Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Diawara is a trailblazer—Mali’s first female solo electric guitar player and a gifted artist who bridges Wassoulou traditions with western musical influences. Her latest solo album is easily her best, a collaboration with Blur/Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn, who plays synths and co-wrote six of the 14 tracks. Other guests include soul singer Angie Stone, Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca, Ghanaian rapper M.anifest and Nigerian Afropop stat Yemi Alade. But this is Diawara’s party and her soaring voice and bold guitar are commanding throughout, especially on the electro dub of “Dambe,” the bluesy “Netara” and the stirring “Sete,” with backing from the Brooklyn Youth Chorus.  

A genuinely boundary-busting artist, Traoré doesn’t follow in the footsteps of fellow Malian singers like Salif Keita or Oumou Sangaré. Thoroughly modern, she bridges songs in English, French and her native Bambara with rock instrumentation and offbeat collaborations. On her 2003 album, Bowmboï, Traoré recorded with the Kronos Quartet. For her latest, the statuesque singer has teamed up with PJ Harvey’s producer John Parish for a sound that is rock-tinged, yet distinctly African. The album features as much Gretsch as n’goni, the traditional Malian lute, and Traoré isn’t afraid to add some distorted lead guitar. Striking dynamics abound throughout, from the whisper-to-a-scream Kouma to the sp...