Get on Board With Zap Mama

Zap Mama performs at the 2011 Soul Train Awards.

Worldwide - Zap Mama's founder, Marie Daulne, created Zap Mama to bridge the gap between African and European music — singing in French and English, while using African roots.(Photo:  Ebet Roberts/Redferns)

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Worldwide - Zap Mama's founder, Marie Daulne, created Zap Mama to bridge the gap between African and European music — singing in French and English, while using African roots.(Photo:  Ebet Roberts/Redferns)

Lucky Number 7 - Zap Mama has released seven full-length albums: Adventures in Afropea 1 (1993), Sabsylma (1994), Seven (1997), A Ma Zone (1999), Ancestry in Progress (2004), Supermoon (2007), and ReCreation (2009) that fall into four cycles. (Photo:  Ebet Roberts/Redferns)

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Lucky Number 7 - Zap Mama has released seven full-length albums: Adventures in Afropea 1 (1993), Sabsylma (1994), Seven (1997), A Ma Zone (1999), Ancestry in Progress (2004), Supermoon (2007), and ReCreation (2009) that fall into four cycles. (Photo:  Ebet Roberts/Redferns)

Growing Up Soulful - Growing up, Maria listened to American soul and blues music and connected with songs like Etta James's "Damn Your Eyes." (Photo: Paul Bergen/Redferns)

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Growing Up Soulful - Growing up, Maria listened to American soul and blues music and connected with songs like Etta James's "Damn Your Eyes." (Photo: Paul Bergen/Redferns)

From the Start - Zap Mama had their first performance in 1989 and released their first record by 1991. (Photo: David Redfern/Redferns)

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From the Start - Zap Mama had their first performance in 1989 and released their first record by 1991. (Photo: David Redfern/Redferns)

Photo By Photo: David Redfern/Redferns

Making History - Their 1993 debut, Adventures in Afropea, became the biggest-selling non-compilation album in the history of Luaka Bop Records. (Photo: Mark Von Holden/WireImage)

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Making History - Their 1993 debut, Adventures in Afropea, became the biggest-selling non-compilation album in the history of Luaka Bop Records. (Photo: Mark Von Holden/WireImage)

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Chart Topper - Zap Mama's United States debut album, Adventures in Afropea 1, held the number-one position on Billboard 's world music chart for 11 years. (Photo: Mark Von Holden/WireImage)

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Chart Topper - Zap Mama's United States debut album, Adventures in Afropea 1, held the number-one position on Billboard 's world music chart for 11 years. (Photo: Mark Von Holden/WireImage)

True Story - Marie Daulne's tragic childhood became the subject of a 1991 documentary film, Mizike Mama, that went on to impress a wide audience in Europe and America, receiving awards at film festivals on both continents. (Photo: Mark Von Holden/WireImage)

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True Story - Marie Daulne's tragic childhood became the subject of a 1991 documentary film, Mizike Mama, that went on to impress a wide audience in Europe and America, receiving awards at film festivals on both continents. (Photo: Mark Von Holden/WireImage)

Exposed - Zap Mama earned some of their early exposure in the United States through insightful deejays at a college radio station at the University of Santa Monica, where the album topped the station's unofficial charts for several weeks. (Photo: Scott Legato/FilmMagic)

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Exposed - Zap Mama earned some of their early exposure in the United States through insightful deejays at a college radio station at the University of Santa Monica, where the album topped the station's unofficial charts for several weeks. (Photo: Scott Legato/FilmMagic)

Intro to Insutrments - Zap Mama released an album in 1997 called 7 and it was their first introduction to instruments in their sound. The album also featured collaborations with Jamaican dub artist U-Roy and spoken-word poet Michael Franti. (Photo: FilmMagic Inc/FilmMagic)

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Intro to Insutrments - Zap Mama released an album in 1997 called 7 and it was their first introduction to instruments in their sound. The album also featured collaborations with Jamaican dub artist U-Roy and spoken-word poet Michael Franti. (Photo: FilmMagic Inc/FilmMagic)

Photo By Photo: FilmMagic Inc/FilmMagic

Star Studded Features - Zap Mama released a new album, Ancestry in Progress, in 2004, which mixed French and English lyrics and featured Erykah Badu, Common, Scratch and Talib Kweli as guests. (Photo: Tomas Benedikovic/isifa/Getty Images)

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Star Studded Features - Zap Mama released a new album, Ancestry in Progress, in 2004, which mixed French and English lyrics and featured Erykah Badu, Common, Scratch and Talib Kweli as guests. (Photo: Tomas Benedikovic/isifa/Getty Images)