In 1989 Oumou Sangare, a young singer from the Wassoulou region in the south of Mali, arrived at the JBZ studio in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, to record her first album. With the exception of a guitar and an electronic bass, the line up was made up entirely of traditional instruments (kamalengoni, karinyang and the violin). Nobody could have predicted the success of that album which sold more than 100 000 copies in several months in West Africa alone. The cassette rapidly became number one in Mali.
Oumou Sangare’s secret lies in the force and the beauty of her voice, developed in the National Ensemble of Mali. This voice is complemented by the power of her lyrics, highlighting the problems faced by young Malians, torn between traditional, rural values and the modern life offered by the towns. Her voice and her lyrics, coupled with the authentic arrangement of the“Wassoulou Sound”, with the slow rhythm cradled by the strumming of the harp and heavenly melodies raised “Moussolou” up to the level of the best Malian albums of history.
« Dénonçant les mariages forcés ou évoquant les caresses d’un amant, elle s’impose à 20 ans comme une frondeuse dotée d’une voix dont la puissance porte admirablement le propos.»
LES INROCKS (FR)
« Moussolou (les femmes) révélait une voix cardinale du Mali, conjuguant souplesse et puissance. Celle d’une femme debout qui à 21 ans, déjà, n’avait pas
sa langue dans la poche »
LE MONDE.FR (FR)
« Un manifeste féministe porté par une interprétation d’autant plus saisissante qu’elle évolue dans un environnement orchestral particulièrement intense »
JAZZ NEWS (FR)
Contacts:
Booking Juan Ponce
juan@cityzenmusic.com / +34 639 639 438
MDC Management Maggie Doherty
maggie.doherty@music-mdc.com / +33 142 01 95 36
