“God be praised!” This glamorous duo from Senegal is returning to Montreal this summer! The formidable rapper Mamy Victory and heavenly singer Defa were a hit in November 2024 when they played at Le Ministère, looking as cool as ever and accompanied by their mysterious masked DJ. Their love affair with Montreal and Festival International d’Afrique is still hot. Def Mama Def represent a new, all-female hip hop era, and their inventiveness is impressive. Sublime! Stars at the top of their class…

The two women have created an expressive style that transcends conventional imagery, cultural and rhythmic codes of the Land of Teranga. In two years and only one album, Oh Maliko, released in 2023, these two fantastic jigéen-yi (Wolof for women) have produced, from Dakar, a real seismic shift across the globe. Each of their songs has its own power of attraction. With a fresh sound, they affectionately celebrate their Senegal, in all its colours and customs, as on the song “Dieuredieuf,” (thank you, in Wolof). They include their mothers and sisters in their reasons for singing. Feminists and proud Africans, these women act nothing like prima donnas! If there’s a cause to fight for, like singing for inmates at a prison during the 2024 Rencontres Trans Musicales festival in France, they’ll proudly brandish their drums and beat out their rhythms with compassion.

If Def Mama Def are able to dazzle their audiences, it’s because their music is tuned to all the frequencies of the African continent and the West, as they successfully tap into popular Amapiano and Afrobeat rhythms. It’s clear that Mamy Victory and Defa are in for the long haul as they show the world a different side of Senegal. They hold up freedom and boldness as their flag, and never lose touch of their sense of humour. Be sure not to miss their show this summer!