Princesa de Africa

Report by: Nelly Hermitant

Sonia Sampayo was born in Madrid in 1973. She studied ballet from an early age.
Later on, she looked for expression in other dance forms, first contemporary dance
and then later Oriental and African dance. She has a degree in biology but works
mainly as a dancer and a teacher with various dance companies. She has published
two books on the techniques of dancing.

Princesa de Africa is an autobiographical book, written in the first person. It is Sonia
Sampayo’s story, a story of love, tolerance, generosity and understanding.

After the completion of the documentary ‘Princesa de Africa’ by Juan Laguna about
her experience, Sonia Sampayo decided to write a book about her story before
anyone else did.

Her story is indeed a rather unusual one. Following her discovery of Senegalese
music she joined a group on a trip to Senegal, to learn about Senegalese dance.
There she fell in love with everything, not just the music and the dance, but also with
the country, its people, and their way of living. On her return to Madrid she could not
erase the memories of that wonderful experience and continued mixing as often as
possible with Senegalese musicians and attending Senegalese gatherings where
everyone danced to the wonderful rhythm of the drums. Then she fell in love with a
musician, whom she married, but here is where her personal experience becomes
rather unusual and unexpected. Braving her family’s worries, and initial disapproval,
and facing the prejudices of Western middle classes, she went ahead to marry the
man she felt was her true soul mate, Pap Ndiaye, who had already two wives and
children in his native country.

When she travelled to Senegal after her wedding to meet her newly wed husband’s
family, she was facing a rather peculiar situation, as she was going to meet her
husband’s two other wives and their children.

It was a difficult and painful experience for her, she was rather lost, did not know how
to behave, felt lonely and sad, doubting very much if she had made the right choice.

Sonia was thrown into an emotionally complex relationship with Kiné and Fama,
(Pap’s other wives) triggering an underlying current of jealousy on both sides.

Sonia’s narration conveys a genuine feeling, her book is a personal reflection on the
acceptance of what is different, unknown and shows that love can transcend difficult
situations. Despite the fact that she experiences jealousy and longing for her husband
while he is with his other wives, she has grown into loving them and their children,
accepting them the way they have accepted her.

This book shows an interesting journey and teaches a lesson in tolerance and
humanity.