Here's the second of your summer interlude interviews. We have an interview I did for Afropop Worldwide at the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal. The artist, anaiis - stylized in lowercase, a tribute to academic, author and activist bell hooks - is of French, Senegalese and Italian heritage. Like the previous interlude with Cabo Verde artist Alberto Koenig, anaiis went on the trip to Brazil which changed her life and her music. It seems to be a thing as it's actually the third interview I've done recently of an artist who had his life changed in Brazil. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and chatting with anaiis, I hope you will find the interview and her music to be as enjoyable.
Again, a gentle reminder, do not unsubscribe as I am going to start putting together some artists for new episodes next month (though when these episodes will be released is yet unknown).
Below is an excerpt of the interview, and you can read the whole piece here:
https://www.afropop.org/articles/anaiis-searching-for-home
"As well, my experience of being a Senegalese person who was not raised in Senegal, who doesn't actually speak Wolof, means that often when I go there I actually end up feeling separate. I ended up getting “othered.” And when I arrived in Bahia, people were like “Are you Baiana?” Obviously this is a generalization, but generally my experience of Brazilian people has been one in which I felt so embraced and loved. And I felt like they always opened their hearts and their homes. It was so inviting. And for someone like me who's sort of experienced feeling a bit separate or “othered,” that meant a lot to just sort of feel like I was welcomed.
"But at the same time I think it's something that shouldn’t be taken for granted. I could see myself being like, “Hey, I'm just a black immigrant girl and I can just come here and do what I want.” But actually, being aware of the fact that I'm also European, with a French and American passport, what does it mean for me to come here, being fully funded to do that? Also the fact that the British Council has offices there and have certain agendas, and that those are not necessarily being reciprocated. So I was really trying to be conscious about how to respect the environment—respect and love. I had to move with care and love around everyone that I encountered there."