Rokia Traoré May 20, 2013

Rokia Traoré is a Victoires de la Musique award-winning Malian singer, songwriter and guitarist. Born in Mali as a member of the Bambara ethnic group she travelled widely in her youth and visited such countries as Algeria, Saudi Arabia, France and Belgium and was exposed to a wide variety of influences. Her hometown of Kolokani is in the northwestern part of Mali's Koulikoro region.

Her first album Mouneïssa (Label Bleu), released in late 1997 in Mali and September 1, 1998 in Europe, was acclaimed for its fresh treatment and unqualifiable combinations of several Malian music traditions such as her use of the ngoni and the balafon. It sold over 40,000 copies in Europe.

She won the BBC Radio 3 World Music Award in 2003 and Songlines Best Artist Award in 2009. Her fantastic fifth album 'Beautiful Africa' is released on April 8th, it's lyrics are sung in the Malian–born Traoré’s native languages of French and Bambara, as well as some English.

‘Rokia Traoré sings in the language of her native Mali, but that is where the comparisons with most of her musical compatriots end. Listening to her induces a peculiar and seductive kind of cultural vertigo. [She has] an extraordinary voice, by turns declarative and caressing. If you had to guess the location of the person behind this otherworldly music you might equally well pick Venus as Bamako.’ The Times

Official Website: http://crd.fm/2LM