Malian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor Fatoumata Diawara is set to perform at The Town Hall, Friday, February 21st at 8 p.m. Opening the show will be Los Angeles-based Guatemalan singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno.
One of the most remarkable voices to emerge in the world music scene in recent years, Diawara combines tradition and innovation. She has collaborated with Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Cuban jazz pianist Roberto Fonseca; singer Bobby Womack; singer-songwriter Damon Albarn (of Blur and Gorillaz fame); jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, and Ethiopian artist Mulatu Astatke, among others.
Living now in Italy after many years based in Paris, France, Diawara sings primarily in Bambara, the national language of Mali, and builds on the tradition of “songs of advice” from the culture of her ancestral Wassoulou region. In her songs, Diawara has addressed issues such as the pain of emigration; a need for mutual respect; the struggles of African women; life under the rule of religious fundamentalists, and the practice of female circumcision.
Diawara will be presenting songs from her most recent album, Fenfo, which translates as “Something to Say.”
Other North America Tour Dates :
2/19 – World Café Live – Philadelphia, PA
2/22 – House of Blues – Boston, MA
2/23 – Festival Nuits d’Afrique – Montréal, Canada
2/25 – City Winery – Chicago, IL
2/26 – Cleveland Museum of Art – Cleveland, OH
2/27 – The Listening Room – Grand Rapids, MI
2/28 – Flato Markham Theatre – Markham, Canada
More information at The Town Hall
More about Fatoumata Diawara
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central