Year 2008, after the making of the soundtrack of Souad El Bouhati's feature film debut, I bought musical instruments that I left in Paris, and I went southbound to Africa, my father’s homeland.
I spent almost 1 year in Dakar Senegal, with unreliable partners attracted by a very wealthy occidental muso. Obama recently elected as the first African American president of the most powerful nation in the world made a whole continent hope dreams can be true. It was the beginning of the great crisis of this young century.
Year 2009 I met Joel Bassene, a good musicians, and my future Sancho Panza, my solid as a rock adventure mate. I went deeper southbound to Ziguinchor Casamance, very close to Guinea-Bissau and the village of my ancestors, where my father was born. There I found this red little house in the outskirts of the town, shaded by an enormous kapok tree, alongside the huge rice fields by the river.
I waited there for 7 months my instruments from Paris (thanks to you Pascal Gomis), and after the meeting of a brusque and unexpected love, I started the composition and the recording of “Following-7 blue songs from the red house”. That is until now one of the strongest artistic experiences I had in my lifetime, and it is a pleasure to present this work supported by the GIZ and the French Cooperation, and every special people who participate to this story.
All songs written, composed, and arranged by Patrice Gomis, except the second part of 3 Protest song written with Joël Bassène.
Patrice Gomis : lead vocal, all guitars and keyboards, bass (4, 5, 6, 7),
Joël Bassène : backing vocal, bass (1, 2, 3),
Longuenza : backing vocal boogaraboo (2, 3)
Viviane Tendeng : backing vocal uléon percussions (claps 1)
Olga Diediou : backing vocal (3, 4), uléon percussions (claps 1)
Berthe Bassène : backing vocal (5, 6, 7), uléon percussions (claps 1)
Assou Bassène Bodian : uléon percussions (claps 1)
Chloé Mons : sighs and whispers (4)
Gaspard Gomis : children voices by telephone (5)
Alsène Gomis : children voices by telephone (5)
Poppée Bashung : children voices by telephone (5)
Lalo Cissokho : drums (1, 2, 3), boogaraboo percussions (1, 4, 6)
Paco Manga : drums (4, 5, 6, 7), boogaraboo percussions (7)
Seydou Diatta : boogaraboo percussions (6)
Jean-Jacques Atchikiti : all trumpets
Bernardo Co : all saxophones
All tracks were recorded in a red little house, in Ziguinchor Casamance, Senegal Africa, and mixed at « Impact lives studios » Saint Louis Senegal, by Boubacar Tall
Mastered by Philippe Latron in Paris
Michael Babel : Graphic art and website designer
Martin Ott from the GIZ (German Cooperation) which supports this project and made it possible.
Jean Pierrot from the French Cooperation which also contributes to this great adventure.
Thanks to all of you !
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM : "FOLLOWING"