Blandine Incorporates Elements of African Style into her Music

8 April 2011 One Comment

By Leroy Graham

There aren’t many artists who can sing in three languages. But Blandine is one of the few who can.

Besides English, Blandine sings in her native tongue Lingala as well as French. In Congo, Blandine sang in choirs and groups, including a gospel group called Siècle 21. But now she is embarking on a solo career and has already garnered the attention of listeners of Buffalo, N.Y.’s 93.7 WBLK, who voted Bladine’s single Take it Back into the number one spot in a countdown of unsigned artists. The singer’s EP, also titled Take it Back, was released recently and includes songs that showcase a range of styles, such as pop and R&B.

Sway: What was your reaction when you first heard your song on the radio?Blandine: I was very excited. I’ve just been looking to have my art out there. I’ve always wanted people to hear me, to like what I do. I always tell my manager that I see people going on YouTube and I envision them choosing to listen to me. I want to be their choice of music.

What do you hope listeners will get out of this EP?
I want people to know that I’m here, that I will be coming out with a lot of records, and that this is just an introduction. I also believe that working with other artists is always a plus. So I’m hoping to get to work with other people and get inspired, and also bless them with my gift.

Is it important to you that your culture is a part of your music?
Yes, definitely, it is. A lot of people know that a lot of the elements of music come from Africa and every time I make a record, the African influence is always in me, especially when it comes to the percussion. In Africa, the bass is always important in music. A lot of times what African people notice about my music is the element of rhythm. Every time I work with a producer, I’m always very picky on the rhythm. I always like the rhythm to be something that people remember. My African influence is in my rhythm and in my vocals.

When you first started singing, did you have different perceptions about the recording and entertainment industries?
I would say that when I was younger, I didn’t know that it’s very expensive to do music. You need to know what you want and what sound you want to do. And then you need to find the people who can work with you to bring that sound out there. It’s not just your talent or your vocal abilities that are going to make you what you want to be.

You have to be smart, you have to know how to be artistic, to be different. You have to be different but also be yourself and that’s something that is kind of hard. I’ve met a lot of artists who struggle with that. Music keeps changing with time. We have different sounds, like Lady Gaga or Nicki Minaj, which we didn’t have back in the ’90s. I grew up in the 1990s and music was K-Ci and JoJo, Mary J. Blige and Whitney Houston. But now it’s very aggressive and very funky, so it’s different. You have to be ready to change with time.