celebrates the richness and cultural beauty of Africa, while exploring the personal and universal stories that resonate with each and every one of us.