Marema

Marema is a Senegalese singer and songwriter from Dakar. Born in the suburbs of Dakar to a Mauritanian father and Senegalese mother, she brings together different cultural influences in her identity and work. She grows up listening to acoustic music, including Tracy Chapman, who her mother admires, and begins singing as a child.

Music education and early work

As a young adult, Marema starts composing, writing and performing her own songs. She studies at the cultural centre Douta Seck, a music school in Dakar, and completes a three-year course there. After that, she performs with her guitar and begins working as a backing vocalist for several Senegalese artists, including Awadi, Yoro Ndiaye, Edu Bocandé, Metzo Djatah, Takeifa and Idrissa Diop.

Solo career

Her first solo recording is supported by the musician Mao Otayeck, who notices her talent and helps with the album’s production. Marema is presented as part of a new generation in Senegalese music, with a strong African identity and a personal style shaped by her background and early musical training.