Talking To...Daby Toure
HM: Can I ask; how did the collaboration with Skip MacDonald come about? He is a blues singer, yes?
DT: Ah, Skip. Yes he sings blues. He lives in Ohio. We met at a Real World (record label) show, we shared a stage. We talked. We went home and met again in Calgary. We talked. We met at Real World when I was recording and he was recording and then he asked me to come to the studio so I went to listen to what they were doing and it was really nice. So I sang on one of the songs. I called him to come to Paris one day - he came to Paris and he played one show with me playing guitars.
HM: So it started out as you contributing to each other's music, then developed?
DT: Yeah, we didn't think about it. Then when the record company said 'That's a good idea, maybe we can...' we said 'Why not.'
HM: Why not indeed.
DT: (laughs) yeah, really, why not? Making an album.
HM: I've got my copy here; what made you pick these six tracks? Is there a particular reason why you chose these six?
DT: Yeah, because it's just a meeting. That meeting doesn't need a complete album. What I didn't want is more of the same; an album, promo, tour, etc, etc. I didn't want that because for me that was a meeting - a good meeting. I chose these six songs because it was how it was. For me , it was so fast, so it should be the same when you listen. We've done a lot of songs but we chose these six.
HM: Which is your personal favourite on here, if you had to pick one?
DT: Pick one? That is really difficult. You are asking me to choose between my babies. (laughs) That's really hard. (laughs). I will go for Past Time at first but I like Riddem also. That is what I can say.
HM: Why those two?
DT: Because Past Time talk about my past time. (laughs) My family story, my grandfather my grandmother. One day I heard the voice, I was thinking about life and about them. Riddem is calling people to dance not do war. When we do war we put a lot of energy that's bad energy and when we dance it's good energy and I don't understand why. We can fight dancing.
HM: Like a competition?
DT: Yes, a competition with dance. Why do we need to do war? Why do we have to kill? This is really stupid. Lost Voice I like also. It talks about the children I was talking about before.
HM: That's my personal favourite on there. I don't know why there is just something about it.
DT: Yeah, yeah , yeah, you're right. Lost Voices talks about children alone in Africa. So many, so many everywhere. I just don't know what to do because I don't have any money to put them all in school (sighs) When I see them everywhere waiting, just 5 or 6 years old with no family and you can see the future of that country, you know what I mean? Because that is the next generation. How are we going to get out of this situation? This is really something I don't understand. I just don't understand and that is why sometimes it happens that some people have the image of African people of war and poverty. Sometimes I just don't understand what is going on. So I want to do a big big show to show Africa just to talk to people and make sure that a week before we open a lot of places everywhere for people to talk. People need to talk and they never talk. Nobody wants to ask what was the past and what were the slaves. We keep all these things inside us.
HM: Why do you think that is? Was it a historical thing that people tried to hide it away?
DT: Yeah, they hide it away but it isn't people who try to hide it away, it's these people who get the power. These people know about the stories, they know everything but they just work for big brothers (laughs), big big brothers. They work for these people who want to keep us down because when we get up it's going to change things. Everywhere we go people should understand that if we just share the food, the water, if we share it normally, we could all have power. These people who have power don't care. Nothing has moved on. The only thing that has changed is we buy what people give us - people have cellular phones and all the television channels, all the things that come from outside but we don't need them. We need the schools and to be healthy. We don't need anything else. Education and health and in sixty years after you will see a new generation. We need to begin but we didn't yet.
HM: Okay, one last question. Is this the first time you have toured in England?
DT: No, no, not the first time. In March 2005 and many many times after but I can't remember them. (laughs) I was touring also with Peter Gabriel.
HM: Really?
DT: Yeah, I've done two months of support in Europe - the Growing Up Tour.
HM: How did you enjoy that?
DT: Oh that was magic, it was amazing, just amazing.
HM: Any inside scoop on Peter Gabriel?!
DT: (laughs) He really helped me. He was preparing the audiences for me playing. That was really kind. I accepted because I was sure I had something to say to these people. I have so many stories to tell. They don't understand what I'm singing but they feel it.
HM: That is the interesting thing with the EP - a lot of it isn't in English, yet you get a feeling for what it is about.
DT: For me, music isn't about the lyrics. This is not my vision. The music is the harmony and the sound. Music can change your day. Music has something chemical that when you listen to something you listen and you react. You can have really something emotional, you can cry without someone singing, with just the music. How many songs have you heard when you were young (sings a tune) which made you feel? You don't need to understand but you feel. Talking to people without words is the most important. We need to understand each other without talking the same language. The only thing that can save us is emotion. You feel it in your heart and on stage is the same. When I go to the stage I want to touch people even if just three people I don't mind, because I played so many times in front of three people, but it doesn't matter. I feel like it is something to give to people all the time.
HM: It's about what happens between you and the people there I think.
DT: Exactly. You can change their life, you can change a lot of things, their day, their week, their month., their year. When I see people coming to my show and go when they get out smiling and happy because that means that they spent one hour or more and they forget everything during that hour and this is really good. Forget about difficult things and society and problems, children, school, everything.
HM: I think that music is a chance to stop and just be. I guess that's what those people get?
DT: Yeah there is something like this in the air.
HM: Something we all share that we don't really understand?
DT: (laughs) Yeah, yeah, exactly this. As Bob Marley said; what did he say? (laughs); Bob Marley say "There's a natural mystic blowing through the air." This is a really nice idea. (laughs)
HM: It's just there, it's not tangible, we can't touch it but we can feel it.
DT: Exactly. Just there.
HM: That was great, thankyou so much for your time.
DT: No, thankyou, it was my pleasure
Helen Mitchell