Modern Wihegou EP is the first offering from Ivorian-born artist wordsofAzia. It is not just a collection of songs, but a carefully crafted spiritual journey. Rooted in ancestral memory, grounded in the strength of African womanhood, and shaped by the Bhété oral tradition, this project speaks through rhythm, silence, and the voices of generations.
There is no rush in this music. It asks you to sit with it. To feel it in your bones. Recorded in Dakar, Abidjan, Paris, and London, Modern Wihegou EP travels across borders, but its soul never leaves home.
Every song holds space for the women who came before. Their strength, their softness, their stories. This is matriarchy in sound form.
“Each song is a dialogue with the women who walked before me. I am their echo.” – Azia
The lead single Liwouho has already arrived. Alongside it comes a video that is less performance and more ritual. Shot by director Iyad Bgx, styled by Azia herself, and featuring fashion from Babacar Niang and The Hybride Studio, the visual is an extension of the sound. It does not try to explain. It invites you to remember.
Behind the music are the hands and voices of family. Azia’s mother, Yao Rose, lends spoken word that brings generational texture to the tracks. Guitarist Steven Amoikon threads gentle notes through the ambient layers. UK-based engineer Restless At Night adds polish without stripping the rawness that defines this work.
There are no commercial tricks here. No forced hooks or synthetic shine. What you hear is what was felt.
The EP blends ambient soundscapes, spoken word, jazz textures, and silence in equal measure. These are not songs to play in the background. They demand your full presence. Whether walking, meditating, or simply listening, the music guides you inward.
Azia’s voice doesn’t dominate. It weaves. It carries. It remembers.
This is not just her debut. It is a reclaiming.
A return. A beginning that honors the past.
