Safiath

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Safiath
Safiath pictured circa 2022
Background information
Birth nameSafia Aminami Issoufou Oumarou
Born (1982-04-15) April 15, 1982 (age 42)
Khartoum, Sudan
GenresRap
Occupation(s)Singer, rapper, songwriter

Safia Aminami Issoufou Oumarou (born April 15, 1982), known professionally as Safiath, is a Nigerien singer, rapper, and songwriter.

Early life and career beginnings[edit]

Safiath was born in Khartoum,[1] and is ethnically Tuareg and kanuri;[2] her mother is Sudanese, while her father is Nigerien.[3] It was he who told her that she could become anything she wanted, other than a fashion designer; consequently she went to Morocco to study economics and banking. It was while there, in Rabat, that she joined a group that performed salsa, in which she played guitar; she then returned to Niger, where she found it easier to gain work as a musician than using her degrees.[4]

Career[edit]

Safiath is the lead singer of the rap group Kaidan Gaskiya, but has sung a variety of other genres as well.[5] She has represented Niger in numerous international musical competitions,[5] including the 2013 Jeux de la Francophonie in Nice.[1] Outside of Niger, Safiath has also collaborated with artists from other African nations during her performing career.[6]

Musical style[edit]

Many of Safiath's songs, which are performed in languages such as French, Hausa, Zarma and Tamasheq,[4] deal with social issues, similar to those of Zara Moussa; children's rights in particular are a popular theme in her work,[7][5] and she has spoken of a desire to raise consciousness in a younger generation with her songs.[3]

She has spoken of wish that her countrymen would listen more to the music of their native land and less to more popular music; she has also said that she feels that Nigerien rap is declining in quality as it takes on more and more foreign influences, especially from French and American performers.[3]

Personal life[edit]

As of 2013, Safiath is married to the rapper Phéno, with whom she has a child.[1]

Discography[edit]

  • point final (2020)

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "7ème Jeux de la Francophonie à Nice (France) : Le Niger sera représenté en chant par Safiath". www.lesahel.org. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  2. ^ "Amman Imman - Dining for Women". diningforwomen.org. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Safiath, une artiste engagée". jeunesseduniger.blogspot.com. 30 March 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Safiath: Tazedar". abagond.wordpress.com. 29 October 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "More Than We Know: Discovering Nigerien Culture Through Art". wellsbringhope.org. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Zim in regional collaborations - NewsDay Zimbabwe". Newsday.co.zw. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  7. ^ "Four Nigerien Women Musicians You Should Know". Africa Is a Country. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2017.