Zap Mama

Zap Mama is the music act of Belgian artist Marie Daulne. Zap Mama sings polyphonic and Afro-Pop music; a harmonic music with a mixture of infused African vocal techniques, Urban, Hip-Hop with emphasis on voice. The worldwide success of Zap Mama, and an ensemble of female polyphonic singers, inspired influences in American Hip Hop, Nu-Soul, Jazz and elements of Pop. The evolving musical compositions created a diverse band of singers and musicians for Zap Mama.

"The voice is an instrument itself," says Daulne. "It's the original instrument. The primary instrument. The most soulful instrument, the human voice. Singing songs in French and English with African World Music Roots."

Sources of Zap Mama's music

Sources of Zap Mama's music include Daulne's roots in the Democratic Republic of Congo, her upbringing in Belgium, and her return to Africa to rediscover her musical roots.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Marie Daulne, the daughter of a Belgian father and a Congolese mother, was born in the East Zaire City of Isiro. Marie had only been born a few days when her father was killed by the Simba Rebels, during the Congo crisis. The Crisis resulted in the deaths of some 100,000 people. It led to the assassination of Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, as well as a traumatic setback to the United Nations, following the death of UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld in a plane crash as he sought to mediate. Marie's mother, with brother and sisters had to survive hiding in the forest. Several months later, they were airlifted out to Isiro in an emergency evacuation by Belgian paratroopers. Marie and her family were flown to Belgium, because her father was a Belgian citizen. .