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Fatoumata Diawara

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Biography

One of the most highly rated modern African singer-songwriters for her inventive style and fearless approach, Fatoumata Diawara was originally a child actor. Born on 21 February 1982 in Ouragahio on the Ivory Coast to Malian parents, she is one of eleven children and was sent to live with an aunt in Bamako, Mali at the age of nine. Her initial passion was acting and after early stardom in Mali, she defied her family and ran away to France in her teens to pursue her acting career with the Royal de Luxe theatre company. It was in Paris that her instinct for music took over and she became a backing singer with the great Malian star Oumou Sangare. She subsequently met producer Nick Gold of World Circuit Records, most famous for his work with the Buena Vista Social Club, and he became an influential guide as her music career took off in earnest. He encouraged her to explore her Malian roots as she blended the Wassoulou language tradition of her spiritual home with more modern styles and she caused quite a stir with the boldness of her subject matter, her songwriting even tackling matters as sensitive as war, abandoned children and female genital mutilation. As a result, her 2011 debut album Fatou—which included a tribute to her mentor Oumou Sangare as well as contributions from kora player Toumani Diabate drummer Tony Allen and Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones—swiftly established her as a major new star on the world music scene. She went on to tour the world, appear at festivals, get involved in social causes and played with the likes of Damon Albarn, Rokia Traore, Baaba Maal, Amadou & Mariam and The Noisettes on the African Express Train tour. She also joined forces with Cuban jazz pianist Robert Fonseca while maintaining her love of acting and cinema, notably in the Academy Award-nominated 2014 movie Timbuktu. The range of her styles continued on her 2018 album Fenfo - translated as 'something to say' - featuring cellist Vincent Segal with tracks ranging from funk to blues, Afro-pop and folk, including some English language material. She received two Grammy nods at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards for Best World Music Album (Fenfo) and Best Dance Recording for "Ultimatum," a collaboration with Disclosure. In 2020, she was featured on the Gorillaz single "Desolé," which appeared on their album Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez. 2022 saw the release of the album Maliba, which formed the soundtrack for a Google Arts and Culture project. Her third studio album London Ko arrived in 2023, which featured appearances from Yemi Alade, Angie Stone, M.anifest, Roberto Fonseca and -M- and was co-produced with Damon Albarn and Daniel Florestano.

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