norberka

Born in 1976 in the commune of Doutou in Houéyogbé, a town in south-west Benin, Norberte Abla Kpanou's musical education came from her grandfather, a singer, composer and musician. She took an interest in composition from the age of 6, and at 9 began singing, in contradistinction to her parents. Her vocal prowess gradually attracted the attention of musicians such as Eric Thompson, who encouraged her to take a more concrete interest in traditional music. Norberka joined the group Super Anges Hwendonamboua and then Les Étoiles de Sahouè, gaining experience both as a singer and on stage. Despite the initial financial difficulties for a singer, she managed to record her first album in 2009, entitled Kpèdido. In it, she showcases the Zinli rhythm, widely practiced in Benin's Mono region, and goes on to form her own group in 2011. After Gantché Xo (2012) and Gbèto Ho (2014), Norberka unveils a fourth album in 2020, Vodou Youe, produced by EMB Music Entertainment. With a commitment to Beninese music figures such as Angélique Kidjo and Sagbohan Danialou, she took part in the UNICEF concert against child marriage in 2017, then won the Bénin Révélation Star in 2019, making her a diva of the country's traditional cultures.