Julia Sarr
Encyclopedia
Julia Sarr is a Mezzo-soprano
born in Dakar
, Senegal
. She comes from the Serer
ethnic group (an ethnic group found in Senegal and The Gambia
). As one of the most sought after backing vocalist, she has worked with several prominent artists over the years including Youssou N'Dour
and Patrice Larose.
’s polyrhythmic signatures rooted in her Serer
heritage with Fela Kuti
(Fela Anikulapo Kuti) who was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer as well as the pioneer of Afrobeat
music.
Julia became one of the most sought-after backing vocalist in Paris where she has lived for over twenty years working with artists like Jean-Jacques Goldman
, Michel Fugain, MC Solaar
, Julio Iglesias and the celebratede Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour whom she share the same Serer
heritage..
For several years, Julia Sarr had shared the stage and studio with the Congolese
singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer Lokua Kanza
. She has also worked with Jean-Claude Petit
(the French composer and arranger) singing in a cappella
in his score for Raoul Peck
's film Lumumba
(2010) starring Eriq Ebouaney
.
After nurturing her solo aspirations and songwriting quietly for years, Julia partnered with Patrice Larose, a flamenco
-inspired French guitarist with whom she has released an album titled "Set Luna" (on the No Format!
and Universal Jazz labels in Europe and on the boutique label Sunnyside Records
in the United States
).
"Set Luna", from the Wolof language
translates to "So I’ve Observed" which they performed in the United States at the Carnegie Hall
on 24th October 2005 to great reviews.
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
born in Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
. She comes from the Serer
Serer people
The Serer people along with the Jola people are acknowledged to be the oldest inhabitants of The Senegambia....
ethnic group (an ethnic group found in Senegal and The Gambia
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
). As one of the most sought after backing vocalist, she has worked with several prominent artists over the years including Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour is a Senegalese singer, percussionist and occasional actor. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, in Senegal and much of Africa, "perhaps the most famous singer alive." He helped develop a style of popular music in Senegal, known in the Serer language as mbalax, a type of music...
and Patrice Larose.
Career
Julia launched her singing career based on West AfricaWest Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
’s polyrhythmic signatures rooted in her Serer
Serer people
The Serer people along with the Jola people are acknowledged to be the oldest inhabitants of The Senegambia....
heritage with Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
(Fela Anikulapo Kuti) who was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer as well as the pioneer of Afrobeat
Afrobeat
Afrobeat is a combination of traditional Yoruba music, jazz, highlife, funk and chanted vocals, fused with percussion and vocal styles, popularised in Africa in the 1970s. Its main creator was the Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who gave it its name, who used it to...
music.
Julia became one of the most sought-after backing vocalist in Paris where she has lived for over twenty years working with artists like Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman is a Grammy Awards-winning French singer-songwriter. He is hugely popular in the French-speaking world, and since 2003 was the second-highest-grossing French living pop singer, after Johnny Hallyday.- Biography :...
, Michel Fugain, MC Solaar
MC Solaar
MC Solaar is a francophone hip hop and rap artist. He is one of the most internationally popular and influential French rappers....
, Julio Iglesias and the celebratede Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour whom she share the same Serer
Serer people
The Serer people along with the Jola people are acknowledged to be the oldest inhabitants of The Senegambia....
heritage..
For several years, Julia Sarr had shared the stage and studio with the Congolese
Congolese
Congoese may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to the Republic of the Congo in Africa, located west of the Congo River* Something of, from, or related to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa, through which the Congo River flows...
singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer Lokua Kanza
Lokua Kanza
Lokua Kanza is a singer, songwriter, and composer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is known for his soulful, folksy sound, which is atypical of the dancefloor friendly soukous music that is common in the Congo.-Biography:...
. She has also worked with Jean-Claude Petit
Jean-Claude Petit
Jean-Claude Petit is a French composer and arranger, born in Vaires-sur-Marne. After accompanying jazzmen in his childhood, Petit went to the Conservatoire de Paris, where he studied harmony and counterpoint...
(the French composer and arranger) singing in a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
in his score for Raoul Peck
Raoul Peck
Raoul Peck is an award-winning Haitian filmmaker, of both documentary and feature films, and a political activist. Briefly, in the 1990s, he was Haiti's Minister of Culture.-Biography:...
's film Lumumba
Lumumba
Lumumba can refer to:*Patrice Lumumba , the first Prime Minister of the Congo*Lumumba Stanislaus Di-Aping, a Sudanese diplomat and negotiator at 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference...
(2010) starring Eriq Ebouaney
Eriq Ebouaney
Eriq Ebouaney is a French film actor. He is best known for his portrayal as the Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba in the 2000 film Lumumba, as "Blacktie" in Brian De Palma's Femme Fatale and as "Ice" in the 2008 action film Transporter 3 in which he starred opposite Jason Statham.-Early...
.
After nurturing her solo aspirations and songwriting quietly for years, Julia partnered with Patrice Larose, a flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
-inspired French guitarist with whom she has released an album titled "Set Luna" (on the No Format!
No Format!
No Format! is an independent record label based in Paris and created in 2004.The label seeks to invest in original musical projects, be them instrumental or vocal, and has built up a catalogue of 18 works since its inception...
and Universal Jazz labels in Europe and on the boutique label Sunnyside Records
Sunnyside Records
Sunnyside Records is an American jazz record label.Sunnyside was founded in 1982 by Francois Zalacain and Christine Berthet. Its early releases consisted primarily of piano solo material and ensembles without drums, but in later years has broadened its selection of material.-Artists who have...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
).
"Set Luna", from the Wolof language
Wolof language
Wolof is a language spoken in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania, and is the native language of the Wolof people. Like the neighbouring languages Serer and Fula, it belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger–Congo language family...
translates to "So I’ve Observed" which they performed in the United States at the Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
on 24th October 2005 to great reviews.