Mamy Yoko's tribulations in Africa...

Nostra Dam
Nov 5, 2020
7 min read

Updated: Nov 14, 2023

Rose Laurens, whose real name is Rose Podwojny, was a French singer who entered her musical career at just 20 years old.

We are in 1972 and the singer then gives in the progressive rock with her group "Sandrose". A group that will only release one album and split up after a year of existence.

Four years go by and we no longer find Rose Podwojny but Rose Merryl who released a few 45s without more success.

It is the meeting with Jean-Pierre Goussaud, whose life she will share, that will permanently change his destiny when he begins to compose for her.

In 1979, she took the name of Rose Laurens and released the Single "Survivre" which will launch her career.

In 1980, she was given the role of Fantine in the musical "Les misérables", a role she played for 1 year.

She is maturing and is working hard with Jean-Pierre Goussaud on her first album "Deraisonnable". And their work is paying off.

The album was released in 1982 and the first Single extracted was none other than a certain..."Africa". The title will be a hit in France, set every Dancefloor on fire and sell over a million copies. The notoriety of the singer then literally explodes.

In 1983, they do it again with a new album which will know its moment of glory thanks to the Single "Mamy Yoko".

In 1985, the less successful Singles “Danse moi”, “Kalimba” and “Cheyenne” were released.

Return of the success in 1986 with the album "Ecris ta vie sur moi" whose music is still by Jean-Pierre Goussaud but the texts of other artists such as Fancis Cabrel, Yves Simon, Yves Duteil ... And his fame begins largely to cross the borders.

Unfortunately, everything ended in 1987 when she learned that her companion had cancer. She stops everything to devote herself exclusively to him.

She returned to the forefront in 1990 with a new album, but the artist was never able to find her audience, which unfortunately moved on.

In 2001, she will be part of the musical "L'ombre d'un géant" written by François Valery. A musical which had everything to succeed but which will be stopped dead after 42 performances following the inextricable financial difficulties in which François Valery will find himself.

Almost definitively stopping the career of an oh-so-talented singer who will remain as one of the most emblematic of the French repertoire of the 80s.

A singer who will leave us permanently on April 30, 2018 at the age of 65 following a long illness.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others ...) :

70s Decade :

• Vision (Sandrose) 1972

• Never good at sayin'good bye (Sandrose) 1972

• Old Dom is dead (Sandrose) 1972

• To take him away (Sandrose) 1972

• In space (Rose Merryl) 1976

• L'après amour (Rose Merryl) 1976

• Le vent se lève (Rose Merryl) 1976

• Je suis à toi (Rose Merryl) 1977

• Copacabana (Rose Merryl) 1977

• Survivre 1979

80s Decade :

• J'vous aime les oiseaux 1980

• L'air de la misère 1980

• Pas facile 1981

• Africa 1982

• Coeur chagrin 1982

• Mamy Yoko 1982

• Vivre 1983

• Danse moi 1984

• Zodiacale 1984

• Cheyenne 1985

• Quand tu pars 1985

• La nuit 1986

• Ou vont toux ce qu'on aime 1987

90s Decade :

• J'te prêterai jamais 1990

• Il a les yeux d'un ange 1990

• L'absence 1990

• Nous c'est fou 1996

• Jonathan s'en va ce soir 1996

2000s Decade :

• Pour aimer plus fort 2001

• Je suis avec toi 2001

2010s Decade :

• J't'aime moins 2015

• A.D.N. 2015

• César et Rosalie 2015

• A part ça tout va bien 2015

2020s Decade :

• Djaganero 2022

• Jimmy Dean 2022

• Jouets cassés 2022

• Amazone 2023

• Si j't'aimais pas 2023

• Toute seule 2023

• Caricature 2023

Tracks :

1972...the very first steps of the young Rose within a group which will pass like a shooting star in the French musical landscape during this decade of the 70s...

1972...it must be said that there is a feeling of not really being accomplished in all of this. There was potential in this group but it was not able to express itself as it should have...

1972...afterwards this will at least have allowed the very young singer to set foot in the adventure. An adventure that is only just beginning for her...

1972...and you have to start well one day as they say. Few artists will have smashed everything from the very beginning of their career...

1976...we find her 4 years later solo this time. She persists in singing in English but it really doesn't work for her that much...

1976...here she is finally in French, it had become more than necessary for her to return to its original fundamentals. It is now done...

1976...it won't bring her more than that but it will at least have the merit of making her a little more visible in her native land...

1977...it is certain that there is still work to be done before being able to compete with the competition but there is improvement, it is clear...

1977...year after year she raises her level of play and there will inevitably come a time when all this will end up paying off, that's for sure...

1979...still no big takeoff but we are inexorably getting closer. It is clear that this singer has everything to do great things...

1980 ... a passage to the 80s which is done in Dance mode. And which shows above all an obvious potential which asks only to explode. Coming soon...

1980 ... she takes a first step in recognition thanks to this sumptuous title that she performs in the musical Les Misérables. MA-GIC !

1982 ... then THIS title comes ! Here she is quite simply signing the biggest success of her career thanks to this incredible track which will become one of the biggest dance hits of the decade on the French side. With the added bonus of a notoriety that literally explodes. HU-GE !

1982 ... a pretty sweet parenthesis that shows another facet of her talent. And talent, she has it to spare !

1982 ... a very pretty Mamy Yoko who confirms that Rose will not be just a shooting star and that we will have to count on her for the years to come !

1983 ... a sequel to the height, all in finesse. She is as effective in the Intimist as in the Dance, the mark of the Great !

1984 ... back to Dance ! And it spins at 200 km/h ... Calm Rose, calm...! No need to confuse speed and haste ...

1984 ... a title already a little more in the norm. A title of certain quality but which will pass under the radar. Like most of what will follow unfortunately ...

1985 .... a very nice Squaw ! For a title that will not remain as its best but which holds up, to say the least

1985 ... no, no, we're not leaving, on the contrary ! We are there and we are listening to you ! Surely one of his best titles and which nevertheless will experience only a limited success ...

1986 ... the night brings advice. And especially good luck. New hit ! Who will be the last this time ...

1987 ... a talent in the Intimist among the best of the moment. Unfortunately the public has already moved on in this year 1987 concerning her. Frankly shame ...

1990 ... big air gap of 3 years and here she is back in this new decade. Unfortunately, the transition to the 90s will not change the situation concerning her. Hard law of the trade ...

1990 ... she tries to adapt to the new musical trends of the moment but once again, the public does not follow. Mass is said as they say ...

1990...which does not prevent her from continuing the adventure whatever happens because as we know, in music everything is always possible...

1996 ... the last and umpteenth comeback that will not turn the tide. Anyway, the adventure was beautiful and that's the main thing !

1996...whether it is successful or not, it is the core fans who rejoice to the highest degree as soon as she returns with a new opus. That's at least that...

2001 ... the musical that had everything to succeed and which ended in a monumental flop. History will never say if the singer's career could have been revived in a notable way if the show had the expected success but everything was there in any case to consider it...

2001 ... a second title which shows that the singer had returned to her best level. Like what nothing is ever finished and that everything was now possible. But once again fate will have decided otherwise ...

2015...when we thought we would never see her again, here she is back in an unexpected way to say the least. Unexpected return which delights the core fans once again...

2015...her desire to believe in it until the end undoubtedly commands respect. Unfortunately this will not be enough to bring her back into the race no matter what...

2015...she will have at least tried. It is clear that the competition is now light years away and that it is therefore impossible for her to fight on equal terms...

2015...a new opus which will indeed be her last this time because fate will not give her time to make another one....

2022...other albums will be released subsequently but they will only be old titles taken out of the boxes. Afterwards they are also part of her discography...

2022...especially since some will not lack interest so it would have been a shame to overlook them. Here they are brought back to light...

2022...50 years after her debut with Sandrose, we still continue to talk about her and isn't that the main thing. Music makes you immortal...

2023...a new opus of unpublished material which shows that there was quite a lot left in the boxes. We will therefore welcome them in the best possible way...

2023...not all the titles found are Masterpieces of course, but there is still quality in all those brought to light...

2023...in the end a more than substantial discography which once again confirms its status as a female reference on the French music scene, 80s version...