Ma Sané : « Je suis pro Sonko parce qu'il m'a convaincue »
The group Wa Flash, a group of friends, rose to fame in the 1990s with Ma Sané as lead singer. Later, the group disbanded, and Ma Sané has since pursued her career abroad. Long held responsible for this split, Ma Sané explains herself and acknowledges her membership in the Pastef party in an interview with Seneweb.
Fatoumata Kidiera: Why did you choose to make music? Was it a dream come true or was it your mother who influenced you, given that she was a renowned singer?
It's true that I inherited my singing talent from my mother, who was a very talented variety singer. In fact, she was even in a band. There are several singers in our family, but none of them wanted a career in the public eye. So when they rehearsed, I would come and join in, and I really enjoyed it. Eventually, it became a passion, and I became the star of the family.
Your unique voice, so smooth and so powerful, is one of the few that commands the respect and admiration of your fans. Is this something you have innately, or is it the result of long and dedicated work?
God certainly gave me a very beautiful voice, but for an artist that is not enough. I was inspired very early on by the voices of great American music stars like Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin, so I imitated them as exercises to polish my voice and try to grasp certain vocal techniques in my songs.
You come from Casamance, and the traditional Bougarabou rhythms you offer are certainly fitting. But at the same time, the intimate ballads you share with your fans… Where does this versatility come from, and what is its importance for an artist?
While I am originally from Casamance, I grew up in Thiès, a region where culture is fully alive in all its forms. Hearing great voices from Thiès, Senegal, and even internationally inspired me to learn more. This versatility has allowed us to champion our cultural heritage around the world.
Why did your group Wa Flash break up? Was it because you launched your solo career?
Many people think the group broke up because I left and wrongly blame me. That's not the case. At one point, several members of Wa Flash left the group. The reasons? They're better placed to talk about that. But for my part, I was performing on stage while seven months pregnant, in order to maintain cohesion within the group. After giving birth, I came back, but unfortunately, the essence of Wa Flash was no longer there. However, I don't rule out the possibility that the group could rebuild itself in the future, and that's my most fervent wish.
Your hit song "Soumbéra" became a worldwide success and sparked a lot of discussion among parents about the romantic situations of young people. Was that the goal?
Yes. Some parents often downplay their children's love lives and even go so far as to separate them from their partners. The excuses they give are often studies or financial issues. I see young people suffering because of this, and that's what inspired me to release this song.
"Saliou" is also a very sensitive title. Why this sound?
Saliou is a child from a poor family, and his blind mother relies solely on him to get out of the house. This situation is a real handicap for Saliou, who is old enough to go to school and play with his friends. Many children like Saliou are in this situation, and I urge the government to help these children who are trapped in these difficult and unfortunate circumstances.
“Even when I was seven (7) months pregnant, I performed on stage so that Wa Flash wouldn’t fall apart.”
Are you a Pastef activist because you frequently denounced the excesses of the outgoing government, or was it simply as a citizen?
Yes, I support Sonko because President Ousmane Sonko convinced me. I travel all over the world, but my heart belongs to Senegal, so the excesses of the outgoing government, which resulted in several deaths, wounded our sense of patriotism. We had to unite around a single objective: to get Senegal out of this mess.
Is the current situation in the country the reason you raised your voice, or do you believe the new leaders have made a mess of things, and what do you think of the separation between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko?
We are all saddened by this situation. We had hoped to have the perfect partnership with Ousmane Sonko and Diomaye Faye to implement the project we had fought for, particularly that of Pastef. But this complete reversal is sickening. However, we will not be discouraged.
A member of your former group Do Sané has passed away. Apparently, he was your uncle. What feelings did his passing evoke in you?
Yes, Do Sané was my uncle. His real name was Moustapha Sané. We were very close, and despite the group's breakup, we remained on very good terms. I feel incredibly lonely; his death is a huge loss for all of us, and I'm even considering doing something to pay tribute to him through my social media.
Why have you now settled abroad?
When the group Wa Flash broke up, I had to take care of my family while also continuing to pursue my passion: music. Singing is in my DNA, so I moved abroad, but there was no way I wasn't going to stop performing. I proudly represent Senegal there. I wanted to enrich my music, so I learned a lot from music from other cultures. It was on this path that I even released my album, titled ESSAMAÏ, in 2023. My goal is to promote Senegalese music internationally.
But you also perform here in Senegal?
Yes, when I come to Senegal I call the former members of the Wa Flash group who are available so that we can perform at the Palais des Arts in Thiès.
Tell us a little about your latest single, Jackpot, which is completely different from what you've offered before.
The single "Jackpot" is the result of a collaboration I had with a French group called 52VOX, which works in the electronic music scene, and Senegalese instrumentalists like those from the former Orchestre Baobab. We studied the field for a long time, so I started exploring the world of electronic music, and the goal was to blend two different worlds: electronic music and the percussion of the Bougarabou from Casamance, in order to promote Senegalese music internationally.
What are your plans?
I would like to come to Senegal more often to please the fans, as I did last December and during the Independence Day celebrations. I am preparing many projects for Senegal, and I will announce them when the time comes.
Commentaires (67)
Surtout que tu as raté ta carrière musicale
Vas dormir way
Chose bizarre c"est depuis que sonko est entré en polique qu'on a ces violences physiques et verbales.
Tchim niake djome ma sanè
Façon au Sénégal c'est difficile de choisir un autre. Tout le reste c'est du pareil au même. Tous des politiciens qui pensent pouvoir berner les sénégalais.
Sonko est le seul qui dit ce qu'il pense et qui pense ce qu'il dit
On s'en fout complètement
Mais nous sommes nombreux qui ne sont pas convaincus
Donc a chacun son camp
Sama xol ci Sénégal la, du ci nit ku nekk.
Il y en a qui auraient été au chômage hein !
Moi aussi je suis écœuré de constater que le système a perdu les élections mais pas les commandes de ce pays maudit !
A quelques menteurs je rappelle que c'est avec Macky que l'ethnicisme a été érigé en arme de conquête du pouvoir, puis de division d'une nation qui lui échappait.
Wa Salam !
heureusement dieu nous a préservé espérons que le Senegal va se relever
Ce mec n a rien foutu pendant 2 ans à la primature à part arréter les gens et les emprisonner sur RIEN .
Kenne waroul am dara .
Kou am dara mou diapp tedje .
Ce type est trop méchant , trop mesquin et trop jaloux de tout le monde .
Il a la méchanceté dans le sang .
C est de naissance .
Sonko a un vrai problème avec ceux qui réussissent. Il ne célèbre jamais l’effort, le mérite ou la réussite des autres : il préfère salir, accuser et diviser. C’est un homme rongé par l’aigreur, la mechanceté , la mesquinerie , la jalousie , qui transforme sa paresse intellectuelle en discours politique et ses mensonges en stratégie. Au fond, il ne combat pas l’injustice : il combat ceux qui avancent sans lui.
sa fitna , sa soxor , sa ignane est une vraie plaie pour ce pays .
Une peste , un choléra , un corona virus , une gangrêne qu il faut neutraliser sans état d âme et sans pitié .
Ce serait faire œuvre de salubrité publique et le peuple vous sera reconnaissant .
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