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Language:

Bambara

Genre:

Modern manding Jazz

Instrument:

Female vocals

On the Internet
Article
"Diva with a cause"
Music samples
Concert WOMAD 2003

Biography

This female singer from Southern Mali's Wassoulou area, has had a major influence on West African music, not least because of her lyrics. She was among the first female artists in West African to openly deal with social problems through her songs’ lyrics. She spoke out against polygamy and arranged marriages, and attracted large female audiences at her concerts. Men stayed in the background. She said in an interview that, as a daughter in a house where the father had two wives, she had always disliked polygamy. She began to sing in public at an early age and from the start her driving force was the corruption she saw around her in Mali society.
Wassoulou music is based on the kamalengoni, a six stringed harp. The rhythm is staccato and often contrasted with a metal scraper. This is usually teamed with female singers and Oumou Sangare is one of several female artists who have severed their ties with this tradition. But there is also one male artist - Abdoulaye Diabate - who has his roots in Wassoulou music.
Oumou Sangare made her debut with the disk “Moussoulou” ("Women"), recorded in Abidjan on the Ivory Coast, in 1989. This disk was produced by Ibrahim Sylla, (who also pressed all the buttons on Salif Keita's "Soro") and became a best-seller with 200,000 sold copies. And that's not counting the pirate copies. Oumou Sangare's style is chiefly folk-based, with acoustic instruments such as guitar and violin in the backing, in addition to traditional harp.

Relevant artists:
Abdoulaye Diabate
Rokia Traoré
Ramata Diakité
Issa Bagayogo

MOUSSOLOU  
World Circuit/1990

This is a disk that at the beginning seems monotonous and boring. But give it some time; listen to the details and the great play between guitar, violin, harp and electric bass. Listen to Oumou Sangare's clear, precise songs. The music is unmistakably African in its cyclic movements. Listen two or three times and you'll go into a trance.

KO SIRA  
World Circuit/1993

Mali's most irresistible daughter is back with Ko Sira, an album more "unmodern" than things she has done before. She gets close to her musical roots with far more traditional angles, yet she has managed to produce her best album to date. Definitive! With her clear, almost razor thin voice, she eats into your soul with a discreet layer of acoustic instrumentation. Djembe, guitar, violin, flutes, bass and scanty percussion underline Oumo Sangare's voice splendour. “Splendour” is the word. In terms of lyrics, I have more difficulty entering her universe. She sings about modern life's corruption of traditional Malian and Muslim values. At the same time she sings with bitter irony about polygamy, prostitution, skirt chasers and the patriarchal system's faults. Paradoxically enough, she makes some of the most beautiful and long lasting music you can find. Recommended.

Arne Berg

WOROTAN  
World Circuit/1995

As with "Moussoulou", "Worotan" seems a little monotonous the first time you hear it. But when you begin to really listen to it properly, you'll lose yourself in it, for this disk is charmingly produced/recorded by Nick Gold and Jerry Boys. There are many delicious details in the backing that, from the start, leads on with kamalengoni, drums and the female choir. In addition there are guitars, violins, flutes, and a certain Pee Wee Ellis (ex James Brown and Van Morrison) on saxophone. Everything comes together in an organic mix, a style that is just Moumou Sangare's. The best tracks, I feel, are those where you can hear every single instrument, like on the title track where the kamalengoni and electric guitar alternate with the female choir. And of course Oumou Sangare's own clear voice creates an hypnotic dialogue. On "Denw" you can also hear a lovely violin solo. Exciting lyrics in English are included with the disk. It's difficult to characterise African music in relation to Western styles, but I can try a comparison here: this resembles folk-based jazz. It is brilliant, no matter what.

OUMOU
World Circuit/2003

"Oumou" is a compilation with some old material, some remixes and some unpublished songs.
Tracks CD 1:
1. Ah Ndiya
2. Wayeina
3. Mogo Te Diya Bee Ye
4. Magnoumako
5. Dugu Kamalemba
6. Saa Magni
7. Woula Bara Diagna
8. Yala
9. Djorolen (remix)
10. Denko
Tracks CD 2:
1. Maladon
2. Diaraby Nene
3. Sigi Kuruni
4. Ne Bi Fe
5. Laban
6. Kayi Ni Wura
7. Sabu
8. Djorolen
9. Baba
10. N'Guatu

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Swahili: Francis Chagula (francis.chagula@malvik.kommune.no)
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