Fatoumata Diawara
“…one of Africa’s most vital international stars.” – Meany Center for the Performing Arts
Hailed as a standard-bearer of modern African music, Fatoumata Diawara continues to take her artistry to fresh and thrilling heights. One of eleven children born to Malian parents in Côte d’Ivoire, she grew up in the 1990s in the Malian capital of Bamako. Fiercely independent from a young age, Diawara became a celebrated child actor, and journeyed to France at the age of nineteen to join the street theatre company Royal de Luxe. Touring the world with Royal de Luxe, her singing became a feature of the company’s performances, and she then began singing in the clubs and cafes of Paris. That in turn led to her backing Dee Dee Bridgewater and the Malian superstar Oumou Sangaré and brought her to the attention of the World Circuit label, which released her acclaimed debut album, Fatou, in 2011. Since her debut, Diawara has received Grammy, Victoires de la Musique, and AEAUS award nominations, and a win for Best Female Artist at the Awards d’Afrique. Conditions were ripe for this great African voice to launch London Ko, a new album that looks to the future, in 2023.
