Photo F. Meier 2006

At 25 she worked full-time as a griot at ceremonies, rituals and festivities, accompanied by jembe players when she performed in the Diula language, by full orchestras (traditional or electrified) at performances sung in the Manding language.

In 1998 she took part at a music festival in Bobo-Diulasso with her own group. After her performance she was asked to join the internationally known group Farafina as a singer.
Since 1999 she has been touring with Farafina all over the world. She contributes compositions of her own, sings solos and dances. With Farafina she traveled to Bali's 'Millenium Sacred Rhythm Festival' (1999), played at the 'Haus der Kulturen', Berlin, at the Folk and Dance Festival of Rudolfstadt in Germany and performed at concerts in Italy (all in 1999). She also performed at several WOMAD Festivals (founded by Peter Gabriel): WOMAD USA Seattle (2000), Reading WOMAD Festival (2000), WOMAD Las Palmas (2001).

In 2000 her tours with Farafina took her from Switzerland, to Portugal, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Germany where they also played at the world EXPO 2000 in Hannover. The same year she took part in the recording of Farafina'S CD Kanou.

In Burkina Faso she performed with her own group under the name of Tim Tim at a competition by the "Coordination des Associations pour la Lutte contre le Sida" (coordination of associations for the fight against AIDS). Among the 30 groups she won fist prize with her song 'Sida Ka Taa'. She was invited to perform at Burkina's main TV station and gave a concert at a reunion of doctors from her country.

In 2001 and 2002 she toured again with Farafina in order to promote the release of their CD Kanou. They toured in Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and played in Israel at the 'Jerusalem Freedom Festival 2002'.

Also in 2002 she took part, with Farafina, in the project Sirafaran ("crossroads") on the occasion of the EXPO 02 at the Neuch?tel Expo site in Switzerland. Sirafaran is a collaboration between the group Farafina and Swiss jazz musicians Mathieu Michel (trumpet), Bertrand blessing (drums), Dragos Tara (bass) and Laurent Estoppey (sax).
In 2003 she also performed with Farafina at the film festival "Fespaco" in Wagadugu, capital of Burkina Faso.

In the same year she recorded the song 'Delie' ("acquaintance") as a duet with the famous blind musician olo Dia Kabaco. They also produced a video clip of the song which is still being on TV in Burkina Faso and Mali.

In 2004 she returned, with Farafina, to Switzerland, France, Britain (Africa Oye Festival), Belgium, Italy (Folkest 2004),Germany, Croatia, Slovenia and Tunisia.

She was also invited as the featured solo singer to record three songs on the CD Sira Fila by the group Bekadiya, a project organized by the balafon player Mamadou Diabate who lives in Vienna, Austria. With this group she performed at several concerts in Austria.

In 2005 she went back on tour with BEKADIYA. She also worked with a new project together with Achim Tang (bass), Mamadou Diabate (bala) and Lukas Knoefler (drums) and performed with her own small group (Buskers Bern, a.o.).

Having been living in Switzerland since 2003 she all the same never has forgotten that she is first and foremost a traditional griot and she has been continuing to sing at ceremonies on every visit to her native country Burkina Faso (her return often impatiently awaited by her employers).

In 2006 she pursued her work with Bekadiya. She also joined the group Taffetas which consists of Nana Cissokho (kora, vocals), Marc Lieberskind (guitar) and Christophe Erard (bass, vocals) and has recorded the CD Cameleon with them. In addition she gave duo concerts with her regular kora player Nana Cissokho and with her own group in Switzerland. She also produced her first CD under her own name.

2007 is the year of release of the first CD under the name of Fatoumata Dembele. Her CD N'naniba came out in early march. Fatoumata will also continue her solo career and be on tour with Mamadou Diabate, as well as the groups Taffetas and Farafina.

Official Web Site: www.fatoumatadembele.com

Kanou, with Farafina (Intuition Music INT3206-2, 2001)

Sira Fila,Mamadou Diabat? & Bekadiya (Sababou Records/Extraplatte EX 610003-2, 2003)

Cameleon, Taffetas (ASMIA 11TAF0206, 2006)

N'naniba (2007)