Afrique Nouvelle Musique presents as part of our summer activities: Donné Roberts and his guests Adam Solomon and Tamsir Seck in virtual concert on Friday, September 29, 2023 at 8 p.m.
Join us on our Afrique Nouvelle Musique YouTube channel.
DONNÉ ROBERTS: 2-time Juno Award winner and 4-time nominee. Singer-songwriter and guitarist Donné Roberts was born in Madagascar, now based in Toronto, Canada. He gained an unrivaled reputation for his compositions, his catchy melody lines that make his audience sing along during live performances, strong messages of the lyrics, as well as the excitement, high energy and professionalism of his live shows. Donné Roberts is a passionate artist. On stage, he carries with him an energy that immediately intoxicates the audience even if they’ve never heard his music before. Donné performs primarily in the Malagasy language of his home, Madagascar. However, this never constitutes an obstacle for the public, living proof that music truly transcends languages. Donné gained greater recognition in Canada after the release of his albums “Rhythm Was Born”, “Internation” and the most recent “OYA” was released in October 2021. He also received recognitions for his contribution as a member from the group African Guitar Summit project, who won a JUNO Award in 2005 and was nominated for another in 2007. He was also a former original member of the Okavango, the African orchestra which won a JUNO Award while in member in 2017. Also known as one of the Toronto musicians who have been invited to collaborate and co-write songs with various Canadian musicians such as the Sultans Of Strings, Amanda Martinez, etc.
Donné was raised and educated in Moscow, Russia. He speaks and sings in Malagasy, French and English. In Moscow he was the first black VJ on MTV Russia. From touring as a backup singer for Ace of Base (Swedish pop group) to his stint as the first black VJ on MTV Russia, Donné has led a prolific and varied artistic life since leaving his native country when he was a child. Touring Canada, he introduces his music to new fans who may not be familiar with the types of rhythms conveyed by his music and his fusion of seemingly different sounds. His success led CBC Radio to ask him to compose the theme song for its popular morning show Fresh Air, which still airs today.
Canada OYÉ! An interdisciplinary activity to celebrate Canadian Multiculturalism Day and raise awareness of the importance of respecting and accepting cultural differences that are part of our Canadian identity.
