>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. tavis: with 13 albums to her often, angeli key joe works with musicians from diverse disciplines to forge her message of cooperation and collaboration. evelatest cd is called

and is a tribute to the perseverance of the women of africa. she is also the author of a new autobiography called ". music."my life, my eva, oh eva ♪ ♪ tavis: interview to the women of africa. i think i get that. but tell me more. tell me why. >> most of the time, when it

comes to african women, black women, it's always about that stuff and there never seems to be people who have joy, family, empowerment and i didn't grow up with women that live in misery. i grew up with very strong women. my mother, my grandmother, my and send all the women and me, they are just so revealing. whytimes, i'm like, doesn't the world come to see this? we have so much to learn from them. tavis: i agree with you. tell me more about what you think it is that we, in the american empire, have to learn from the women of africa. that's what we have to learn from the women of africa is that every day is worth living. it doesn't matter what challenge you face. the most important thing is when you fall how you rise and how far you want to go. when you want to go from there on. are you going to linger on the paint of the past or will you move forward?

from the moment we wake up in the morning, it doesn't matter how much the day will be hard, what happened yesterday. just move forward and think how will we make this day different from the difficult days. as different for african women. tavis: what is it about certain women in africa -- i heard your point earlier that you are not raised by women who lived lives of misery. but it is an occult trying to navigate life every day in certain parts of the continent. i know you want to argue that point. so for those persons who find it to be more of a struggle, most days, the joy in living is what? >> the motivation to keep doing it is that the teacher will be better. one of the experiences that i have been through that is part of this book is that i took a couple of years ago and made a trip to the child refugee camp from the women from the are for.

one after the other, the horror stories that they went through to end up in that camp was appalling. at one point, i just wanted to disappear, vanish. me toas impacted today. one thing before i left, they said to us, we are already victims of situations we don't choose. whatever you come out of your to do for us, don't victimize us twice. all we are asking from years to do everything in your capacity for the piece to be achieved in our country, for safety and security to exist for us to be able to raise the children that we have and to get a life. that is something that every day i am in a ethical situation. i just think that these women have lost everything. the little boy was beheaded on the breast of the mother. the horror stories go on and on. yet here they are with tears in their eyes, looking you in the eye and tell you don't make me become a second time. as a woman, i tell you my story because i know that

story can impact other women. it always have to remember is that life is worth living. yout let anybody define by what you live through and sent for. you just be proud. it doesn't matter. tavis: tell me how it is that you're arsenal story -- we will talk about your story. your life is in the book "spirit rising." i know that your own story of having to leave the continent. give me some sense of why it is or how is it you haven't been in bedard but given your own story your desire to go back to hear the stories and to try to make us respond to those stories. >> i cannot be bitter because i was not raising -- i was not raised in a family where bitterness has any room.

my parents said speak. and if we can't find a solution to it, live with it. go move forward. tomorrow is always better. if you have that philosophy and you have a strong spirit, i don't care about what people think about me. when my grandmother told me, don't let anybody define and decide for your faith, what you do that makes you happy and that makes your family the people that love you, their opinion counts more than anybody out there that on youing a category or defining you according to their own scent has not. so for me, from the point of view of my life, i have been impacted by women who taught me that, as a woman, my audio is a sanctuary. that whoever i invite with my body, i have to be clear with that invitation. that law is a law is the law. a victim you are if you let somebody manipulate you. from the moment you are

clear in your vision of yourself and how you project that vision in your family, your community, and in the world, that's all that matters. know where i'm going. we don't know. but who we are, if we don't control that, if we don't notdy that, if we are proud, stand proud in our shoes, we will always be fooled by people. i was desk are tory -- our story is being told by other. our story has been sold by others. because of the power it gives them to tell our story and to define us and put us in a category. i refuse to sit in anybody's box. i refuse for anyone to tell me who i am because i know who i am. tavis: tell me how that hasngth of that spirit defined your music. you say is powerfully as you do that you are taught don't

let them define you, too box you, to categorize you. that is a statement that is true of the life that you live, but it's also true of the music that you produce. you don't get boxed in. you don't get categorized. you don't get defined. you have all of these beautiful collaborations in all different kinds of genres are and you do whatever you want to do apparently. >> music is a universal and which. my father told me do not come back to this house and tell me you fail because you are black because that is the last time you use that black ash that word in this house. your color doesn't define your brain or your soul. you can stand next to any human being and jones that person as long as you use your brain. and if you love music, you have to be the one who opens doors. you have to be the one to build bridges that makes it safe for everyone to walk on. i know that that is my mission. visit for me has been my breath, my back on since i was a little kid. anything that comes to my life, part-time or good time, i always find comfort in music.

therefore, i am a storyteller with my music. in my story, nobody is good to tell it for me. the women i am talking about on this album, they gave me the permission to tell their stories. i want their voice to be heard because those women are the ones that nourish my inspiration and nurse my strength. this whole concept started africa.ent to i went to kenya with unicef. there is the malnutrition of the newborn baby. it is happening in our society where you don't have the means to put the right nutrient food on the table. what it does is damage is permanently the brain of a child. it economically, it impacts our country and the whole world economy. i want to scream off my head.

you arrive in the second village and you see those women with that joy in their smile, living with nothing from you much. and they start singing to me and i have shiver all over my body. and my heart starts beating. i felt like i am more powerful than anybody else. i have been empowered by that voice. that's why i took it to be made. i went to women in different villages. i want to cry because they just embrace me. they were, like, this is a dream come true for us. you take it everywhere. you talk so gracefully about us. we never dreamed we would be singing with you. to give back and i will give you more. and we start the conversation from music. first of all, are you kidding us, we are singing that? [laughter] with sing the song

them. after a while, i remove the music and they take it over. they won't stop here and ok, i have it. we have too much for you. [laughter] and from the music, we start talking about family, how they want the girls to go to school. they start talking about the concern. women don't have a say in central intercourse with their husband or their partner. how my going to deal with all of this year? they say you can give us some tips here. and i say no, beat yourself. you are partners. tell him. talk to him. they say we can't can i say you can. don't be afraid. the next time you can come i will go talk. [laughter] tavis: spoken like a true woman from brooklyn. >> come on. it's a joyful.

you have those kinds of encounters, how do you, as a defensive ambassador, how do you leave a comment repeatedly and not the burden i that? andtake those stories turn them into music. that is the gift you have to share with all of them. but how do you not end up burdened by it? >> i am not burdened because of people i am working with and helping our not burdened by it. they know it is their life we will not change lf or nobody else because we have our children here. as hard as it is, it is worth millions. so who am i to pity them? they don't want to be pitied him they don't want to be helped and what they decide to do. that is what we have in africa. they want to help african people. but how can you help african

people without their input in it? you can transform the society of people if the people are not part of the change. so me, burden is not part of it. it's how do we talk together and how do we find solutions together. very: you don't have many critics. everyone seems to love you. but most critics do say that youhave in your music have been westernized. you have been living in brooklyn for quite a while. what do you say? >> the music from the western world comes from where? the question to ask them is that. we don't have rights to modernity? our society has evolved. the traditional music of my ancestors is not what we play today. it has to reflect our time. it has to reflected the evolution of the family. we don't have stock in a piece of wood.

the people of africa is something that is denied to move forward. it's ok for a westerner to take music from africa and sell it and say, ok, cool. but when you do that, it's not cool. i'm african and i am proud of being an african woman. where i come from, the family that i come from, they listen to every different kind of music. can you imagine me bringing james brown music to the village? they will kill it. [laughter] so who is going to tell me we are not allowed to do that? we have to get permission again from the colonizer to do what we want to do? powerl not give them of division over us. no, i don't care. i will live the way i decide to live. it is not easy. the music business is male dominated.

when you are a woman and an african woman on top of it. but you know what? you have to stand for something or you will fall for everything. i want to look at myself in the mirror at the end of my life and say i have done my share and no one can take that away from me. they don't like it? i don't force anyone to listen to my music. blues comes from africa. rock 'n roll comes from africa. everywhere you go, africa is there. r&b, hip-hop, name it. go go to africa, just and remove all the barriers you have in your head and go from one village to the other. if you don't find the root of modern music in africa, then don't go for that music at all. >> as tough as the music does this is, male-dominated it is and if you are a black woman and if you are an african woman, i get that. yet everyone and their mama wants to collaborate with you. why is that? how is that?

you collaborate with everybody in this country and around the globe. >> i collaborate with people because their music talks to me as much as mine. one thing i have learned since i was a child when i started asking questions because my nickname is when why how because i'm always asking questions. i start asking questions and they start rolling their eyes. are you going to answer me or not? [laughter] so i basically grew up asking questions. as an african child living in a poor family in a poor country and having access to so much music -- because my father decided that's what we would do. we will have to listen to music and realize that the world does not stop at the doorstep of this house. we have challenges to face when we leave this house. and my mom deeply believe that. when i was six years of, my mom always knew. she said i saw in you. but you have to be able to

touch people's soul. do not the afraid at any cost. if you are in sync with your truth, guide give you that for something. go ahead and touch people. tavis: to be naked spiritually with people here >> yes. tavis: i love that. >> if you are on stage and you are concerned about your dress and then you think public is accessory, then you have nothing to do. you gave because that music is something that is the bedrock of humanity. and i don't care how people like it or not. i don't want anybody to be hurt. i want everybody to be happy. if you are happy, you are more open to other people. don't let misery bring you down. smile. my father always said, if you wake up in the morning and you are not smiley, you are a dead bear.

even the person who gives you a very painful racial comment, give him a smile. he'll just feel stupid. you see what i mean? tavis: all of this explains you. when i see you in concert, you don't stop smiling and you don't stand still. >> why should i stand still? i'm alive. i'm alive, baby. i be moving everywhere. tavis: i love that line. and i'm going to use it, too. every time you come here, you give me gifts every time. the line that the audience is not an accessory. lover, as you know, all kinds. i have been to shows in my lifetime where i felt just like that. i felt like to the artist on the stage the audience was just an accessory. >> not me. if i go to that show sometime, i will give you two or three songs and i will be, like, show me your guts.

show me your guts. i the third song, you'll show me your guts. i don't want to be dirty by your ego. for me, is always -- you have to be at the service of the song. a few are not, everything you do is to please people. .oday, music is out there it becomes a commodity. and it becomes a commodity that people transform the way they want it. we artists, it's like, we are just there to make other people rich and they can snatch it away from us. fine. but you want going to snatch my spirit away from a. who i am in the music i do is mine. ok, what is up in their? -- up in there? i called him back and said, come on, i want to bring in

the women singing and the whole drums. how are we going to do that? he's drumming and he goes, angelique, what market are you striving for? and i said don't ask me that. i have no market i have target. he said i don't know about this. i said sit down and he gets on the drums. i looked at him, like, duh, what are you giving me a headache for? what do you care? you make me sweat. [laughter] i'm, like, is this for real? those talented people like that. and they are having time. and they asked where do you come up from those things? tavis: that is not the first time that you have heard that question. what market are you going for? i'm going to tell my truth. there's no market. >> i don't know a market. [laughter] tavis: exactly. , spirit rising, my

life, my music, everybody loves it. these words about you and your work from bill clinton and bono and alicia keys and peter gabriel and desmond tutu, everybody loves what you have written. and why did you, in this point in your life, want to write and not a biography? what did you want to say? >> your member when my father passed away. tavis: i remember. but your mother still here. >> alive and cooking. take christ, you never my mom to clubs or she will shake the hell out of you. tavis: at 87 in the clubs? she walks so fast. come on, come on, come on. i'm, like, mom, slowdown. and she is, like, i don't have time. she loves music so much. when i decided to write this

book, it was right after the funeral of my father because there are so much stuff going on in my head. everybody i meet, i'd be talking about my father. talk yourself a camera and sit in front of it and talk like you are talking to your father. so i started doing that. so then it was to write a book about my journey from africa all the way to america. and that comes in handy because we have to transcribe it and translate it. then suddenly i'm, like, this is the moment to tell this story in the world where we are losing ground, where it individuals are no longer important. we are just seen as collateral damage of consummation, consumption. you have a headache, you go buy. you don't even have time to sit and think what do i need? what can i do for myself? is toling my story

empower people to believe in their own power. we have so much power individually. collectively, you put that power together, no one ever will be able to tell us what to do. tavis: i was not surprised because, consistent with who she is coming about 150 illustrations in the book, it is vibrant to look at. >> this is my grandmother, my father's mother. tavis: just the photos alone. >> you come to my turf. i'll show you. [laughter] tavis: is quite a book. it's called "spirit rising, my life, my music." this sister is busy as always. and you look gorgeous as you always do. >> i always look gorgeous because she let makes me gorgeous. sheila is the best. she gave me all those tips. i want to go back and start

using them can i'm telling you, man. i'm going to put the eyelashes on. i'm going to do the lines. i cannot do straight lines. [laughter] outside in. ok, girlfriend. tavis: now she's giving you make up tips. [laughter] angélique is already too much. now you're getting make up. >> i'm not going to look at it anymore. [laughter] fors: that is our show tonight. thank you for watching. as always, keep the faith. [laughter] >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley on pbs.org. tavis: join me next time as we take a deep dive into what is grabbing the country's attention in the coming week. that's next time. see you then.

>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> the more.

next on "newsroom," income inequality front and center again. while new cuts to the federal food stamp program are likely. uc president napolitano leads the u.s. olympic dell base to sochi, russia, and talks to the tension surrounding this year's games. >> all security precautions that can be taken are being taken. in a world where there are no guarantees. drought poll tibs. plans to restore the san joaquin river under fire by republican lawmakers.