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(海角在线免费) - Grace Barb茅, a Seychellois artist living in Australia, says she feels proud to be recognized and rewarded for creating music that tells stories of her roots and culture.

Barb茅 clinched the prize for 'Best World Act' at this year鈥檚 ceremony held in Perth earlier in November.

Speaking to SNA in an email interview this week, Barb茅 said that the award means a lot as her career is not only about representing original and contemporary music, but also the Creole music and culture.

鈥淭here is a sense of pride that comes with being recognized, acknowledged and awarded for music that tell stories of your roots and culture. Music that captivates rhythms of the islands. Music that is not only sang in English, but also in Creole and French. I would not have created what I am creating now without that sense of culture, community and purpose,鈥� she told SNA.

It鈥檚 the seventh 'Best World Act' prize won by Barb茅 and her band, alongside two 鈥楽ong of the Year鈥� award, presented by the West Australian Music, during the course of her music career.

The nomination process for the award has a high threshold. A nominee must impress judges in the categories of originality, active performance, branding, touring, marketing and publicity, song writing, recordings, musicianship, and popularity.

is a body that aims to support, nurture and grow all forms of contemporary music helping artists to be recognized in Australia, as well as internationally. Having a number of awards in place is one of the ways it helps artists to get ahead.

, who was born on Mahe, the Seychelles main island, moved permanently to Australia at the age of 16 where she started off performing for the Seychellois community living in Perth. Her mother and veteran musician Perley Hoareau known as 鈥楾on Per鈥� -- one of the founding and original members of the Seychelles 60s band Le Boys -- are the two persons she describes as her mentors.

Barb茅鈥檚 most active years on the music scene spans over the last decade, together with her trio-band called Grace Barb茅 Afro-Kreol, comprising of herself playing the bass guitar, Jamie Searle playing the guitar and her sister, Joelle Barb茅 on the drums. Together they have developed what she calls their own unique sound -- 鈥楢fro-Kreol.鈥�

鈥淚n a way, I see myself and my band have created a platform in promoting music and culture of the Indian Ocean island region- Seychelles, Mauritius, Rodrigues, La Reunion, Mayotte and Madagascar, while also developing our own sound,鈥� she told SNA.

鈥�Music from the Indian Ocean islands need to be pushed, promoted and supported a lot more on a global scale, but it requires the right team of people, the right artists, the right materials/product and the enough resources for support. It's not easy but it is not impossible.鈥�

Grace Barb茅 who has developed what she calls their own unique sound -- 鈥楢fro-Kreol鈥� moved to Australia with her mother and siblings at the age of 16. (Grace Barb茅) Photo License: All Rights Reserved

Barb茅, 36, is currently based in Fremantle, Western Australia where she is also a music and vocal teacher at schools, aside of her frequent performances for Australian audiences.

The Seychellois born artist also conducts dance workshops where she is constantly referencing the use of the word 鈥榗oconuts鈥�, telling her students not to be afraid to shake their beautiful 鈥榗oconuts鈥� (their buttocks!) while she shows them how to dance the tinge, moutya and sega 鈥� some of Seychelles鈥� traditional music.

Barb茅 released her debut Album Kreol Daughter in 2008 followed by a second one -- 鈥榃elele鈥� -- in 2013.

One of her upcoming project is the worldwide release of her first vinyl record this coming Saturday November 19, which will be a remix of a track -- Afro-Sega -- from her 鈥榃elele鈥� album by Tony Allen 鈥� a well-known Nigerian drummer, who lives in Paris.

鈥淭ony Allen was invited to perform at the prestigious Perth International Arts Festival a few years back and we opened for him. He expressed an interest in remixing one of our tracks. With Afro-Sega, he completely re-recorded the song with his band in Paris, retaining only my vocals from the original recording,鈥� said Barb茅.

In the meantime Barb茅 and band are also slowly working on finishing their next album.

鈥淲e like the idea of taking our time between albums and projects, and to do it properly. There is no real rush. It is important to get the music out but the process has to be enjoyable and the timing and product have to be right,鈥� she concludes.