MAVIS STAPLES: "...is what I love to do: to sing a song that's gonna help somebody... that's gonna bring somebody closer…" That is exactly what this strong American singer has already been doing since The Staple Singers, with Stax hits like 'Respect Yourself' and 'I'll Take You There'. Now without the family but with, rightly, star producers like Ry Cooder (or this time Ben Harper) at her side. She continues to work on her militant repertoire, with meaningful titles like 'If All I Was Was Black' or 'We'll Never Turn Back'. And, of course, recently there was also that extremely fine collaboration with Norah Jones in 'I'll Be Gone'.

Concert pictures © Karel Uyttendaele