Arsene Duevi (Togo/Italy) is a sinnger, bassist, guitarist, composer, choir director and
ethnomusicologist, who arrived in Italy in 2002 and is now an Italian citizen. . He released his first
album “My Africa” in 2010. In 2016 his second album “Haya- Hymn to Life” was introduced at
the ‘Parco della Musica’ Auditorium in Rome, and at the ‘Blue Note’ in Milan. Arsène sings his
orginal songs in multiple languages including Ewe, Italian and French. He has a specific message,
coming straight from the South of the world: choose life, do not give up, get up, sing and make
your voice be heard. In fact, Haya in Ewè means "rejoice" and this is his personal and moving
Hymn to Life that brought him to sing live at Rai Studio 1 ('Stereonotte' ), Rai Radio 3 ('Battiti' and
‘Piazza Verdi’), Radio Popolare, RFI Afrique and other important broadcasters in Canada,
Germany, Togo and Ghana. He’s been guest at prestigious stages and festivals within and past
national boarders: in Italy at the 'Suoni delle Dolomiti', 'MITO' September Music, 'Parco della
Musica' Auditorium, 'Suoni Mobili', 'Blue Note' Milan and 'La città che sale' at the Sforza’s
Castle. And then abroad, at the prestigious 'Womad' in Chile, the Atlantic Music Expo of Cape
Verde, the Canadian Music Week of Toronto, the Bochum Total in Germany, the Paris Summer
Festival and more.
Arsène is, in fact, an eclectic musician: he was director of the choir of the Lomé Cathedral before
his arrival in Italy, scholar and researcher of traditional West African music, as well as composer of
numerous religious songs that are still executed today in his mother land. In 2018 he brought 85
Italian choir members and musicians on tour in Benin, Togo and Ghana for his unique Racines
Noires Festival, from which the conspicuous choir directed by Arsène also got the name. With
unique melodies from Black Africa, re-interpretations, encounters and nuances of musical genres,
Arsène offers an explosive as well as contemplative journey. His shows are hardly mere
‘concerts’… there is always a real and constant interaction, an exchange of intense energy with the
audience present. The atmosphere gets intense in his various workshops and seminars, some of
which, over the years, he conducted with WE BE3- the vocal trio of Bobby McFerrin, one of the
biggest vocalists of ‘world music’, ‘circle song’, and more. Moments of strong allurement, where
improvisation and pure contact with rhythm can become a protagonists. This is where barriers are
broken down. And it is not an abstract coincidence that Arsène’s new project will take us In
between two worlds. Real or extra-ordinary.
