Classic Zap Mama

"Brrrlak!" from Zap Mama's first album, Adventures in Afropea 1 (1993)

Zap Mama Up Close and Personal

Studio Expresso, an online community of music producers and artists, recently interviewed Zap Mama for its January 2010 e-zine. This monthly report on music news and trends features Zap Mama in its "Studio Spotlight." In the interview, Zap Mama talks about the goals behind her music and the process of writing a song. You can read the full article below:


Zap Mama Up Close & Personal
2010 NAACP Image Nominee Zap Mama Talks with studioexpresso About Her Positive Music Spin
Interview by Claris Dodge

41st NAACP Image Awards air live Friday, February 26 on FOX.
This year, in the category of Outstanding World Music Album
Zap Mama's ReCreation is nominated. studioexpresso spotlighted this album in August 2007. Though producer, singer, songwriter and humanitarian Marie Daulne aka Zap Mama makes Brussels (Belgium) home, her music belongs to the world.

"My early childhood was filled with the music of my mother, the music of the Congo," she says. Her mission is loud and clear in her 2009 album released on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group ReCreation (HUCD 3159): Positive Force of music inspired by nature and history aiming to crack the happiness code. Got your attention yet?! Rooted in a rich Brazilian vibe, ReCreation also boasts a guest list of high-profile vocalists including Bilal, G. Love, actor Vincent Cassel and several others. You might say Marie Daulne thinks like an Olympic athlete. A sport injury changed life of a young runner who turned the downtime into a learning opportunity. "A new direction unfolded for me. Since I couldn't run, I decided to get my hands on any and every book on African and European art and history. I thought about what I would do after I'm 30. I traveled back to my homeland and learned about the healing and connecting nature of music. Soon, voices were talking to me. Voices from the earth... from mother or "mama." Fast forward 20-years and Daulne is celebrating a multicultural musical entity she has created, the Afropean vocalist and songwriter knows as Zap Mama.

"I couldn't play an instrument, so I had to learn how to make the music I was hearing in my head. I started with my vocals. Just singing in polyphony. It made me think of how the poor can accomplish happiness and togetherness with bare basics. So I learned to communicate my music and merged it with a philosophy of respecting nature, connecting to people and finding happiness," Daulne says. "Take Villabe singing for instance --The African or Arabic world know the secret of simplicity. I learned it from the Blue Men or nomads in Touareg (the Savanna desert near central and North Africa). I learned from Animists and how they heal people….learned from their oral tradition," she adds.

Daulne approaches writing new material like she paints. "First I imagine the image and treat sounds like brush strokes…the perspective or the placement of instruments can change the view. I then add or take off musical elements, until I'm happy with the image. Daulne who is multi-linguist (French, Dutch Congolese and some Lingala or Portuguese) explores melodies on the keyboards first. She has gotten comfortable using ProTools. "I thank the guy who invented it…Sometimes ideas come to me on the road or when I'm out shopping. I used to record on my phone. Now, it's easier to capture it on my computer and I get a much better sound quality," she says.

Daulne also likes to conduct workshops for other artists on how to project stage energy combined with healing and oral tradition teachings. She believes that when it comes to fashion or style, understated elegance is ageless. "Arabic women like to cover themselves so you uncover the internal beauty first. Style is a personal choice. At the end of the day my music represents the real world and I'm always very clear on what I want," says Daulne who is proud of her NAACP nomination and representing her rich Afro European heritage.

Zap Mama music is beautiful, inside and out. She's a positive force in music today.

Donate to CARE to Help Save Lives in Haiti!

CARE, a leading non-profit humanitarian organization that fights poverty and social injustice, is currently working to respond to the crisis in Haiti. Please join Zap Mama in making a donation to CARE to deliver aid and help the survivors of the crisis.

Zap Mama Among KCRW's Most Played Records of 2009

KCRW Radio recently listed its Most Played Records of 2009, with Zap Mama making the list. KCRW, which describes itself as a "recognized tastemaker for new music from around the world," is Southern California's leading public radio affiliate, serving Los Angeles and Orange Counties, among others.

Zap Mama Interview with Last FM

In the interview, Zap Mama talks about the inspiration behind her latest album, "ReCreation." She also describes the process of collaborating with other artists, like G.Love ("Drifting") and Bilal ("Way You Are"), and her creative vision for the "Hello to Mama" music video.

"Power Up The Planet"

SolarAid, a nonprofit organization that brings solar power to poor communities in African countries, recently released "Power Up The Planet," a compilation CD of 14 tracks by renowned world musicians. Zap Mama has contributed "Vibrations" to the mix. The compliation also includes Thievery Corporation and Brazilian Girls. Sales of the album will support the fight against global climate change and poverty.

The CD is available here.

Interview for French Arts Magazine, Canape

Back in November 2009, the French Arts television program Canape featured Zap Mama in its monthly review of prominent French musicians, dancers, and authors. In her interview, Zap Mama discusses the global inspirations behind her songs, the progress of her style throughout her career, and her goals for the music she creates.

The episode also includes interviews with Creole musician Cedric Watson and French authors Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt and Marie NDaiye.

You can watch the program here. (Skip ahead to 17:00 for Zap Mama's interview.)

Live Performance of "I Shall Be Released" with Al Jarreau

In the video, Zap Mama sings "I Shall Be Released" with American vocalist and seven-time Grammy winner Al Jarreau. The performance was aired on French television network Taratata. The New York Times review of Zap Mama's performance with Al Jarreau at Carnegie Hall describes the show: "The quintet, accompanying itself on African percussion instruments and at one point beating its microphones like drums, sang a program of multilingual songs that were determinedly upbeat. "We got to think positive!" it chanted at one point. "Respect what's different and you will wake up from the nightmare." Leading the audience to take parts in a layered African Pygmy song, the group not only sang the multicultural gospel but helped spread it."

Watch the video here.

Image Credit: Discovery Green

EA's FIFA 10 Video Game

EA's FIFA 10 is the recently released soccer video game that allows players to manage a team and stimulate matches. The soundtrack features a wide variety of artists and styles from around the world, including Zap Mama's "Vibrations." You can listen to the complete soundtrack here.

Zap Mama Nominated for an NAACP Image Award!

For the last forty years, the NAACP Image Awards have recognized the most influential people of color for their outstanding contributions to literature, music, film, and television. Now in the 41st year of the Image Awards, Zap Mama's ReCreation has been nominated for Outstanding World Music Album!

All members of the NAACP are eligible to vote. If you are a member, you can cast your ballot here beginning January 21st.

Other major nominees include "Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire" for Outstanding Motion Picture, Jay-Z for Outstanding Male Artist, and Alicia Keys for Outstanding Female Artist. You can find a complete list of nominees here.

The winners will be announced at the award ceremony, airing Friday, February 26th at 8:00 PM on FOX.