As we walk and take the journey of life, stories are told. With the wind of voice, I am continuing to tell the stories begun by my ancestors, who were known, throughout the generations, as Ntontah ("horn players"). They were travelling musicians, moving from one place to another, "walking" their music in a way. Like them, I want to be a voice-teller. I want to tell stories with my body and voice, inventing ways of playing with them. Music has the unequalled power of talking to individuals, of touching them, wherever they come from, through the sharing of an authentic emotion, which transcends the boundaries of language. Music helps people come closer to each other, despite any cultural differences that divide them. Just through emotionally-based melodies that resonate in the listener's body and mind. Sometimes people ask me how I define myself in terms of music. My answer is simple: I don't feel I belong to any style. My music is simply about the encounter and the interaction of sounds. It reflects my own story, my travels and journey through life. From my childhood in Cameroon to my years in France until now, living in New York, I have encountered a wide variety of faces, sounds, rhythms and cultures that have touched my soul. I have crossed many borders and have become a kind of blend myself - even though I remain deeply imbued with my Cameroonian roots. When I write a song, it's just like painting. I see colors, shapes and images dancing in my head. Voices, melodies and rhythms can tell stories without words. In fact, they have their own universal language. In my village, there is a lullaby with the lyric "Don't Cry Baby." But, in a way, the words are not important because the sound itself is soothing. It doesn't need lyrics to tell the story and talk to people. If you listen to my songs, you'll notice that the tone of my voice is talking by itself. When I perform in Europe or in the U.S., people don't understand my language. Yet they enjoy the music. They can feel whether it's a sad or joyful story. I once performed at a festival in Palermo, Italy, with 4000 people in the audience. I asked them to "play along" by gently rubbing their palms together, not clapping. The music produced by the combination of all these individual small "voices" was wonderful, and I sang on top of it. Imagine all these people doing the same thing. It's unbelievable, very spiritual, peaceful. That's what my music is all about: I would like every person who listens to my album to breathe it, dance to it, smile, fly, feel peaceful. I want people to experience my music the way they want, with their own sensitivity. Life is a precious gift. Being able to do something, to walk, to talk, to hear, to see, to listen, to smile, to feel an emotion is a wondrous opportunity. I think it's important never to forget about these great blessings. That's what I want to tell with my music. Gino Sitson


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