Dobet Gnahore Basic Facts:
Dobet Gnahore was born on June 17, 1982 in a small village in the Ivory Coast, West Africa. Her father, Boni Gnahore, is a master percussionist who founded a sort of artists' community in which Gnahore grew up. She dropped out of school at age 12, determined to become a musician, and by her mid-teens, she had become a touring musician and dancer. By her early 20s, she hit the international music scene.
Say it with me now...:
Dobet Gnahore is pronounced DOE-bay NYA-or-ay.
Sound and Performance Style:
Dobet Gnahore draws heavily on the traditional music of the Ivory Coast, but also explores many other African genres to create a diverse, Pan-African pop-influenced sound all her own. She sings in more than eight different languages, and her lyrics speak to the issues of women in Africa, as well as multiple social issues. Dobet Gnahore is also an accomplished dancer, and traditional and contemporary African dance feature heavily in her live shows.
BBC Awards:
In 2006, Gnahore was awarded the BBC Radio 3 World Music award for "Best Newcomer."
