Senegalese-Swiss singer Anaïs Sylla explores identity through music
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Anaïs Sylla, a singer of Senegalese and Swiss origin, released her debut album “Exil” (“Exile”) after establishing a musical career in Brazil, where she has lived since 2015.
Sylla began her career in Brazil and created the album as a reflection on her ancestry and feelings of belonging, shaped by the mixing of African and European heritage.
She found inspiration in the film “Exil,” which follows an Algerian woman’s journey to her homeland, and used the word to describe a poetic refuge for her own experiences with displacement and healing. The album blends sounds, languages, and accents, featuring collaborations with Brazilian musicians like Jotapê, Tiganá Santana, and Anelis Assumpção, as well as influences from João Donato.
Sylla previously worked as a backing vocalist for Donato on his Grammy Latin award-winning album “Serotonina.” Sylla initially came to Brazil to study history at the University of São Paulo (USP) and now combines music with artistic research focused on African diaspora and memory.
Her grandfather’s commitment to sustainable agriculture and figures like Thomas Sankara, a Burkinabé political leader, deeply influenced her understanding of the Sahel region of Africa, south of the Sahara desert, and its history of colonization and exploitation. She continues to follow current events in countries like Burkina Faso and Senegal, acknowledging the ongoing challenges to their emancipation.
