Tell me about your early days, Erika. We know you started out working as a backing vocalist for Maxime Le Forestier, but you'd been singing for a long time before that, right?

Well, I formed my first group with my sisters. We were called "Black Earth Daughter" and we played percussion, acoustic guitars and keyboards as well as singing. One of my sisters, Esther, went on to launch a singing career like me and she's doing pretty well for herself. She tours regularly with Manu Dibango now. In fact, Esther went into the studio with Manu when he recorded his latest album and you can hear her voice on the track "A La Clairefontaine". Esther's also toured with Mylène Farmer and she does a lot of work on the gospel scene. In fact, she's so busy that she rarely has time to work on her own material.
When I was growing up with my sisters we used to spend a lot of time hanging out at sound-systems and I'd grab the mike whenever I could - whenever the guys would let us, that is! (Princess Erika grins). It was around this period that I wrote my first hit "Trop de Blah-Blah". You know, the Rastas give women a pretty hard time really. It's a very macho environment - much more macho than most people realise, in fact! I mean, when I was hanging out at the sound-systems I was with this guy who was pretty cool. But all the other guys would act really macho, hogging the mike and monopolising the whole thing. It used to really wind me up!

Well, now you've got your revenge on all those macho toasters, haven't you? I mean, going off to record your latest album in Kingston, Jamaica, no less!

(Erika laughs)
Yes, I sure have! I ended up going out to Jamaica and working with Sly & Robbie, two of the greatest reggae stars in the world. It was amazing! My first trip to Jamaica was like a dream come true. You know, when I was a kid I was really into reggae - I'd listen to it all the time. So it was a real blast going to Jamaica and meeting all the Rasta guys on their home territory. But I didn't want to go out to Jamaica too early in my career. You know, I felt like, before I could go out there, I needed to develop a bit of artistic maturity with my group. I wanted to go out to Jamaica and have something to show for myself, have a few hits under my belt and all that. And in the end everything worked out really well … Everyone was really great, really coooool! You know, the first day I got to the studio all the guys were waiting there and they gave me the best welcome. They were really attentive, too, asking me how I wanted to work on the album, what I wanted to do with the lyrics and all that …

There are a lot of private jokes on your new album. For a start, there's the track where you and a girlfriend are having this big discussion about the French footballer Emmanuel Petit. What's that all about?

Oh God, we just went crazy during the World Cup! Unfortunately, I wasn't in France at the time. I was away recording my album, and in the evenings I used to sit in my hotel room watching the World Cup on TV. Anyway, every evening I'd get on the phone to my girlfriends in France and we'd do this kind of running commentary on the matches. You know, checking out the players and discussing their … mmmmmm, let me see, how can I put this? … their 'athletic qualities'. So that's where all the stuff about Manu Petit comes from - and, I must confess, I'd still do just about anything to get hold of his phone number! (Laughter and general hilarity at this point!).

The first single release from your album - "La Nouvelle Génération" - brings up the subject of a Lost Generation who have lost all hope in the future. Who exactly are you referring to here?

The kids I'm talking about are today's teenagers who have this really distorted view of the world. They think it's all about going round armed with guns and pitbulls, getting girls and making easy money. These kids feel like they've got nothing ahead of them. They've lost nearly all hope in having any kind of future, and all they think about is the here and now, you know, taking the easy way out. I mean, I look at my 14-year-old son sometimes and he's just so negative, so full of despair! Well, no, that's not exactly true, 'cos he knows he's got his Mum who loves him and who's there to look out for him. But there are a lot of other kids his age who've got problems. And, basically, the only ones who are gonna manage to pull through and make something of their futures are the ones who get a bit of support and coaching from their parents. I mean, if kids don't get that, they're finished ...
There's a major disproportion between what we expect of these kids and the actual means we give them to achieve it … You know, I live in a Z.E.P. (a priority education zone). That means that the state provides extra funding for schools and youth training. They're trying to create a bit of structure and support … And, boy, is it needed! I mean my son's got these Malian friends at school and their mothers don't even speak French. Can you imagine what that's like when you go home at night and you need a bit of help with your homework and your mother doesn't even speak French? So, you know, I get a bit cynical when people start talking about kids having an equal start in life! ... If you want to integrate kids into the system, you have to give them support in all areas of their life not just in the classroom. I mean, how do you expect a mother who's out all day cleaning or working on the supermarket check-out to come home in the evening and help her kids with their homework? The woman's tired, all she wants to do is go to bed so she can get up again at the crack of dawn. She hasn't got time to listen to her kids and help them revise their schoolwork!
And that's what I'm talking about in "Nouvelle Génération". These kids who can't see any future for themselves and who turn on the TV in the evening and see all these people getting it easy. I mean, how do you expect them to feel?

You appear to have missed your vocation, Erika. You should have been a careers officer or a school teacher instead of a singer!

Well, actually, I've always dreamt about being a teacher! It would be great to do something with kids where I could actually sit down and talk to them. It would be nice to help those in need - you know, kids who've got problems at school, problems with money or who are facing real moral issues. You know, there are an awful lot of kids out there who've got no-one to turn to. I see it a lot with my son. There's a real communication problem these days. Kids have a lot of stress that we never had at their age. And the sad thing is they've already lost their illusions before they're out of their teens. I'd really like to brighten up their lives a little, you know, sit down and talk to them and get them to see the positive side of life!

Princess Erika "Tant Qu'il Y Aura" Epic / Sony Music

Interview : Frédéric Garat
Translation : Julie Street