Béatrice Diop: the DNA test that changed my life

« Béatrice Diop: the DNA test that changed my life » Béatrice Diop
Hi Switzerland (in French), we are back! With the whole family, we wandered beautiful Lausanne, the capital of the Canton de Vaud. Of course, Aby and Mamie wanted to go shopping, but I insisted we go to the historical center first.

There, we passed a bookstore and in the window, there was a book titled “Ce test ADN qui a bouleversé ma vie” (“The DNA test that changed my life”). The children started to ask many questions about what DNA was and were curious to know more about this book. As I was at the cash desk, I saw a woman who looked very much like the one on the book cover. I approached her and she smiled back, saying that she was the author of the book indeed. I asked her if I could have an autograph and she kindly accepted, while offering to tell us more about her autobiography and why she wrote it.
Continue reading “Béatrice Diop: the DNA test that changed my life”

Experience #001 /100

The SaDunya team and ME, Doggy, are very excited to announce the first of a series of artistic and cultural experiences that will happen in Switzerland,Senegal, France, Canada and USA (for now), leading to SaDunya’s Kingston Arts Festival to take place in Kingston, Ontario (Canada) during the week of June 21st, 2018.

This first experience will take place in Kingston, ON, on May 10th, 2017, and will feature 3 events in one:

SaDunya’s Kingston Arts Festival: Experience #001
Wednesday, May 10th, 2017 from 9PM
The Mansion, 506 Princess Street, Kingston, ON K7L 1C5
Admission: 15$-50$ | Infos: 613 531 0003 –

First CONCERT: Exclusive collaboration between UMARO and Doug van der Horden

UMARO (real name OUMAR NDIAYE), was born in Dakar (Senegal) and created the African feeling sound. Umaro has won the Silver World Syli 2009 (Canada). In 2010, Umaro participated in the Sahel Festival and the Black World Festival of Arts and Cultures in Senegal. In 1996, he released his album Hoslu featuring American singer Elizabeth Shipley. Today he is a regular part of the monthly charts and radio playlists. He toured through Europe and plays gigs at most of the big festivals in Senegal.

Continue reading “Experience #001 /100”

2017: let’s keep building the World we want to live in.


SaDunya project (SaDunya means your world in Wolof) is aiming to give a voice and to spotlight people who change the world, one action at a time, thanks to their commitment, their humanity and their strong desire to inspire others to do the same, in their own way.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017!
From all the SaDunya team

Fatoumata Ndiaye

Zal Sissokho, The Kora Spiderman


Zal Sissokho is a real Kora genius. He has always been living in a musical environment and has been playing music since he was 11. He sings and composes in Mandingue and Wolof languages. Respect, man!
He comes from the large and ancient Sissokho family and plays Kora like a spider weaves its web. A music web in which you get caught from the first notes.

Zal Sissokho must be part of these Senegalese artists who aren’t king in their own land, as I have never seen any monument or street with his name in Dakar.

Zal played in numerous countries, on four continents. In Africa, he played in Senegal, South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Morocco. In Asia, he played in India. In North America, he toured in almost all Canadian provinces and cities, including Kingston (Ontario), where the first Prime Minister comes from: Sir John Alexander Macdonald who was a controversial, definitively very unique man!In North America still, my pal Zal also played in the US and Mexico. And finally, in South America, he regularly plays in Brazil. So often even, that Quebeckers have rather make sure that they treat this talented artist really well, otherwise he might very well move there (I hope I’m wrong, though!).

Continue reading “Zal Sissokho, The Kora Spiderman”

There is an armchair on my neighbours’ roof. Is it for Santa?


Lots of strange things have been appearing on the streets lately. I think it started with a plane, then a carrousel. And later on, a white alien with a candy cane. The candy cane made me wonder, but still the weather was so nice outside, it couldn’t be the holiday season already?
One night though, Mom and Aby took me downtown Kingston (Ontario, Canada) after dark, and I could see in their eyes that something exciting was coming! The closer we got, the louder the music was. And suddenly, I heard sirens and saw lights: in front of me was a firetruck with light garlands on its ladder and wheels!
I couldn’t believe my eyes! Then I saw dancing elves and singing reindeers, followed by flashing bikes and even an ambulance. That’s when I knew: Christmas was coming, and at the end of the parade, there would be Santa!
On that rainy night, I saw Santa and his wife turn on the lights on the giant Christmas tree on K-town’s Market Square.
And the following days, I was excited to discover more Santas, Christmas trees and gold, blue and red lights popping up in front of the houses in my neighbourhood.
Continue reading “There is an armchair on my neighbours’ roof. Is it for Santa?”