Afro Roots Fest presents the queen of African music, Oumou Sangaré . Oumou Sangaré is a Grammy Award-winning Malian Wassoulou musician of Fulani or Fula descent. She is often referred to as “The Songbird of Wassoulou”. Wassoulou is a historical region south of the Niger River, where the music descends from age-old traditional song, often accompanied by a calabash. Sangaré is renowned worldwide for her vibrant and powerful music, which often features revolutionary messages about women’s rights, tradition, and poverty. Since the release of her debut album ‘Moussoulou’ in 1989, there’s been no respite for the Malian singer. Notable waymarks on her rich and fruitful journey include some of the most definitive recordings in the history of contemporary African music: ‘Ko Sira’ in 1993, ‘Worotan’ in 1996, and ‘Seya’ in 2009, the latter nominated for a Grammy Award. Counting among her many notable fans Alicia Keys, Aya Nakamura and Beyoncé (who sampled the classic ‘Diaraby Nene’ for her 2019 Lion King release), Sangaré has long since broken through barriers separating continents and musical styles.
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