AWEN

In Celtic mythology, everyone knows the magical AWEN, but there are disagreements about what it is and, mostly, what it can do. Some believe it’s a spirit that gives glimpses of the future, while others affirm it’s a symbol of balance between opposites. However, for most people, it is a woman, the muse of creativity - and the artists she touches act like they were possessed. When singer-songwriter AWEN chose this name, she wasn’t aware of these implications. But, strangely, she couldn’t have picked a better one: she embodies all of these ideas. AWEN has always navigated between distant worlds. Born in Paris from a French mother and a Malian-Senegalese father, she’s long been torn between her passion for singing and her successful career in Hong Kong as a lawyer. But when her father passed away in 2016, she decided to give up her job and move back to France to try to become a professional artist. Building upon her cultural heritage and her musical tastes (she grew up listening to artists such as Nina Simone, Bob Marley and Marvin Gaye), AWEN started to produce her unique style of Afro-house. It mixed electronic instrumentation with timeless melodies - and a touch of spirituality. “In Western Africa, our family name has a special perception”, she explains. “It’s the name of a legendary sorcerer king; that’s why I describe myself as an Afro-house witch”, she laughs, before adding: “but I mostly like the fact that, nowadays, witches have become icons of feminism and freedom.” In 2019, AWEN released her first solo album, Redemption. It was followed by 6 EPs and singles, including collaborations with upcoming afro-house stars such as Floyd Lavine, Daniel Rateuke or Enoo Napa. It includes “Your Voice” with Caiiro (2020), a song that channels raw feelings of faith, love and hope with such intensity that many listeners wondered if the lyrics were about God - AWEN actually wrote them as a letter to her son, who was unborn yet.

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