FEATURE:
Spotlight
Aby Coulibaly
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MAYBE a name that is known to quite a few…
though there are those who do not know about the wonder that is Aby Coulibaly. Hailing from Dublin, she sources inspiration from her Senegalese heritage and day-to-day Dublin life to create music richly original and hugely impactful. I am keen to get to some interviews from the incredible and must-follow musical treasure. I will start with one that is from a few years ago. I have know about this artist for a while now. I am seeing people start to discover her music so, for this Spotlight, it is time to include Aby Coulibaly. A name that is going to be among those to watch next year. A truly remarkable artist who is already inspiring others in the industry. I want to start out with a chat from Flavour Mag. Back in 2020, with less material out there, there were some ahead of the curve that noticed the huge talent and potential of Aby Coulibaly:
“The 21-year-old singer-songwriter from Dublin first started recording the summer of 2019 with her friends and eventually ended up starting their own independent record label ‘Chamomile Records’.
At first, Aby was too shy to sing but gradually she started to gain more confidence and found her sound as she recorded in her room over YouTube beats. These demos would later be uploaded onto Soundcloud gaining her a bit of a cult following. The name Aby Coulibaly stirred up a buzz and she started performing shows in her hometown Dublin.
I chatted to Aby about her new single ‘Taurus’ and being an artist in 2020
What inspired you to create ‘Taurus’?
I was inspired to write Taurus after I had ended things with a guy at the time who I thought was wasting my time. It was a way for me to get out all the emotions I was feeling at the time. The song is really empowering and its focus is about self-love and putting yourself first.
What’s your songwriting process like? Do you feel like it’s a good way to deal with what’s going on emotionally inside your head?
Usually, I write the chorus first and then the verses next. Yes definitely! Writing is my way of getting out how I feel about whatever is going on in my life at that time.
How would you describe your sound?
I’d say my sound is kind of alternative r&b but not every song I make sounds the same which is something that’s exciting for me because you never know what I’ll release next.
Was there one moment you knew that music was something you wanted to pursue?
To be honest, there wasn’t one moment, I’ve been singing since I could talk and I’ve always known music was what I wanted to do since I was a kid.
Who would be your dream collaboration and why?
I’d probably say James Blake, I’ve been listening to him for time and I just love his production, writing and voice.
What’s it like being a female artist in 2020? Is there anything you would change about it?
I think it’s lit being a female artist in 2020, although I don’t feel like there are enough talented women who get recognition, especially female rappers. I would love to see more women dominating the spaces that are usually occupied by men.
What’s next for you? Can we expect more music this year?
Yes definitely, I’ve just released the official video for Taurus and planning to release my second single on the 30th October so stay tuned”.
There are some great and interesting interview with Aby Coulibaly. The Irish Times spoke with her in June. Like other mixed-race artists, that idea and issue of identify. If you have different cultures ruining through your blood, the hurdle and consideration of accents and which you sing with. That is something that Aby Coulibaly has wrestled with:
“It’s a fine balance Coulibaly treads, with one foot in Irish culture and the other in Senegal, the country where her father was born – something she finally became comfortable with in her late teens. Her mother, brother and sister are white, meaning her vantage point in the family was different.
“It took me time to feel okay dipping between two cultures, and to be secure in my place in the middle,” she says. “To accept my afro hair, to accept what I need from relationships, to find the sort of clothes or music or whatever I liked, that wasn’t just influenced by the people around me. Like I’d say or do things and people would say sh*t like ‘that’s such a white thing to say’ or ‘that’s so black of you’ and it took a long time to be able to think I can have any sort of mannerism I want, and that I’m happy and I can be both.”
Coulibaly popped up, seemingly fully formed, in 2019, as an incognito independent. The gambit paid off almost instantly. In 2020 alone, she was hailed as the next big thing by Nialler9, CLASH Magazine and FLAVOURMAG. It happened by accident, she remembers.
“I always had friends at school, but I kind of always felt like a lone wolf,” she says, looking up from her chair. “They never had the same interests as me, so I just accepted that it was going to take a while for me to find my people. Then MJ [Monjola] reached out to me after he saw some covers I uploaded to Instagram and asked me to come to his studio. I was sh*tting myself! I remember being the only girl in the room and terrified – I didn’t open my mouth for months.”
But the team kept trying. “They’d be so encouraging and be buzzing whenever I sang quietly in the corner but that freaked me out even more,” she laughs. “Eventually though, that got me into looking up beats on YouTube and singing over them, then something clicked.” The result is Chamomile Club, the creative collective formed by Monjola, his brother Moyo and Coulibaly.
“When you upload stuff to Spotify, it tells you to fill in your label – and we didn’t have one, so we just typed in Chamomile Records, because I’d always be drinking chamomile tea coming into the studio [here, Coulibaly informs me that the beverage in her takeaway cup today is a latté, with reishi mushroom powder and ashwagandha added for her anxiety].
“Then the track got picked up and Chamomile Records was shouted out on the radio. We couldn’t stop laughing! And then we kind of decided to just go for it – I don’t even know what our intention was. After a while we changed it to Chamomile Club though, because it’s not a label. It’s just a collective of people that make music and create. And now we have this as well,” she gestures to the third-floor space in which we’re sitting, with its white walls, a comfortable sofa, Red Bull minifridge and incense burning. “It’s nice now but when we first got it, it was terrifying. It looked like an attic. One that you’re not supposed to be in.”
Music has a tendency to exaggerate, soften or oversentimentalise, to put language into code. But with Coulibaly, her lyrics are as true as her spoken voice. In her music, she turns her gaze outward, exploring her frustrations with a culture that tethers itself to black art without sufficiently valuing its sources.
For Coulibaly, racial struggle manifests itself in small but profound ways. “I’ve experienced microaggressions in jobs and stuff growing up,” she says. “I think a lot of it went over my head before George Floyd to be honest. It used to really, really bother me but what can I actually do? I don’t want to be angry all the time, so acceptance has been my main thing. That said, as a mixed person, I also benefit from white privilege at times as well. It’s all about acknowledging the different circumstances of that situation.”
Coulibaly’s music is marked by its wisdom, painfully earned and not easily discarded. She seeks immediate thrills even though hurt is soon to follow – the mark of a true creative, with no signs of slowing down. So, what’s next? “At the moment, my time is entirely devoted to my EP, At the End of The Day, It’s Night,” she says with a smile. “It’s something I’ve always said, and like, at the end of the day, nothing really matters. So that’s why I named it that,” she says, sweetly but seriously. “I just can’t want to get a body of work out there. It’s been too long”.
I am going to come to an interview from Wonderland. Before coming to this interview, there are others such as this that I would recommend you seek out. I would urge everyone who has not heard about Aby Coulibaly to check her out. She is going to be a very big name in 2024. I am excited to see where her career takes her. Ireland has been producing amazing artists for the longest time. The past few years has seen some of the best ever spread to the U.K. and beyond:
“How did you first find your love for creating and writing?
I’ve sang since before I could speak properly so the love for music has always been there but it was in 2019 where I really gained the confidence to begin writing my own music through making new friends who constantly encouraged me which helped me so much!
Who and what inspired you to pursue a career in music?
I’ve never wanted to be anything other than a musician to be honest. I didn’t go to college because I didn’t have a passion for anything else. I’d say growing up the music both of my parents listened to and introduced me to had a huge impact on my love for music that was naturally there. Being friends with other supportive musicians pushed me to take it seriously and actually go for it.
How did you find your musical pocket?
I’d say i’m still finding my sound because I make a lot of different kind of songs but I guess I naturally leaned towards alt-R&B.
The UK and Irish soul scene has soared in popularity over the last few years, with so many highly talented artists doing through. How do you think you stand out from the masses?
I naturally stand out as a mixed Irish person but also because I just do me and have fun with it. I don’t want to release music for anyone else but myself and I don’t take myself too seriously.
How would you define the essence of your sound?
Most of my released music is in the R&B bracket but I have demos that are completely different genres. I love experimenting with sounds because there’s so many genres that I love. I definitely plan to be more experimental with my music in the future.
As someone from Ireland who has successfully impacted the UK market, how have you approached breaking into the scene?
To be honest I don’t have a crazy calculated plan on it. I just release music and hope it reaches the right audience/people no matter where they are and thankfully it’s starting to do that.
We love the new single “Patience”! Talk us through the creative process?
I wrote patience with another artist/ songwriter named Rationale, he’s super talented along with the producer maths time joy also! We had a long conversation before we began writing the song so we could get to know each other and just chat for a bit which is always really nice when you first meet rather than just jumping straight into making a song. After chatting for a good while we decided on what we wanted to write about and that’s when ‘Patience’ was born.
What are you trying to convey with the song?
The song is about escapism, watching the world go by but you don’t really feel part of it
What else is to come from you this year?
After my project a couple headline shows and some other bits!
Where do you want to take your artistry?
As far as I can, I don’t have any limits but I also don’t plan too far ahead. All I know is what I’m trying to do right now and when I execute that i’ll worry about further down the line”.
I am going to wrap things up now. This article recently discussed the latest single from Aby Coulibaly, Big Pharma (Withdrawal). It might be one of her finest yet. It all bodes well for next year and what we might get from this extraordinary and individual songwriter. Growing and building her sound over the past few years, I think next year will be one where she gets a lot more exposure:
“Brace yourself for the seismic impact of Aby Coulibaly's latest single, 'Big Pharma (Withdrawal),' as the fast-rising R&B sensation takes an unapologetic dive into the personal trenches of her struggles. Released today under the AMF Records banner, this standalone single follows hot on the heels of Coulibaly's genre-spanning debut EP, 'At The End of The Day… It’s Night,' unleashed just last month. The EP, featuring hits like 'Patience,' 'DYWS?' and 'Weekdays,' has already left an indelible mark on the musical landscape.
Aby's latest offering, 'Big Pharma (Withdrawal),' serves as a soul-baring exploration into her daily battles with Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW). This condition, a consequence of unknowingly ingesting harmful medication from a young age, propels Aby to share her raw and unfiltered emotions. With an aim to connect with listeners who may share similar experiences, the single unveils an intimate side to Aby's dextrous songwriting abilities.
Accompanying the release is a visually stunning illustrated lyric video that elevates the emotional depth of the song, providing a powerful visual narrative. In Aby's own words, "Big Pharma (withdrawal) is a song about a condition I have called TSW. It's something that affects me every day & the worst part is it was 100% avoidable. I was constantly given medication from a young age by my doctor not knowing how harmful it was."
The track boldly addresses the dual nature of the pharmaceutical industry, acknowledging its necessity while critiquing its potential exploitation. Aby remarks, "In so many ways, we need the pharmaceutical industry, but in many ways, it also takes advantage of us and makes us worse off, and that’s what this song is about." Despite the challenges posed by her condition, Aby remains resilient, determined not to let it hinder her artistic journey. She states, "It's a challenge doing what I do having this condition, but I'm determined to not let it stop me. Everything I go through ends up coming out through music. All of the good emotions but also the tough ones, and this is one of those.
Adding to the excitement, it was revealed this week that Aby will join Olivia Dean as the main support for her Spring 2024 UK and Europe headline tour, including two nights at London’s iconic Hammersmith Apollo. Aby Coulibaly, at the age of 24, is forging a dynamic musical path with a palette that seamlessly blends soul, R&B, and experimental soundscapes. Drawing inspiration from her Senegalese heritage and daily life in Dublin, she counts Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and James Blake among her influences. Since her debut in 2020 with 'Taurus,' which quickly racked up millions of streams, Aby has amassed over 5 million streams and performed for Boiler Room, solidifying her position as a force to be reckoned with in the R&B scene.
Stay tuned for the resonating echoes of 'Big Pharma (Withdrawal)' as Aby Coulibaly continues to captivate audiences and etch her name in the annals of contemporary R&B”.
Oner thing I have not mentioned yet is that Aby Coulibaly released her debut album, At the End of the Day... It's Night, in October. It is a magnificent work that everyone should check out. It definitely stands alongside the best debut albums of the year. I have very high hopes for Aby Coulibaly next year. She is going to go on to achieve so much success and love. A familiar name to many in Ireland the U.K., I predict that Coulibaly’s music will span even wider and further. This is an artist that you…
NEED in your life.
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