The singer Bibie is back! New album, tour… she confided in an interview with “Le Journal des Femmes”. She particularly talks about the dramas of her life.
Bibie is one of the leading faces of 1980s music with his hit, Very slowly. As she returns soon with a new album and will also be present in the tour troupe RFM Party 80who now lives between France and Ghana, gave an exclusive interview to Women’s Journal.
Le Journal des Femmes: Throughout your career, you have lived in London, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. Why such choices?
Bibie. I wanted to go back to basics because I didn’t know Africa that well. After Nigeria, I settled in Ivory Coast and it was going well. To tell the truth, I didn’t think I would return to Europe but I met people while I was singing at Canne à Sucre in Abidjan. One of them told me that he was doing research on world music and that he would like to see me sing in French. He advised me to come to France because people might be interested in my voice and write songs for me. At first it was only for two months…
The decisive meeting was that of Jean-Paul Dreau who wrote and composed Tout gently. What is the genesis of this title?
I have always been a lyric singer and I like to tell stories in the style of the griots in Africa. So I met Jean-Paul and spent the afternoon with him. He made me listen to this title and I immediately fell under the spell of the melody and the text which was both strong and sensitive. We then recorded a demo but the title didn’t work immediately.
I never thought it would get to this extent.
But then he found immense success. How did you handle it?
It was a huge surprise. I wasn’t looking for success for success’s sake because what I love is singing. I never thought it would take on such proportions. So I was shocked by this groundswell and disturbed too. During interviews I always feared that my words would be misinterpreted as I am not French. It was too much at once! I was very well surrounded but also for those around me this whirlwind was complicated. I didn’t want to disappoint and I would have liked to move forward at my own pace but it didn’t happen like that: that’s life!
You then went through a difficult period when you left your husband and had to deal with three fires in your house in Aisne. What memories do you keep of it?
I was afraid for a long time and I even stopped singing for 10 years! I had to protect myself and my son who was a teenager at the time. I was disappointed too and I felt the need to continue singing but also to protect myself and keep my private life a secret. I wanted to return to a normal life.
