Les « banques de sons » des <i>beatmakers</i> sénégalais : provenances, usages et processus de création

Based on a doctoral dissertation defended at EHESS in March 2023, which examines musical creation in the digital era among Senegalese hip-hop producers (or "beatmakers"), this article highlights the central role of the "sound library" in creative processes. Drawing on ethnographic data collected in studios, as well as interviews with musicians and cultural actors in Senegal, the objective of this study is to demonstrate that these libraries are not merely the sum of the samples they contain. Their organization reflects classification strategies and criteria (by theme, type, date, or origin). Moreover, the computer desktop, where these sound banks are stored, constitutes a site of knowledge that is also inherently connected, embedded within multiple scales, from the local to the global. The sound banks of beatmakers thus offer insight into how they navigate these dynamics, shedding light on the relationships between samples in terms of their origin and use.