‘The killers I met in jail didn’t scare me’: singer Rokia Traoré on why prison was ‘a privilege’
After serving time in Paris, Rome and Brussels, the Malian star is ready to perform again – and planning a book and a stage show about her fellow inmates and her own prison experiences
‘It’s been like a kind of military training,” says Rokia Traoré of the nine months she has just spent in European prisons. “It was very hard. I was in a bad psychological state because I was separated from my children, but at the same time it was a kind of privilege because I was learning things it’s not possible to learn without being in that situation. Everything is much more intense. Sharing a small space with someone – in a week you know more about them than their mother. You know everything: when she is happy, when she cries, when she goes to the toilet, when she has a shower. You see everything.”
Born and based in Mali, she is one of the most inventive and adventurous female artists in Africa; a singer who can switch from delicate acoustic styles to rock, powered by her bluesy electric guitar work. As well as putting out six studio albums she has toured the UK with the Africa Express project, collaborating with Damon Albarn, Paul McCartney and John Paul Jones. She has been an actor, performing, singing and writing the songs for Desdemona, a 2011 Toni Morrison-penned stage project in which Shakespeare’s tragic heroine was given an African perspective. She has won awards including the French equivalent of a Grammy, and in 2015 she was appointed a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Continue reading...Topics
-
‘I forgive the girl and boy for what they’ve done. If I didn’t, the hate would eat away at me’: Esther Ghey on life after the murder of her daughter Brianna
Transgender teenager Brianna Ghey was stabbed to death by two 15-year-olds. The killers had been radicalised on the dark web, while the victim was trapped in an online world of her own. Now her ...The Guardian - 4d -
Killing Me Softly singer Roberta Flack dies aged 88
The star's other hits included The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Feel Like Makin' Love.BBC News - 2d -
I Teach at Harvard. Store Managers See Me as a Threat.
Maybe I just wanted to be seen as something other than a threat, a nuisance, because I happen to be Black.The New York Times - 2d -
I feared brain surgery could make me forget my fiance
A devastating side effect made Weronkia Somerville lose 14 years of her life, and then she discovered she had to go through it again.BBC News - 13h -
Roberta Flack, timeless R&B singer who made 'Killing Me Softly With His Song' a hit, dies at 88
Roberta Flack, the R&B singer behind the landmark hits 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' and 'Killing Me Softly With His Song,' has died. She was 88.Los Angeles Times - 2d -
Roberta Flack, Grammy-winning singer of 'Killing Me Softly With His Song,' dies at 88
Grammy award-winning singer Roberta Flack, who crooned hits like “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” which was covered by The Fugees with Lauryn HIll, has died. She was 88.NBC News - 2d -
Roberta Flack, Virtuoso Singer-Pianist Behind ‘Killing Me Softly,’ Dies at 88
With majestic anthems like “Killing Me Softly” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” Ms. Flack, a former schoolteacher, became one of the most widely heard artists of the 1970s.The New York Times - 1d -
‘They forced me to stand for hours in the cold, arms raised and shackled’: eight Gaza doctors on their Israeli prison ordeal
Senior doctors and surgeons describe the torture, starvation, humiliation and denial of medical care they endured while being held without charge. More than 160 Gazan medics held in Israeli ...The Guardian - 14h -
Mets' $765 million superstar Juan Soto gifted his teammate a $92,000 car: 'I just appreciate [him]'
Soto will earn $61 million more than Brett Baty this season.CNBC - 4d
More from The Guardian
-
Trump says US will not make Ukraine security guarantees ‘beyond very much’ and Kyiv can ‘forget about’ joining Nato – live
Trump also announced Zelenskyy would visit the White House on Friday to sign the mineral deal . The Kremlin said on Wednesday that expert level talks between the US and Russia were being prepared. ...The Guardian - 19m -
Washington Post opinion editor departs as Bezos pushes to promote ‘personal liberties and free markets’
Opinion editor leaves as Amazon executive and newspaper owner says ‘viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others’. US politics live – latest updates Jeff Bezos , ...The Guardian - 4h -
Trump’s first full cabinet meeting celebrates government-shrinking effort led by Musk
Tech billionaire, who is not a member of the cabinet and described himself as ‘humble tech support’, warns without evidence that US could ‘go bankrupt’. US politics live – latest updates ...The Guardian - 1h -
Michelle Trachtenberg, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl actor, dead at 39
The actor was reportedly found at a New York apartment with the cause of death as yet unknown. The actor Michelle Trachtenberg, known for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Harriet the Spy, has died at ...The Guardian - 1h -
Pope shows ‘slight improvement’ in health before 13th night in hospital
Vatican says Francis’s scan ‘shows normal evolution’ of lung inflammation and kidney problem has ‘resolved’. Pope Francis has shown a “further, slight improvement” as the 88-year-old remains in ...The Guardian - 1h
More in World
-
Tottenham v Manchester City, Nottingham Forest v Arsenal, Manchester United v Ipswich – live
Premier League updates from the 7.30pm GMT kick-offs Liverpool v Newcastle: Premier League updates – live Live scoreboard | Read Football Daily | And mail Taha Charles Antaki writes ...The Guardian - 17m -
Trump says US will not make Ukraine security guarantees ‘beyond very much’ and Kyiv can ‘forget about’ joining Nato – live
Trump also announced Zelenskyy would visit the White House on Friday to sign the mineral deal . The Kremlin said on Wednesday that expert level talks between the US and Russia were being prepared. ...The Guardian - 19m -
England v Spain: Women’s Nations League – live
Nations League updates from the 8pm GMT kick-off Read Moving the Goalposts | And send Emillia an email Sarina Wiegman praised Jenni Hermoso for her “remarkable courage” and reiterated her ...The Guardian - 19m -
Liverpool v Newcastle United: Premier League – live
Premier League updates from the 8.15pm GMT kick-off Live scores | Table | Read Football Daily | And mail Will Emillia Hawkins has you covered for England v Spain in the Women’s Nations ...The Guardian - 20m -
Shares in mobile ad platform AppLovin dive on short seller reports
Pair of research firms accuses Silicon Valley ad group of exaggerating AI capability and inflating network sizeFinancial Times - 21m