Star Feminine Band

The Star Feminine Band certainly follows in the footsteps of Angélique Kidjo and Miriam Makeba. It all began in 2016 for the group formed by Anne, Bénie, Grace, Julienne, Marguerite, Sandrine and Urrice. With the support of the town of Natitingou, musician André Baleguemon launched an announcement on Nanto FM radio, expressing his desire to train young girls in music. The message was heard by dozens of volunteers, and seven were gradually selected. While the members of the Star Feminine Band had never played an instrument before, this extracurricular practice helped them gain in technique. On drums (Angélique, Urrice and Marguerite), keyboards or vocals (Sandrine and Grace), bass (Julienne) and guitar (Anne), and under the influence of the pioneers of Beninese music, they quickly formed this all-female orchestra and played in the surrounding villages. When they reached the ears of French label Born Bad Records, they recorded their first album, Star Feminine Band (2020), which established them internationally. Their music, inspired by Beninese highlife and rumba, as well as psychedelic garage rock, has a kind of infectious obviousness. In particular, their lyrics, sung when they were between nine and fifteen years old, work as veritable odes to freedom. The young Beninese women evoke the emancipation of women, addressing issues such as forced marriage, education and female circumcision. Their approach is both touching and symbolic, while their musical project stresses the importance of schooling and lobbies families to avoid forced marriages. La Musique " and "Femme Africaine" quickly conquered the airwaves, and the troupe went on to perform at the Transmusicales festival in Rennes and the Dour festival in Belgium. These travels led to the recording of a second album, this time in Paris, aptly entitled In Paris (2022). Continuing the themes begun ("L'excision", "Les Filles à l'École"), the lyrics are in English and, amidst French and the Bariba and Fon languages, the Star Feminine Band's international audience is growing. True musical ambassadors for the status of women, the seven members are attracting the interest of UNICEF in 2021.

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