Mélanzé

Som'One Music

On the road and putting down roots

A musical project moving on two legs: meeting artists where they are, and building in Thiafoura a place to return to for creation, recording and transmission.

Format

Mobile studio + residency in Thiafoura

Ground

Petite-Côte, Senegal and West African routes

Allies

Natty Jean, local artists and guest producers

Vision

A universal language, a situated practice

Music reaches places where technical discourse often does not. Som'One Music approaches it as a tool for creation, transmission and collective momentum, especially with younger generations.

The project grows through constant back-and-forth between the road, local scenes, hosting in Thiafoura, residencies and studio work.

The project carries two complementary movements. One meets artists where they already live and create. The other builds in Thiafoura a place to return to and work over time.

Let mobility, rootedness, hospitality and production strengthen one another.

Our mission

What Som'One Music does

Go and meet artists

The mobile studio travels to the places where artists already live, work and create.

Connect

Bring local musicians, guest producers and new audiences into the same conversation.

Train

Open pathways into recording, production, live sound and artist management.

Produce

Turn encounters into songs, videos, podcasts, documentaries or research material.

On the road

Nomadic Music

The mobile recording studio is first and foremost a tool for encounter. It stops in villages, neighborhoods, festivals and emerging scenes to record, document and open collaborations.

music recorded on the ground

radio pieces and podcasts

documentaries and field captures

Nomadic archives

An openly low-tech branch

Part of Nomadic Music moves through videos filmed with very light means, on the road, in villages, during encounters or mobile residencies. Some come from Kenya, others from elsewhere. We keep them here as traces of collaboration and presence, not as polished studio productions.

Nomadic 01

Road trace

Wedding Song - Titoh Star

A raw field capture from the nomadic branch, filmed with light means and close to the ground.

Nomadic 02

Mobile collaboration

Lkilikwai - Titoh Star feat. Sammy Ramaz

A low-tech, mobile and direct form, faithful to the spirit of musical encounters built on the road.

Nomadic 03

Living archive

Titoh Star - Album Launch Event

More road archive than studio production: a simple and lively trace captured in the momentum of the moment.

Putting down roots

Studio & residency in Thiafoura

In Thiafoura, we are building a place for artists in residence, better recording conditions and technical transmission for young people from the region.

The project is being built in particular with Natty Jean, whose path between Dakar, Bamako, major stages and a deliberate return to Senegal directly shapes the Som'One vision.

Why it matters

This rooted studio complements the mobile one. It allows relationships to continue, work to deepen and transmission to happen differently.

A trajectory that matters

Natty Jean, a driving force within Som'One

Natty Jean is not just a name attached to the project. His path links Dakar street scenes, Bamako studios, fifteen years on the road with Danakil, and a chosen return to Senegal to build something more autonomous.

That trajectory gives Som'One a concrete backbone: stage experience, studio culture, artistic independence, and the will to transmit from the ground rather than from a distance.

Visit Natty Jean's website

Portrait of Natty Jean — Natty Jean

Dakar, Bamako, Danakil, then back to Senegal: a path of stage work, studio craft and independence that now feeds Som'One Music.

Music residencies

A studio also built to host

Over time, the studio and the hosting infrastructure form one tool. International groups can come and work in residence, stay for a few days or longer, and find a complete creative setting on site.

Residencies for visiting groups

Artists and groups can come and settle in Thiafoura to write, record, rehearse and work over time.

Tailored packages

Accommodation, meals, activities, travel logistics and studio access can be shaped as one coherent offer.

Bridges with local musicians

When artists come in residence, we can bring in musicians from the area, organize sessions and create real collaborations.

Transmission

Produce, train, professionalize

Som'One Music is not meant to remain a hosting tool only. The project also wants to produce young local artists, build durable bridges with visiting artists, and transmit concrete music and culture professions.

sound engineering and recording

production, management and tour management

masterclasses, workshops and professionalization

local artist production through the label

The long-term challenge is twofold: host formats able to generate a real economy for the place, while making room for training and production programs that matter for the local scene.

Som'One videos