Dakar, Jan 7 (APS) – Senegalese-Swiss artist Eva Liza says she appreciates “the chance” she had to sing with Youssou Ndour, the vocal lead of Super Etoile, last Saturday during the Grand Bal 2025, at the Grand Théâtre de Dakar.
It’s an “incredible” experience, says the woman who loudly proclaims her dual Senegalese-Swiss culture through these two Wolof words: “Kima done” (Who I am).
She can’t find the words to describe what she felt on stage during her duet with the king of mbalax at the opening of this show on the song ”7 Seconds”.
For the occasion, it was Eva Liza herself who replaced the Swedish Neneh Cherry who, originally, performed the song from the album ”Wommat” (The Guide) by Youssou Ndour, produced in 1994.
”It was incredible! I have never seen so many people in my life and so singing alongside a legend. In fact, I don’t really think there are words that can describe what I felt, because it’s simply an opportunity that I will never forget,” explained the young artist on Monday. 22-year-old during a press conference.
Despite the stress of seeing so many people singing and dancing all at the same time, she said she knew how to put all the chances on her side to be able to fully enjoy the event.
”I was looking at the audience, there were so many people. It was really incredible, that’s why I was super stressed, but it’s a stress that I contained and that I used in my performance,” she confided during this encounter.
In addition to singing with her “idol”, Eva Liza had a double challenge to take on, that of showing the Senegalese that she could sing and to Youssou Ndour that she is an artist.
Because the connection between the two artists dates from a very young age through Eva’s aunt Liza who worked with the vocal lead of Super Etoile.
”We constantly sent him my productions, but I had to prove myself so that he would see me and validate me as an artist,” says the woman who sang for the first time with Youssou Ndour on August 29, in Geneva, during a concert by the global artist.
Eva Liza Ciss, her real name in civil status, was in Senegal not to repeat this experience with Youssou Ndour, but to sing and share her music with the Senegalese public.
The single ”Kima done”, in which she sings in Wolof and French, speaks of her dual culture, Swiss through her mother and Senegalese through her father.
”+Kima done+ refers to my mixed race. It’s +Who am I?+. This is precisely important for me, because I grew up with these two cultures: Swiss, Senegalese and now French, because I study in France. I thought it was time to talk about my mixed race and I did. This song allowed me to have the support of my Senegalese brothers and sisters,” explained the artist. She says she was helped in her Wolof lessons by the French artist of Senegalese origin Julia Sarr.
”She was teaching me the Wolof lyrics of the song and how to pronounce them correctly, because I am in the process of learning Wolof. I can’t say that I speak Wolof fluently yet. But, I plan to do it, because I take lessons every week,” says Eva Liza.
She participated in the ”Dakar inside” festival at the Grand theater in Dakar, on December 21, with Dadju, Mia Guissé, among other artists.
Moreover, his dream is to mix Senegalese and even African sounds in his music, which is very open to different styles of pop, Afrobeat, etc., and to feature with Senegalese artists of his generation such as Mohamed VJ, Mia Guissé, among others.
She also dreams of collaborating with great artists from the continent.
”There are so many artists I would love to work with. If we stay on Africa, there is Rema, Burna Boy from Nigeria who are great inspirations for me,” she said.
Nicknamed the ”Senegalese Rihanna” by her many Senegalese followers on the social network TikTok, one of her idols in fact, she combines singing and dancing and plans to release an EP (a mini album) this year.
She also spoke at length about her social actions in favor of the girls at the Mariama Bâ school, through donations of sanitary napkins.
Questioned about violence against women, she underlined her desire to be among the standard bearers in the fight against this phenomenon.
TAB/FKS/ASG
