Les Amazones d'Afrique - Wa Jo

'Wa Jo' features Nigerian singer Jemiriye —the newest addition of the ever-evolving collective— on lead vocals alongside founding member Mamani Keïta. The feisty, high-tempo track commands women of all shapes and sizes to unite on the dancefloor, ‘without fear or worry’. “In writing our new song ‘Wa Jo’, we wanted to create an anthem with a message that can make every woman feel great in their own skin. Women inflict an internal violence on themselves by the way that they view their bodies. We torment ourselves everyday by chasing certain body shapes and try to alter our physical appearance. But there is no such thing as the perfect body, so in this song we are simply saying: ‘Don’t hide, you are perfect as you are / Beautiful lady, come out and dance.’”

Ahead of their performance in Belfast, with the help of the Belfast International Arts Festival team, the band convened a meeting of women from across the city who represent a range of generations and different backgrounds, to engage in an open discussion about the themes of the song, and participate in the music video, which encapsulates the spirit of the song’s message.

Credits

  • Director/Producer: Valérie Malot, 3D Family

  • Director of Photography: Jake Bryn Duncan

  • Assistant Director: Peter McCluggage

  • Camera Operator: Ronan O'Loughlin

  • Camera Operator: Jennifer Atcheson

  • Editor: Odhrán Mullan

  • Colourist: Mara Ciorba

  • Production team: Nymès Drû, Gregoire Hugé, Lucas Brand

  • Camera kit: Tom Clover and Acorn Film & TV Ltd.

  • Location: courtesy of Belfast International Arts Festival

Cast

  • Singers: Jemiriye, Mamani Keïta & Fafa Ruffino

  • Chorus/dancers: Vicky Simon, Doris Gentemann, Tanya Haggerty, Julie Taylor, Julie Williams-Nash, Ashley Cassidy, Christine Stewart, Chan Betts, Victoria McCallum, Greta Kelly, Lynne Kelly, Rachel Pedder, Ciara Delaney, Bonnie Edwards, Njambi Njoroge, Tolulope Agbede.

Oran MullanEditor, Director