Rokia Traore was born in 1974 and comes from Bamako, Mali, a country known for its jelis (oral historians) and the traditions of the kora (West African harp) and bala (African xylophone). She has already distinguished herself as the voice of the new generation of African artists in a very short period.

Though-steeped in tradition, Rokia Traore’s music is thoroughly integrated into a contemporary sound, thanks to her upbringing in a multicultural environment. Unlike many other Malian singers she does not come from the jeli caste, but rather from the class sponsoring them.

Her father was a diplomat, and so she lived in many different places away from Mali: Algeria, Saudi Arabia, France, and Belgium. As a result, Rokia Traore has managed to integrate the atmospheres of great many places into her recordings. She grew up listening to all types of music, Algerian and Malian music, jazz, blues, reggae and afropop, and her original career choice was social sciences. Yet once she decided to become an artist instead, the great guitarist, singer and sound engineer Ali Farka Toure, who has encouraged and recorded many of the upcoming, independent, and innovative Malian performers, became her mentor. 

Another big influence is Massembou Diallo. He used to play with Rokia's father in an amateur band called Chiwa Band. He encouraged her to make music and composed Rokia's first two pieces together with her.

Listening to her new CD for the first time, one immediately knows it is from Mali, yet is does not sound like any other music from there. Compared to the powerful voices of women singers that we are familiar with, such as Kandia Kouyate or Oumou Sangare, hers is pure and passionate. Her vocals are melodious and accessible, the textures more intricate. Though familiar and honoring the references to revered Malian singers like Ami Koita and Fanta Damba - both of whom yet to be discovered by American audiences' Rokia decided to innovate their sound in order to make it work with her own concepts. Her singing style is flawless and airy, with perfect, minimal arrangements. ... Performers like Cassandra Wilson or Susana Baca from Peru come to mind. Producing was difficult for her: Having to choose musicians open to her interpretations and unorthodox mixes was one hurdle, finding them for touring yet another one, since most musicians came from certain ethnic backgrounds, not ready to mix. While they use mostly acoustic, traditional instruments -except for an added electric bass on a few pieces- it's her voice that departs from established norms. Listening closely one notices how she has subtly shifted the focus of the instruments from electric guitars and keyboards to the ngoni (West African banjo), bala (West African xylophone), and soft percussion (no drum kit!).

Rokia Traore's upbringing as a modem woman makes her a symbol for the younger generation of African women, and in fact she is only now coming to terms with a lot of issues in today's Malian society, which represents the contents of her lyrics. As traditional society is crumbling, noble families often find themselves poverty stricken. The arrival of cassette culture has made is possible for jelis to survive and at the same time afforded them a greater freedom of speech, since they now are not entirely obliged any more to please their patrons.

Very few hardcore world music fans heard her first on a Radio France International compilation CD - she was the winner of the African Discoveries award - and hunted down her subsequent CD Mouneissa, which was never distributed outside Europe. On her new CD, Wanita, Rokia Traore does not fail to again create timeless, authentic music, without blindly following trends or falling into the trap of overproduction.

Anybody who has seen her perform, has been enthralled by her elegance, strength, and delicate, intimate, yet relaxed voice, and gone away convinced of her as a new rising star. We can expect to see mesmerized international, including propositions for a number of cross-cultural collaborations, once she's "discovered."

Mouneïssa (Label Bleu/Indigo LBLC 2524, 1998)

Wanita (Label Bleu, 2000)

Bowmboï (Nonesuch, 2004)

Tchamantché (Nonesuch, 2008)