It’s never easy saying goodbye to a loved one. It’s even harder when surviving an encounter with the police is involved. Such is the case in regards to “Penda Djiga,” the latest song from Afel Bocoum’s forthcoming full-length, Lindé.
“I promised this song to my friend’s daughter, Penda,” Bocoum’s revealed. “In the song, I explain that I was in Koulikoro, out in one of the regions of Mali, and I was determined to go to Penda’s engagement party. But on the way there, I was stopped by some police and had an altercation with them, to the extent that they started to attack me physically. Despite everything, I was able to continue as far as Kabala, and see her at the airport just before she left for Michigan in the U.S.A.”
That sobering reality belies a lovingly rendered music video conceptualized and animated by Oriane Rondeau. Watch it below.
Lindé comes with an all-star pedigree, with Damon Albarn serving as executive production. Afrobeat legend Tony Allen and Joan as Police Woman are among the featured guests on the album. It’s set for release on September 4 via World Circuit Records.
