Music: Joyce Tape’s African blues draws on roots and encounters

Joyce Tape’s music travels across borders without leaving its roots behind. The Ivorian singer-songwriter, bassist and committed artist has lived in France for about two decades, where she has developed a sound at the meeting point of cultures.

Her latest album, “Wlouha, Je revis !,” released in 2021, captures that approach. Recorded in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Morocco and France, the album brings together a human, cultural and musical mosaic. Vieux Farka Touré, the Jaixi and Moroccan Gnawa musicians each add their own colors to the project.

“Encounter is what creates friendship, unity and solidarity,” Tape says. For her, collaborations rarely happen by chance. She met Vieux Farka Touré in Bamako in 2013 while working with Boubacar Traoré on his album “Niman.” The meeting developed into a personal relationship, which later led to two tracks, including “Somobe.”

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Encounter is what creates friendship, unity and solidarity.