Since the release of her debut album Moussoulou in 1989, there’s been no respite for the Malian singer Oumou Sangare. Notable waymarks on her rich and fruitful journey include some of the most ...

Malian women are tough, even ballsy. Ballsy and very feminine at the same time. It's a balancing act that few western divas I know of can pull off without looking as if they've used a life-coach and a ...

"Iyo Djeli" is a praise song to Djekani Djeli, "an old and wise griot woman of the 1960s." Griots are hereditary praise singers and instrumentalists, and a genre of musician from which many Wassoulou ...

Oumou Sangare began singing at weddings and on the streets more than 25 years ago in Mali's musical metropolis, Bamako. Now, with the release of her sixth album, Seya, Sangare has gone from an ...

Lucy Duran is in the West African Republic of Mali to celebrate the life and music of one of Africa's best loved divas: Oumou Sangare. The programme features an interview with the artist. Show more ...

Get the inside track from Roisin O'Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear This I fear that my faltering French and poor phone signal might irk her, but she turns out to be unfailingly ...