The Grammy award-winning Malian global superstar Oumou Sangaré has returned with her most ambitious work to date. Sangaré is renowned worldwide for her vibrant and powerful music, which often features revolutionary messages about women’s rights, tradition and poverty. In her 30 year career she has won numerous awards, counts among her many notable fans Alicia Keys and Beyoncé (who sampled the classic ‘Diaraby Nene’ for her 2019 Lion King release), and, for her tireless work on social progress and cultural development holds the prestigious titles of Goodwill Ambassador to the UN’s Food & Agriculture organisation, Commander of the National Order of Mali and Chevalier of Culture in France. ‘Timbuktu’ is a stunning collection of songs, fusing her distinctive Malian sound and voice with elements of blues, folk and rock – resulting in a timeless body of work, free from borders and genres. Written and recorded in the US during coronavirus lockdowns, the album is the latest chapter in an unparalleled musical epic which has seen an artist born in the poorest districts of Bamako, Mali, become the greatest and most influential African singer alive, as well as a powerful feminist icon. Between the hometown pride exhibited in ‘Wassulu Don’, the quiet introspection of ‘Degui N’Kelena’, the amorous languor expressed on ‘Kanou’, the compassion in ‘Demissimw’ and the sadness and frustration in ‘Kêlê Magni’, many emotions nourish this record, with common threads of courage and optimism woven throughout. With ‘Timbuktu’, Oumou Sangaré demonstrates her endless talent, her passion and her wisdom, shining a light and leading the way for the world, through pain and strife, towards resilience, positivity and hope.
