Anybody Listening Pt. 1: Monologues is the first chapter of a trilogy ('Monologues' solo acoustic, 'Dialogues' full band, 'Communion' live) exploring blues, roots and life in their myriad of aspects. For Monologues, Cécile Doo-Kingué brings it back to basics, choosing a solo acoustic setting performed and recorded in the intimacy of The Bedroom, her personal studio. In a time where music is increasingly doctored, sanitized and overproduced, she presents a raw collection where message and solo performance are the priority. Fingerpicking goodness, flatpicking bite, savory rhythm, sweet licks and suave, smokey vocals are the ingredients of the groove infused slice of life opus which showcases Doo-Kingue both as a self-sufficient musician and as a songwriter. Anybody Listening Pt. 1: Monologues depicts life: the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. Unapologetic sexuality (Make Me), addiction and vice (Sweet Talkin’ Devil, Animal Kingdom), loneliness (Anybody Listening), an unencumbered love of life (Little Bit), Doo-Kingué paints various facets of existence with the multiple shades of blues oozing from her signature picking and rich, deep voice. From the Delta to Montreal via NYC, her love, and eclectic understanding and mastery of the blues can be felt in each note, reminiscent of a Taj Mahal or a Keb’ Mo’ who, while steeped in tradition, open the genre onto wider avenues. The collection is undoubtedly Doo-Kingué’s most socially engaged album, addressing prejudice in its various forms in tracks such as Third World Child or Six Letters decrying the persistence of racial bias, profiling and violence, or Bloodstained Vodka written in protest to the International Olympic Committee’s and western superpowers’ turning a blind eye to Vladimir Putin’s homophobic legislation and disregard for human rights in the name of profit. Home, which was commissioned by the CBC, reveals Doo-Kingué’s universalism, a desire to engage with fellow humans on a level that transcends culture, religion, race or language, seeing people for their soul as opposed to their shell. Powerful, sexy and raw, Cécile Doo-Kingué’s lyrics and sound make for an enthralling, intimate communion.