Fatoumata Diawara

Fatoumata Diawara has been hailed as one of the most vital standard-bearers of modern African music. With her new album, Fenfo, she takes her artistry to fresh and thrilling heights. Boldly experimental yet respectful of her roots, it is a record that defines her as the voice of young African womanhood – proud of her heritage but with a vision that looks confidently to the future and a message that is universal.

The songs on Fenfo – sung mostly in Bambara - cover such timeless subjects as respect, humility, love, migration, family and how to build a better world for our children. “I didn’t want to sing in English or French because I wanted to respect my African heritage,” she explains. “But I wanted a modern sound because that’s the world I live in. I’m a traditionalist, but I need to experiment, too. You can keep your roots and influences, but communicate them in a different style.”


Diawara has previously worked with some of the biggest names in contemporary music. She recorded with Bobby Womack and Herbie Hancock; played Glastonbury and other major festivals; and toured/recorded with the Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca. She continues to pursue a successful career as an actress, including an acclaimed appearance in 2014´s Timbuktu (Le chagrin des oiseaux), which received both BAFTA and Academy Award nominations, as well as working as a social activist.

(Photo: Fatoumata Diawara. Credit: Aida Muluneh)