How does your eye as a director shape the identity of Y'Africa?
“I came from the world of advertising, where I spent 15 years, first as a creative, then directing commercials and music videos. Fourteen years ago, I left agency life to focus on writing and directing my own projects. My first documentary, about Ivorian musician Serge Beynaud, is what first brought me to Africa. Then in 2015, I followed Stromae on his African tour. One thing led to another, and when Orange and Vrej Minassian launched Y’Africa, they got in touch and asked me to come on board.”
“What’s great about working with Orange is how direct the relationship is. They brought me in for my way of working, so I’ve always had a lot of freedom. And in this job, you never want to make the same thing twice. So every season, I set myself new creative constraints. In season one, for example, the viewer was almost like a passenger, discovering each city through long tracking shots. In season two, those disappeared, and we moved toward something much more immersive. In season four, the cities themselves are in the background as I wanted to put the artists front and center. And when a place really matters, like the Senegal River for guitarist Tidiane Thiam, I film it almost like it’s another character.”
In this job, you never want to make the same thing twice.
How does a Y’Africa portrait come together, from the first idea to filming?
“It always starts with instinct. I need to connect with the music or feel there’s a real story to tell. Their world, their personality, where they come from… all of that has to give me something, both visually and emotionally. Then there’s the criteria Orange has set for the series: artists who are deeply rooted in their own country, and emerging talent we can genuinely help bring into the spotlight. That’s what shapes the selection.”
“We usually film over three days, built around a core interview, studio sessions, and more spontaneous moments. Because filming an artist means stepping into their world.”
“And we arrive without having done location scouting beforehand, so you have to stay flexible. With the Ivorian duo Toto le Banzou and Arii, for example, I quickly felt a traditional sit-down interview wasn’t going to work. So instead, I suggested something closer to docu-fiction, where they recreated how one of their tracks came together. That’s typical of how a story can completely evolve once you’re on the ground.”
I head out with a story in mind, but once I’m there, everything can change.
What technical and human challenges stand out when filming across the continent?
“The biggest challenge, and it’s something nobody watching ever notices, is sound. In documentary filmmaking, if the sound isn’t right, nothing works. You can usually find ways around an image issue, tricky lighting, even bad weather. But sound? That’s non-negotiable. We wanted to film an interview at night in southern Morocco, under a tree, in what felt like total silence. Then we realized there was a road about a hundred meters away. Every time a car passed, you’d hear it for what felt like forever. We had to drop the whole setup and find another solution.”
“Every season comes with its own challenges. Season three focused on athletes. Season four is all about musicians. And filming athletes versus musicians is a completely different experience. Even words like performance, dream, or practice take on a totally different meaning depending on who’s in front of the camera.”
Which artists or moments from season 4 particularly stayed with you the most?
“This season, I was genuinely blown away by the urban music scene in Egypt. In Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon, the female rappers we followed really stayed with me. They refuse to let rap be defined by gender, and they know they often have to work twice as hard as men to make it. In Morocco, I was really struck by a group like Meteor Airlines, who are deeply connected to their roots and committed to keeping their Atlas language, Amazigh, alive. But more than anything, the musicians we met showed just how universal music has become. Ghanaian rapper XlimKid works with Russian beatmakers. Senegalese artist Tidiane Thiam is produced by Americans. These scenes are connected in ways people don’t always expect.”
“And then there are those unforgettable moments. In Podor, on the banks of the Senegal River, I asked Tidiane Thiam if he’d get into a small boat and play at sunrise. There we were at six in the morning, with our own private concert. With Mohamed Abozekry, the oud virtuoso in Egypt, it was the same feeling. He forgets the camera’s even there. It’s just him and his instrument. And in moments like that, you realize how lucky you are to be there.”
For Vrej Minassian, Orange’s Music and Experience Director, Y’Africa goes far beyond strengthening the Group’s presence across Africa.
- Shining a light on emerging talent: “What we bring is visibility. Because honestly, there’s nothing else at this level in African television production. We wanted to build something truly pan-African, a platform that gives space to the incredible range of talent across the continent.”
- Spotlighting artists who stand for something: “A lot of these artists are fighting for something. Women’s rights. Freedom of expression. LGBT+ identities. Recognition for their work. In Africa, art isn’t just entertainment. Very often, it’s a form of activism. That’s what makes their journeys so powerful.”
- Telling Africa’s story with authenticity: “Dan’s strength isn’t just that he creates beautiful images. It’s that he films Africa with respect. And for us, that’s what makes this project such a success.”
