Exclusive interview with Biguy MELINDJI / "Create, represent, exist: Biguy Melindji shakes up certainties".

In a cultural world undergoing constant change, where the issues of representation and accessibility are becoming ever more acute, Biguy Melindji takes a sharp look at the limits of an overly centralized system and the urgent need to think differently about diversity. Between lucid observations and calls to action, he traces the bridges between France and Africa.

Jombelek: You're a singular figure on the music scene. How would you define your universe in three words that no one would expect?
Biguy M : Three words aren't enough, so I'll give you four: Love, peace, sharing and respect.
Jombelek: Authenticity and innovation are often opposed. How do you reconcile tradition and modernity in your music?
Biguy M : I try to polish them, carve them and then assemble them.
Jombelek: If your sound were to be a material, a landscape or a sensation, what would it be and why?
Biguy M : Happiness, because it's very rare and I can easily share it
Jombelek: Your artistic career has been marked by many powerful experiences. Was there a moment when everything changed for you, when you knew this was "the" path to follow?
Biguy M : I've always lived and breathed music. After my studies, I worked for a year in a company, but every evening I was in the studio and every weekend I was in concert... After a lot of thought and analysis, I came to the obvious conclusion.
Jombelek: Does silence have a place in your creative process, or is it always sound that guides your explorations?
Biguy M: It's in silence that everything happens for me most often, I can be inspired by sound but with silence it's deeper.
Jombelek: In a world where images often take precedence over sound, how do you cultivate your singularity without giving in to standardization?
Biguy M: I remain myself and I try to keep my personality despite the currents...
Jombelek: If you could compose a song with an artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?

Biguy M: "Bob Marley", because I understood him before I learned English, and I think he was a real artist...
Jombelek: Some artists create to transmit, others to question. What are you trying to provoke in your listeners?
Biguy M : My first aim is to raise awareness, to get people to pay attention to themselves and their surroundings. After that, there are so many things to express that I allow myself everything.
Jombelek: Your music seems to travel between several influences. If you had to choose a destination where your art would take on its full meaning, where would it be?
Biguy M : Africa!
Jombelek: Live and studio are two very different realities. Where do you feel freer, and why?
Biguy M : I'm comfortable in both, as I always manage to stay relaxed (ha ha!).
Jombelek: As a creator, how do you perceive the boundary between commitment and pure musical pleasure?
Biguy M : For me, the two have to be linked, because I can't see myself creating, putting things together and not taking responsibility.
Jombelek: The music industry is constantly evolving. In your opinion, what is the greatest opportunity and the greatest danger for an independent artist today?
Biguy M : Independent artists still have opportunities ???? (Ha ha ha) Artists are in danger!!!!
Jombelek: If your next album were to be an ode to a feeling or idea, what would it be and how would you translate it into music? (To be applied immediately to your next album!!
Biguy M : Respect. Tatara!!!! Tataraaaaa!!!
Jombelek: You're on stage, in front of an audience that doesn't know you yet. What's the first sound or phrase you'd make to grab their attention?
Biguy M : Hello or good evening my way, but I think my looks will do it ;-)
Jombelek: Every artist has a secret ritual before entering the studio or on stage. What is yours?
Biguy M : Frankly, my life is a ritual...
Jombelek: The word "experience" comes up a lot when we talk about music. What's the strangest or most unexpected moment you've experienced as an artist?
Biguy M : When I was left penniless with my equipment 500 km from home. Imagine the rest...
Jombelek: Imagine you could record a song in an unusual place, outside traditional studios. Where would you go and why?
Biguy M : A place I love for the atmosphere, the nature, etc. It's the forest
Jombelek: Finally, if you had to sum up your artistic vision in a single sentence, which one would you choose?
Biguy M : To transport spirits to unexplored places of exoticism (Travel).

Interview conducted by Johanne Elie Ernest Ngo Mbelek aka Jombelek
Paris (France), April 2025
jombelek@gmail.com