Workshop: Cameroonian Rhythm and Song by Valérie Ékoumè

Hailing from a family of musicians, Valérie Ekoumè is a French Cameroonian singer based in France.

She grew up listening to various musical styles, from Congolese rumba and pop music artists like Michael Jackson, to Cameroonian Music. Singers like Miriam Makeba (Mama Africa) and Whitney Houston were, as she calls them, her virtual vocal coaches, as she learnt to sing with them.

Her life took a different turn in 2004 when she began working with Manu Dibango in the Soul Makossa Gang. Touring with this great musician for eight years was one of the most incredible experiences of Valérie’s life. In 2005, she joined the American School of Modern Music in Paris, specialising in musician training, where she stayed for five years.

Having collaborated with various artists such as Coco Mbassi, Alain Barrière, Papa Wemba and Meiway, Valérie belongs to a new multicultural generation and is strongly influenced by it.