Le Diouck
The Paris-based musician, inspired by his time in Senegal and his daily life in France, talks about heartbreak and the beauty of Wolof language.
Cyrus Goberville: Can you tell me in a few words who you are?
Le Diouck: I am Le Diouck. I am a singer. I have a band called Nyokô Bokbaë with Bamao Yendé and Boy Fall. And in parallel, I am working on my first solo project with Lala &ce, which will be released by the end of the year on the label she created. I am the first one to sign on this label, which is called &ce Recless.
CG: Are you excited about that?
LD: Yes, a lot! But I am already on a second project right now.
CG: With which artists?
LD: There are several. With Bamao Yendé, we released an EP together called 55 Degrees, where he produced all the beats and I sang. We are going to release another one this summer. I did a little residency with him and Elliot Berthault from the group Rendez-Vous. The two of them got together, and it was crazy. They are in two different worlds, but I think we still managed to make a good project!
CG: What is your first EP about?
LD: Well, there are a lot of love stories and heartbreaks. I was inspired by the great loves of my life that touched me and still touch me. That is what came to mind when I was writing. I was listening to my album recently, and I was like, “Wow, it is not joyful! Not joyful at all!”
CG: Aren't you a happy guy?
LD: I guess I am, but since I am talking about my heartbreaks, well, there is a lot of sadness.
CG: A few months ago you worked on Baiser Mortel, a French rap musical with Lala &ce and Low Jack, with whom you are also collaborating tonight. What did you get out of it?
LD: To be honest, Baiser Mortel was stunning. It was something really special—to have the opportunity to work with you and the Bourse du Commerce, you know, it was incredible. I’m looking forward to performing with Low Jack again tonight, it has been a long time and the aim is to make it memorable!
CG: How did you come up with the idea of singing in both French and Wolof, the national language of Senegal?
LD: I am originally an illustrator. I was working on a graphic novel in an art school specializing in comics. Bamao was my best friend's boyfriend, and we used to draw all the time at his. He knew I spoke good Wolof and one day, he asked me to do a sound in Wolof for him, for a mix. Gradually, I started doing other songs with him, and I always did them in Wolof, and it was only with time that I started to integrate French as well. I like to alternate between them, but I think Wolof is a beautiful language. I like the way it sounds, because we have very strong words with lots of consonants, etc. I really like this language.
CG: And was that your introduction to performing?
LD: Yes. At the beginning, I wasn't really comfortable with singing or even making sounds, but performing really confirmed that I wanted to be a singer.