In a dimly lit beauty salon in northwest Paris, WordsofAzia is seated with a bright smile across her face. A beautician gently polishes her nails as we settle in for a chat. “My beauty regimen is not so complicated, but I like to have my nails done,” she says. “I need them trimmed to play the guitar, which I do everyday.”
The French Ivorian singer-songwriter, born Nelly Azia Seyden, finds beauty, too, in her ancestral Bété culture, which forms the core of her music. Renowned for their energetic dance and songs, the Bété clan is a subgroup of the Kruo people of Côte D’Ivoire, who are a community of coastal fisherfolk and farmers; other prominent Bété people include Grammy-winning musician Dobet Gnahore and Chelsea Football Club star Didier Drogba.
Born and raised in Paris, WordsofAzia immersed herself in her Ivorian heritage from watching her mother sing and dance in local ceremonies. Her father was also a vast collector of African music, exposing her to musicians like Nigerian legend Fela Kuti and Cape Verdean singer Cesária Évora. In college, she took a keen interest in Africa’s pre-colonial histories, a rabbit hole that inspired her to weave Ivorian folklore and legends into her lyrics.
On her 2025 debut album, Modern Wihegou, she mixes traditional Bété rhythms with a tinge of soul and jazz. With lyrics in Bété, French, and English, the album is lush with ceremonial Wihegou melodies played on West African instruments like the kora and djembe, and resonant with themes of heritage, spirituality, and hope.
At her Montreux Jazz Festival residency last December, WordsofAzia came onstage with her mother, who chanted a special chant intro of her song “Oye Wosso.” Much of the Ivorian history and folklore she’s gleaned over the years was taught to her by her mother, who still rehearses with her and sometimes performs with her onstage.
“When I started to make music, I was missing my mother a lot,” she says. “I spoke with her often and asked her to tell me stories and teach me how to pronounce certain words in the Bété language. I was on a spiritual journey myself.”
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Another key part of her sound is instrumentation that reminds her of home. “Wihegou music is performed at our local ceremonies, especially birthdays, weddings, and funerals,” she says. “I watched my mother, aunts, and uncles sing it when I was younger. However, I also grew up listening to jazz and soul music, so in trying to make music that fully represents me, I created this sound called Bété Jazz.”
Modern Wihegou features contributions from her Ivorian compatriots Yao Rose and Steven Amoikon; French bassist Keina Etenor; Congolese maestro Tshiala Changachanga; Malian kora player Moussa Mousskabira Traore; Nigerian singer First Klaz; and Nigerian percussionist Richard Olatunde Baker. Together, they form a sound that is deeply soulful, African, and rhythmically dense. In “Zouglou Benguiste,” WordsofAzia adds djembe percussion over slow chants, mixing Gbegbe and Zulu styles into a dancey bop; on the neo-soul track “Sehkeyoulou,” she incorporates ambient, trance-like flute sounds.
She also expresses her heritage in her promotional visuals for Modern Wihegou, with appearances from masked dancers performing the Ivorian Gbegbe dance and women clothed in ceremonial Bété attires and ornaments. “I research a lot about Bété culture, and how we Ivorians dress,” she says. “I love to research old jewelry that we wear in West Africa. I am very curious about ornaments, and I think it’s a special way to celebrate the body. In my last visit to my village, my mother asked me to scrape some soil into my hands and whisper a prayer to my ancestors. Moving forward, I want to tap into these rituals — of celebrating things, of praying, of connecting with our land — and express that in my music.”
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While her music celebrates Ivorian culture, it’s also a personal journal for WordsofAzia, who documents her experiences with self-discovery, survival, and faith. In her quest to discover both her sound and her heritage, she’s creating music that reflects her unique worldview and Francafrique culture, a path she credits to her wide travels across Europe and Africa. “I recorded Modern Wihegou across Dakar, Paris, Ivory Coast, and London. Traveling is a big part of my life. It’s a way to connect with other people and discover God’s creation.”
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When she’s not making music or spending time in practicing self-care, WordsofAzia is very family-oriented. “I am either trying to read or to listen to podcasts or books,” she says. “I spend a lot of my time with my loved ones. I am really big on people, so I am always with them or talking to them.”
For WordsofAzia, authenticity remains the north star of her career. Her biggest priority is creating a very distinct style that truly celebrates Ivorian heritage. “Right now, my music is not the most popular style that people are exposed to in Ivory Coast, but it gives me joy seeing people feel represented, to hear those same melodies that we all grew up listening to,” she says. “I’m just going to keep going with the wind and hope I eventually find a place in the world music scene.”
























