FATOUMATA DIAWARA
Diawara’s electric guitar chops mark her out as a true trailblazer
“AS you know, Africa is not all about problems,” Fatoumata Diawara reminds us, two songs in. “It is our job to introduce the real Africa.” On the evidence of this impassioned show, the Malian singer-songwriter and her band are seasoned ambassadors, with fine-tuned communication skills.
Diawara launched. She’s since become a universally acclaimed voice, unique to her generation. It’s still rare for Malian women to play any instrument – traditionally, they only sing – so Diawara’s electric guitar chops mark her out as a true trailblazer, even more so when shredding centre stage.
