Page 30 - DIVA_3_2009

INTERVIEW WITH AKON

The world-famous hip-hop singer/songwriter
writes a new song for the

International Day of Remembrance of the

Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Peter Buffet and I collabora- Q: Are you going to
ted on the lyrics. We wanted release the song that you
something very direct that wrote for this event?
gets to the point when it
comes to the slave trade. Yes, absolutely. We are going
to have it on Itunes so that
Q: Your origins are from people cmi purchase it, and
Senegal, but you grew the profit can go to children's
up here in the United foundations.
States.
Q: You are an Afro-
I'm originally from Senegal. American. How do you
My earlier years were spent in think the United States
Senegal, and then I came to has changed now with
tlie United States to go to the election of Barak
school. Every once in a wMe Obama as a President?
I go to back home to Dakar
Who did not hear the song hiin at the United Nations in and then retain to the United The whole world is changing
"Lonely" on the radio and TV New York where, as part of
States. because of it. It just shows
some years ago? For a long the commemoratioi'i to mark
yori tliat everytlig is chan-
time this song was on all the the Intemational Day of
Q: Do you still speak gii'ig and that the world is not
radios - one of Akon's huge Remembrance of the Victims
Wolof? What about your what it used to be. In a positi-
international hits. His real of Slaveiy and tl'ie ve way, the world is no longer
French?
name is Aliaune Thiam, and Transatlantic Slave Trade,
what it used to be. It is very
he is a Senegalese-American Akon presented a new song.
Yes, I speak Wolof veiy well. uplifting.
hip-hop singer/songwriterand French? Well, I have been in
record producer. Akon and the Einmy Award- the United States too loi'ig, but
winning musician Peter
Wolof is still strong.
Akon rose to proininence in Buffet (son of Warren Buffet)
2004 following the release of perfomied their new song,
his single "Locked Up" from "Blood into Gold", specially
his debut albrun "Trouble". composed for the event, and
His second album, produced by the not-for-profit
"Konvicted': earned hiin a group Culture Project.
Graminy Award noinination Q: Why did you accept to
for tlie single "Smack That". come here and perform
He is the founder of two today?
record labels, Konvict Muzik This was scl'iedriled a couple
and Kon Live Disti'ibution. of weeks beforehand. They
He is well known for singing introduced me earlier to Peter
hooks (an easily remembered Buffet, and Peter did a song
musical phrase) and has over for the event. We will perfonri
155 guest appearances and 23 it later.
Billboard Hot 100 songs to
his credit. He is the first solo Q: How did you find
artist ever to accomplish tl'ie inspiration for this wng?
feat of l'iolding botli the niu'n-
ber one and two spots simul- Inspiration comes from eve-
taneously on the Billboard rywliere. As a tusician you
Hot 100 chaits twice. make something of ever5r
situation, eveiy event, every-
il i
We had tlie chance to meet thing that happens. Actually,
28 3 2009 Diva

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